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Sun Valley Serenade | Year: 1941 Directed: - H. Bruce Humberstone SONJA`S BEST This is remembered primarely because of the excellent music of Glenn Miller. He was to do only another film, Orchestra Wife, before being killed in a planecrash. <BR>However; by the early 40s, Sonja Henie had developed into a good comedienne and this is her best - as a dumb, simpleminded blonde. Her timing is impeccable as is her delivery of dialogue... As if that isn`t enough; the supporting cast includes great efforts by The Nicholas Brothers, Dorothy Dandrige(then married to 1 of the N. Brothers and with whom she gave birth 2 a multihandicapped daughter), Milton Berle, Lynn Bari(singing voice dubbed) and John Payne as Sonja`s loveinterest. It`s 1 of the best musicals ever made, though Sonja`s skating in this 1 is not her best. Want to see the mechanics of the Miller Band? This review applies EQUALLY to Orchestra Wives and Sun Valley Serenade. Remember the Elvis movies that were basically a thin plot excuse to have the "star" sing? Well these movies are the 1940's equivalent featuring the pre-war (and so definitive) Glenn Miller Band. Forget about the plots which are almost identical and don't even stand up today. Boy meets Girl, Falls in love, Another girl is jilted or gets in the way, disharmony in the band, all is sorted out. Big set piece number to finish. (Both movies - honest!). In fact unless you are interested in period movie making and Hollywood fashions you can safely fast forward between the tunes. You can figure the plot as it whizzes by - though how Milton Berle (playing the band's "publicity agent" in Sun Valley Serenade) got his wise crack about the size of a girl's chest past the production code is beyond me! Must have been the war. BUT - the real reason to own these tapes (when are we going to get the DVD versions?) is watching the mechanics of how the Miller Band produced the sound. Sure - it was shot to be showy - and it is - but it is WELL shot and you can see how the components of the sound were built - even if the "recording studios" are the size of movie studios...... Couple this with the restored soundtrack (some tracks are in early stereo!) and you have a reason to own these movies. If you can only afford one - Orchestra Wives - there are more hits on it! A fine slice of wartime Americana This light romantic comedy is one of only two feature films to include Glenn Miller and his big band (the other being the superior "Orchestra Wives")... Miller himself is stiff as a board onscreen, and his acting parts are entirely unmemorable, although the musical performances are stellar. The orchestra's highly choreographed stage routines translate well onto film, and the visual razzle-dazzle of Miller's well-honed showmanship gives this film its real sizzle. Tex Beneke shines on a hep vocal update of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," a number which closes with some singing and hoofing by the ever-acrobatic Nicholas Brothers, as well as actress Dorothy Dandridge, who sort of appears out of nowhere, just to take a brief solo. The plot is simple enough: actor John Payne stars as Ted Scott, a featured performer in Miller's (supposedly) struggling band, gets caught between two gals, Lynn Bari's tempremental big band diva, and Sonja Henie, as a perky war refugee from Norway. (War refugee? Norway?? Oh, never mind...) As ever, Henie's appeal may be lost on some; personally, I find her incredibly vapid, and her giant, phony smile is somewhat disturbing. That being said, this is actually one of her better performances, and Payne is a very likable leading man. The film is padded out with extensive skiing sequences and plenty of Henie-delic skating scenes, so the fast-forward button may come in handy. Milton Berle also has a big role as the band's fast-talking, nebbishy business manager -- a surprisingly nonabrasive early performance in the late, great comedian's decades-long career. All in all, a nice bit of pre-war American fluff. A must-see for Glenn Miller fans. Buy Sun Valley Serenade at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Sun Valley Serenade Search with the Priority Search Engine on Sun Valley Serenade This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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