Orchestra Wives was the second and last film to feature The Glenn Miller Orchestra. The film is notable among the many Swing Era musicals because its plot is more serious and realistic than the insubstantial story lines that were typical of the genre. Ann Rutherford plays Connie Ward, a young woman who marries Bill Abbott, (George Montgomery), a trumpet player in Gene Morrison's (Glenn Miller) swing band. 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 {Lynn Bari), the band's female vocalist. When Ward eventually walks out on Abbott their split releases so many other tensions among the musicians that leader Morrison is forced to break up the orchestra. Morrison and the band's pianist Sinjin (Cesar Romero) then work behind the scenes to reunite both the band and the two newlyweds. The re-formed band has a series of hit recordings and all ends happily. George Montgomery ( August 29, 1916 - December 12, 2000) was an American painter, sculptor, furniture craftsman, and stuntman who is best known as an actor in western style film and television. ... Ann Rutherford (November 2, Canadian/American actress in film, television. ... Bari in The Amazing Mr. ... Cesar Romero, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. ... Related articles FOX Television Network Fox Searchlight Pictures Fox Entertainment Group List of Hollywood movie studios List of movies Variant of current 20th Century Fox logo External links 20th Century Fox Movies official site Twentieth Century Fox is also the punning title of a song by The Doors on their... This article is about the year. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Swing Era was the period of time (1935-1946) when big band swing music was the most popular music in America. ... Ann Rutherford (November 2, Canadian/American actress in film, television. ... George Montgomery ( August 29, 1916 - December 12, 2000) was an American painter, sculptor, furniture craftsman, and stuntman who is best known as an actor in western style film and television. ... Major Glenn Miller Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904–probably December 15, 1944) started life as Alton Glenn Miller in Clarinda, Iowa. ... Bari in The Amazing Mr. ... Cesar Romero, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. ...

Songs

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). 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. Other songs include the period piece "People Like You and Me", a breakneck performance of "Bugle Call Rag" and the still-popular romantic ballads "At Last" and "Serenade in Blue". Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler, 21 June 1904 - 28 February 1959) was a Jewish-American composer and lyricist of songs for the stage and film. ... Harry Warren (December 24, 1893 - September 22, 1981) was a music composer of many different styles. ... Sun Valley Serenade was released in 1941. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Gordon Lee Tex Beneke (born February 12, 1914 in Fort Worth, Texas; died May 30, 2000) was an American bandleader, tenor saxophonist and singer. ... The Nicholas Brothers were a famous black tap dancing pair. ...

Awards

"I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" received a 1942 Oscars nomination as Best Song. Academy Awards The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent film awards in the United States. ...

Cast listing

Ann Rutherford (November 2, Canadian/American actress in film, television. ... George Montgomery ( August 29, 1916 - December 12, 2000) was an American painter, sculptor, furniture craftsman, and stuntman who is best known as an actor in western style film and television. ... Bari in The Amazing Mr. ... Major Glenn Miller Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904–probably December 15, 1944) started life as Alton Glenn Miller in Clarinda, Iowa. ... Cesar Romero, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. ... Categories: African Americans | Tap dancers | Art stubs ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Modernaires began as a trio of schoolmates from Buffalos Lafayette High School in 1935. ...

Trivia

• "At Last" was originally composed and recorded for Sun Valley Serenade but was cut from that film's theatrical release. A new arrangement and recording were made for Orchestra Wives. Both versions are now available on CD.
• Glenn Miller's character was named with matching initials so that the band could use their monogrammed stainless-steel bandstands.
• Three future stars have uncredited appearances: Jackie Gleason portrays the band's bass player, and in the soda fountain scene, Harry Morgan is the soda-jerk and Dale Evans plays Ann Rutherford's friend.
• Pat Friday dubbed Lynn Bari's singing, as she had done in Sun Valley Serenade.