Kalamazoo

Great music and a lightweight story add up to a pleasant diversion. The professional actors like Ann Rutherford, Carole Landis and Cesar Romero all give enjoyable performances. Also a great movie for familiar faces that were just starting out like Jackie Gleason and Harry Morgan to pop in and disappear. Marion Hutton, Betty's sister, shows up as one of the band's singers and the resemblance is striking. As for Glenn Miller, as an actor he was a wonderful band leader and Tex Beneke who plays one of the husbands had a beautiful voice and a face just made for radio. None of it really matters at all though whenever the boys pick up their instruments and play it's magic.

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

As a fan of big band music, this is a personal favorite of mine. But, it's not just that great Glenn Miller music but, it's one of less than a handful of films featuring the Glenn Miller Orchestra and one of the only places to see Tex Beneke sing. Also, you get to see "The Great One", Jackie Gleason long before Ralph Kramden; A young Harry Morgan who played on the tv hits Dragnet and M*A*S*H and Ceasar Romero long before he was battling Batman as the Joker on the original Batman series.

Orchestra Wives is a refreshing swingers movie. Glenn Miller is excellent and Ann Rutherford is beautiful. The music is very well done by the great one (Glenn Miller). We should embrace this type of movie for its gentle music and great acting. Movies like Orchestra Wives are coming Back.

It's Glenn Miller and his orchestra all right, even though the producers called him Gene Morris or something like that, and there is lots of music played by them. This movie seems to be almost unknown, yet it should by on the top of the list of every Glenn Miller fan. The sound is not bad for a 1942 recording. The story line ... is not worse than those of hundred other movies, past and present, without redeeming musical numbers. It's about the few wives or girl friends traveling with the band, who do not necessarily make the musicians' hardships on the road any easier. In the style of these older movies, things are happening at a good clip and are never too melodramatic. Glenn Miller plays "Glenn Miller" pretty well in a low-key manner and looks quite realistic. How could they make such great music with the smoking and the bad food at odd hours?

SUN VALLEY SERENADE was a surprise and a big success when it came to Europe, and I don't understand why ORCHESTRA WIVES did not travel well over the Atlantic (to my knowledge). The musical numbers are quite a few, and Lucien Ballard did a tremendous work at filming them. The Nicholas Brothers are even better than in the former Miller movie (and they were at their climax the year after, in STORMY WEATHER). The plot is unessential, as in most of the musicals, but the "wives" are all good looking and the players are credible too. Special mention to singer Marion Hutton, sax player Tex Benneke and drummer Moe Purtill, all uncredited.henry caraso