Alex da Silva Glenn Miller's band go on tour and so we get some swing music to enjoy. For a storyline, we get naïve small-town girl Ann Rutherford (Connie) hooking up with trumpet player George Montgomery (Bill) and becoming part of the troupe of back-stabbing orchestra wives. After a simpleton start, she plays them at their own game with admirable determination and this leads on to a good slap or two or three. Everyone reunites in the end for a quality musical finale.The story isn't much – it's contrived and has leaps of absurdity – but that's not the point. Watch it for the music. The film is encased in between two show-stopping numbers. We begin with "People Like You and Me" and end with "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo" and these two pieces are the film's highlights. The last includes a dance routine from the Nicholas Brothers that shows what gymnasts they are as well as crazy dancers. Both these songs also include Tex Beneke singing along with the Modernaires. As regards the Modernaires, there is a very noticeable blonde singer who immediately reminded me of Betty Hutton. Well,……I found out after watching the film that it's her sister. Far less blustery, though, thank goodness.In terms of acting, I don't know why people refer to Glenn Miller as being a wooden actor. Maybe he is but he's perfectly fine as himself. It's irrelevant. I did feel that there was not enough of pianist Cesar Romero (St. John) and bass player Jackie Gleason (Ben) and too much of the love interest between Montgomery and Rutherford. Neither of these two leads were particularly interesting – more like a couple of wet fishes. Montgomery is actually quite a nasty character in the beginning with his treatment of soda jerk Harry Morgan (Cully).So, if you fancy life on the road as an orchestra wife, don't forget to pack your hoover. And be prepared for a fight. And, of course, good music.

blanche-2 George Montgomery, Anne Rutherford, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, Lynn Barrie, Cesar Romero, Carole Landis, Mary Beth Hughes, Harry Morgan, Jackie Gleason, and the Nicholas Brothers all star in "Orchestra Wives," a 1942 musical film.Montgomery plays Bill Abbott, and one night, he meets a fan, Connie Ward, and invites her to see the orchestra the next night. She can't get into the concert because she doesn't have an escort, but he spots her when he comes outside. Her bus is about to arrive, and to keep her from leaving so soon, he proposes. She accepts. The next day, the band goes on tour, and Connie accompanies him.Connie's a nice, sweet young woman and isn't prepared for the other wives, who are pretty horrid. The worst isn't a wife, she's the group's singer, Jaynie (Lynn Bari), who used to date Bill and is determined to get him back. She befriends Connie. One evening, the orchestra has a concert in a nearby town, and all the wives stay back. One of the wives lets it slip that Jaynie and Bill used to date. Connie leaves in tears, and the wives call Jaynie to tell her that Connie is en route. Jaynie arranges to have Bill come to her room and lend her some money.When Connie arrives, she sees what looks like a compromising scene. She and Bill fight, and Connie leaves. As a result of a fight Connie has with the other women, in which she reveals how they all talk behind each other's backs, the entire orchestra breaks up, and Connie goes home.Very slight story with some wonderful music and singing. Miller's orchestra is interspersed with actors Gleason, Montgomery, and Romero. This was my parents' era and made me think of them -- the film was released in 1942 and made before Pearl Harbor, so the music and dancing has a joyous feel to it. Interesting that in those days the audience wasn't a passive one attending a concert. They got up and danced! Really delightful, with a lovely performance by the pretty Rutherford. Montgomery made mostly westerns; it's nice to see him out of the western garb. At the end of the film, the Nicholas Brothers do a spectacular number. (Once I asked my father if he'd ever heard of them and he said, "No, I couldn't afford the musicals.") A final thought: was M*A*S*H's Harry Morgan ever really that young? Guess so.

musica1 I had never heard of this movie, but I just came across it on a movie channel on TV. Wow! I was in 7th heaven with all the wonderful music! I've always been curious about the big band era and have listened to quite a few of the bands (or orchestras, as they were apparently called back then), and the sweetest sound by far comes from The Glenn Miller Orchestra. This movie has the actual Glenn Miller Orchestra and Glenn Miller himself playing the band. The interaction among the wives is interesting in that it seems that at least that part of life hasn't changed. Women were always their own worst enemies and still are. You can see updated versions of the back-biting and gossiping in the current (2011) reality shows on TV. And the parts of the movie set in Connie's home town show a glimpse into 1942 small-town America.This movie is well worth watching for the amazing music.

whpratt1 This film will bring you way back to the Big Band era and the entire picture is filled with outstanding actors, great musicians and dancers. Glenn Miller, (Gene Morrison) played the role of Gene and had to put up with all the band wives and their secret affairs between each other. One of the real trouble makers was Carole Landis, (Natalie Mercer),"I Wake Up Screaming", who was a big gossip and acted like a big Cat with large claws. Natalie wore outrageous hats with all kinds of flowers on top and did her very best to break up some newly weds who just got married. There was plenty of old time tunes and plenty of jitterbug, or what we call today, SWING DANCING. There are two African American dancers who gave an outstanding performance almost towards the end of film that was very entertaining. Jackie Gleason was a string bass player in the Gene Morrison(Glen Miller Band) and said quite a few lines. This is a great Classic Musical Film with all time great jazz players. Enjoy