Orchestra Wives (1942)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Archie Mayo

Writers:

Karl Tunberg (screenplay) and
Darrell Ware (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 September 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Music

Tagline:

It's Hep! It's Hot! It's Hilarious!

Plot:

Connie Ward is in seventh heaven when Gene Morrison's band rolls into town. She is swept off her feet by trumpeter Bill Abbot...

Plot Keywords:

Musical Acts | Beautiful Woman | Musician | Husband Wife Relationship | Sequel

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

George Montgomery	...	Bill Abbot
Ann Rutherford	...	Connie Ward / Abbot
Glenn Miller	...	Gene Morrison
The Glenn Miller Orchestra	...	Gene Morrison's Orchestra (as The Glenn Miller Band)
Lynn Bari	...	Jaynie Stevens
Carole Landis	...	Natalie Mercer
Cesar Romero	...	St. John 'Sinjin' Smith
Virginia Gilmore	...	Elsie
Mary Beth Hughes	...	Caroline Steele
The Nicholas Brothers	...	Themselves (as Nicholas Brothers)
Tamara Geva	...	Mrs. Beck
Frank Orth	...	Rex Willet

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (video rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Lynn Bari's singing was dubbed by Pat Friday.

Quotes:

Bill Abbott: Why don't you find someone your own age - about 104?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Glenn Miller Story (1953)

Soundtrack:

Chattanooga Choo Choo

definitive band musical

This film, the second to feature the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and probably best of the many films to include bandleaders in the cast, does exactly what it says on the tin – present a film about orchestra wives, those long-suffering mates of band musicians. What plot there is can be summed up in a couple of lines, concerning romances, new marriages, old flames, and rivalries.

The production works better than ‘Sun Valley Serenade', as that film largely had to support a plot for Sonja Henje. This time, there's more scope for other characters to make their impact, however brief. And yes, that is Cesar Romero playing piano for Miller. I'm not sure why, but there you go.

Miller himself was no actor, but it is of great interest to see him lead his band on screen (and also to put faces to singers Tex Beneke and Ray Eberle). The unique arrangements were perfect for screen soundtracks and there are several hit numbers featured throughout ‘Orchestra Wives'.