''Orchestra Wives'' is a 1942 American

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...

by 20th Century Fox starring

Ann Rutherford Therese Ann Rutherford (November 2, 1917 – June 11, 2012) was a Canadian-born American actress in film, radio, and television. She had a long career starring and co-starring in films, playing Polly Benedict during the 1930s and 1940s in the And ...

, George Montgomery, and

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the US Army Air Forc ...

. The film was the second (and last) film to feature The

Glenn Miller Orchestra Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was an American swing dance band formed by Glenn Miller in 1938. Arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, and three other saxophones playing harmony, the band became the most popular and com ...

, and is notable among the many

swing era The swing era (also frequently referred to as the big band era) was the period (1933–1947) when big band swing music was the most popular music in the United States. Though this was its most popular period, the music had actually been arou ...

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''.

Synopsis

Connie Ward (

) is a young woman who on the spur of the moment marries Bill Abbott ( George Montgomery), a trumpet player in Gene Morrison's (

) 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 music stands). She soon finds herself at odds with the cattiness and petty jealousies of the other band members' spouses, as they accompany their husbands on their cross-country train tour. Her discomfort is exacerbated by a flirtation between Abbott and Jaynie (

Lynn Bari Lynn Bari (born Marjorie Schuyler Fisher, December 18, 1919 – November 20, 1989) was a film actress who specialized in playing sultry, statuesque man-killers in roughly 150 films for 20th Century Fox, from the early 1930s through the 1940s. ...

), 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, that leader Morrison is forced to break up the orchestra. Ward and the band's pianist Sinjin (

Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

) then work behind the scenes to reunite the band, which also produces a reconciliation between Ward and Abbott (with additional help from Connie's father Grant Mitchell). Montgomery's trumpet playing on the soundtrack was performed by Johnny Best, Glenn Miller's lead trumpet player.

Songs

''Orchestra Wives'' features a treasure trove of songs by Mack Gordon and

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

, 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 "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo" is a #1 popular song recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1942. It was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren and published in 1942. It was featured in the musical film '' Orchestra Wives'' and was recor ...

", an analogue of " Chattanooga Choo-Choo" from the first film, that features a folksy vocal and some gutsy tenor sax work by

Tex Beneke Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke ( ; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000) was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. H ...

, backup singing by Marion Hutton with the Modernaires, and a gravity-defying dance sequence by the

Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...

. This was nominated as Best Music, Original Song in

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

(music), Mack Gordon (lyrics). Other songs include the period piece "People Like You and Me", a breakneck performance of "

Bugle Call Rag "Bugle Call Rag", also known as "Bugle Call Blues", is a jazz standard written by Jack Pettis, Billy Meyers and Elmer Schoebel. It was first recorded by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in 1922 as "Bugle Call Blues", although later renditions as well ...

" and the classic romantic ballads "

At Last "At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film '' Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US ''Billboard'' po ...

" (originally intended for ''Sun Valley Serenade'') and " Serenade in Blue". The film score uses "At Last" as a musical motif laced 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 Boom Shot is a 1942 song composed by Glenn Miller and Billy May for the 20th Century Fox movie '' Orchestra Wives'' starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. Billy May is credited as his first wife, Arletta May, because he had signed an exc ...

", an instrumental composed by Glenn Miller and

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), '' Batman'' (with ''Batgirl'' them ...

for the movie, appears, first on the jukebox in the soda shop, then later when Ann Rutherford and

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

are shown dancing, but is uncredited on the soundtrack and film credits.

Cast listing

Uncredited performances

Three future stars have uncredited appearances:

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

portrays the band's bass player, Ben Beck, and in the soda fountain scene,

is the soda-jerk Cully Anderson, who also dates Connie Ward (Ann Rutherford), and

Dale Evans Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers. Early life Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on ...

plays

's friend Hazel.IMDb credits, ''Orchestra Wives''
/ref> Pat Friday dubbed

's singing, as she had done in ''Sun Valley Serenade''. George Montgomery's on-screen trumpet playing was actually performed on the soundtrack by Miller sideman Johnny Best. Glenn Miller Orchestra pianist Chummy MacGregor dubbed Cesar Romero's playing. Harry Morgan would co-star in the film '' The Glenn Miller Story'' in 1953, portraying MacGregor.

Award nominations

* Nominated: Best Music, Original Song, "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo",

(music), Mack Gordon (lyrics) (1943)

Production notes

* Production Dates: 6 April-17 April; 22 April-early June 1942 * The working title of this film was 'Orchestra Wife'. * Information in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library indicates that an early draft of the film's screenplay was rejected by the PCA because it implied that some of the characters had committed adultery. After PCA officials met with producer William LeBaron in mid-June 1942, the story was approved on the condition that there would be no adultery depicted. * 'Orchestra Wives' was the second and final film made by famed band leader

, who, in September 1942, disbanded his orchestra in order to enter the military. * An July 8, 1942 Variety news item reported that the song "At Last," composed by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren, had originally been recorded by Miller and his orchestra for the 1941 Twentieth Century-Fox film Sun Valley Serenade. * Studio records indicate that the Gordon and Warren song "That's Sabotage" was recorded for Orchestra Wives and was included on the soundtrack album, even though it does not appear in the completed picture. * Instrumental versions of "You Say The Sweetest Things, Baby" and "The Darktown Strutters' Ball" were also to have been recorded for the film, but were cut.

In popular culture

A brief clip of The

performing "Kalamazoo" appears on a monitor in the 2019 film '' Ad Astra''.

References

External links

* * * * * {{Archie Mayo 1942 films 1942 musical films 20th Century Fox films American musical films American black-and-white films Films about music and musicians Films directed by Archie Mayo 1940s English-language films 1940s American films