02 It Happened in Sun Valley rehearsal

Playlist:    • Sun Valley Serenade (1941) Original Motion...   It’s funny how music can define an entire era, and Glenn Miller’s unique sound did just that. It is not possible to think of World War II without thinking of the Miller. It was everywhere – pouring out of jukeboxes, radios, and record players. Miller had been struggling in the mid-1930s and was dejected, but knew he had to come up with a unique sound to separate him from all the others – and, of course, the sound he came up with was spectacular, and the people ate it up. His song “Tuxedo Junction” sold 115,000 in one week when it was released. Miller’s concerts were instant sellouts, and his popularity kept on soaring. Whenever there’s a film about that era, there are always those Miller classics on the soundtrack because it does instantly define that era. It was no surprise when Twentieth Century Fox snapped up Miller and his band for the movies. He only did two (he was slated to do a third, but he went in the Army, and it never happened), but they were perfect vehicles. While no actor, he had a low-key, charming personality, and he was photographed well. The movies were cleverly built around him, and he was surrounded by excellent actors, singers, and dancers. The stories were simple, they didn’t overstay their welcome, and the music was superb. Sun Valley Serenade (1941) First up was Sun Valley Serenade (1941), which featured Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie, John Payne, Milton Berle, Lynn Bari, Joan Davis Dorothy Dandrige, the amazing The Nicholas Brothers, and of course, Glenn Miller and his orchestra, along with the Modernaires. The director was the reliable H. Bruce Humberstone, and the screenplay was by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. The story revolves around a band pianist (Payne), being convinced by his manager (Milton Berle) that it would be good publicity if the band adopted a foreign refugee child. When they arrive at Ellis Island to pick up the young girl they discover she’s not a child but a young woman (Sonja Henie). She sets her cap for Payne, Payne’s girlfriend (Lynn Bari) is not happy about it and quits the band, and amusing complications occur until everything ends happily. In addition to some Miller classics (“Moonlight Serenade,” “In the Mood”), the movie also featured a few great songs by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon, including a song that would become one of Miller's biggest hits, “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” which, in the film, is a spectacular production number with Dandrige and The Nicolas Brothers. Another great new song, “At Last,” was also recorded for the film but wasn’t used except as background music for several scenes. The song itself would end up in the next Miller film. “Chattanooga Choo Choo” hit number one on the Billboard chart in December of 1941 and stayed there for nine weeks. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song but lost to “The Last Time I Saw Paris” from Lady Be Good (there were nine Best song nominees that year). But “Chattanooga Choo Choo”’s consolation prize was being the first song to ever win a Gold Record. The entire film has the Twentieth Century Fox luster and sparkle, and that Glenn Miller sound is the stuff dreams are made of. — Bruce Kimmel