| Orchestra Wives | |
|---|---|
Orchestra Wives 1942 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Archie Mayo |
| Produced by | William LeBaron |
| Screenplay by | Karl Tunberg Darrell Ware |
| Story by | James Prindle |
| Starring | George Montgomery Ann Rutherford Lynn Bari Cesar Romero Marion Hutton |
| Studio | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | 4 September 1942 |
| Running time | 98 min |
| Language | English |
Orchestra Wives is a 1942 American musical film by 20th Century Fox starring Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, and Glenn Miller. The film was the second and last film to feature The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and is notable among the many swing era musicals because its plot is more serious and realistic than the insubstantial storylines that were typical of the genre. The movie was re-released in 1954 by 20th Century Fox to tie-in with the biopic The Glenn Miller Story.
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Connie Ward (Rutherford) is a young woman who marries Bill Abbott (Montgomery), a trumpet player in Gene Morrison's (Miller) swing band (Miller's character was given a name with initials that matched Miller's so that the band could use their monogrammed stainless-steel bandstands). She soon finds herself at odds with the cattiness and petty jealousies of the other band members' spouses. Her discomfort is exacerbated by a flirtation between Abbott and Jaynie (Bari), the band's female vocalist. When Ward eventually walks out on Abbott, their split releases so many other tensions among the musicians and their wives, leader Morrison is forced to break up the orchestra. Ward and the band's pianist Sinjin (Romero) then work behind the scenes to reunite the band, which also produces a reconciliation between Ward and Abbot [with additional help from Connie's father (Grant Mitchell)].
Orchestra Wives features a treasure trove of songs by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren, the same team responsible for the hits featured in Miller's first film Sun Valley Serenade (1941).[1] The main production number is "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo", an analogue of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", from the first film that features a folksy vocal and some gutsy tenor sax work by Tex Beneke, backup singing by the Modernaires, and a gravity-defying dance sequence by the Nicholas Brothers.[2] This was nominated: Best Music, Original Song in Academy Awards) Harry Warren (music), Mack Gordon (lyrics).[2]
Other songs include the period piece "People Like You and Me", a breakneck performance of "Bugle Call Rag" and the classic romantic ballads "At Last" (originally intended for Miller's initial film, Sun Valley Serenade) and "Serenade in Blue".[3] The film score uses "At Last" as a musical motif that is played throughout the movie in dramatic and romantic scenes. "That's Sabotage" was also written for the movie but was cut from the film. The song was, however, released as a 78 single by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, and the unused soundtrack recording was featured on various LP compilations of Miller's soundtracks.
Glenn Miller's theme song "Moonlight Serenade" from 1939 also appears over the opening credits.
"Boom Shot", an instrumental composed by Glenn Miller and Billy May for the movie, also is played in the movie, first on the jukebox in the soda shop, then when Ann Rutherford and Harry Morgan are shown dancing, but is uncredited on the soundtrack and film credits. "Boom Shot" is heard in the movie when the Gene Morrison orchestra plays it at the dance as filmed by the camera in a boom shot.
| Actor/Actress | Role |
|---|---|
| Ann Rutherford | Connie Ward / Connie Abbott |
| George Montgomery | Bill Abbott |
| Glenn Miller | Gene Morrison |
| Lynn Bari | Jaynie |
| Cesar Romero | Sinjin |
| Virginia Gilmore | Elsie |
| Glenn Miller Orchestra | Gene Morrison Orchestra |
| The Modernaires | Themselves |
| The Nicholas Brothers | Themselves |
Three future stars have uncredited appearances: Jackie Gleason portrays the band's bass player, Ben Beck, and in the soda fountain scene, Harry Morgan is the soda-jerk Cully Anderson, who also dates Connie Ward (Ann Rutherford), and Dale Evans plays Ann Rutherford's friend Hazel.[4] Pat Friday dubbed Lynn Bari's singing, as she had done in Sun Valley Serenade.[5] George Montgomery's on-screen trumpet playing was actually performed on the soundtrack by Miller sideman Johnny Best.
Harry Morgan would co-star in the film The Glenn Miller Story in 1953, portraying Glenn Miller Orchestra pianist Chummy MacGregor.
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