Glen Miller Devotee.


I saw this film when it originally was released(that dates me!)and thought it a quite adequate follow-up to "Sun Valley Serenade"
As a fan of Glen Miller and his music from wartime to the present ,it was quite an experience to view this film again after 60 years.
I enjoyed the nostalgia kick and consider it to be feel-good movie ,without being anything outstanding.
His Orchestra really sends me.

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I remember my grandparents listening to the Glenn Miller Orchestra! Glenn Miller was a genius! When his plane went down during WWII the whole country mourned as I was told. Glenn Miller was a comfort to many of our military persononell and I was told he was the first white guy to play bee bop! I guess that's how it's spelled. He was a remarkable musician! Right now, the film the "Orchestra Wives" is showing on TCM, because it's Oscar month at TCM. They are showing some excellent movies. Get out your TIVO players or VCR's and get to recording! Some of these old movies may not be seen again for a long time!
Also, the Nicholas brothers are in this movie and they steal the show, along with Glenn Miller! If you have any trivia or comments please post them. I never found out what happened to Glenn Miller when that plane went down. Was it blown out of the sky or did it just crash? Please Post if you know, the man was an icon for the WWII era men and women so if you know anything print it! Thanks.

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The story I've heard is this: Glenn Miller wanted to get to Paris before the band in anticiption of a Christmas in concert to be played there. All he could find was a beat up and not very airworthy small plane. They took a route over the Channel from Englnd that was supposed to keep them away from the route taken by returning bombers. When bombers were not able to drop their bombs on the intended targets, they jettisoned them into the English Channel, rather than risk the danger of landing with armed bombs. Apparently Miller's pilot was inexperienced and strayed into the danger zone. A crew member of one of the bombers claimed to have seen a bomb from his plane smash through the tail plane of a small plane, or "kite" as they were called by the bomber crews, sending it into an immediate spin into the water. I read this story many years ago in an aviation magazine, and also saw it on a TV documentary. It is controversial, and not proved. Personally, I give it about an 80% to 90% probability of being true. Regardless, it was a terrible tragedy.

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Did all of you notice the bass player - a young Jackie Gleason

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Hello-- Kalamazoo is a great number performed perfectly Marion, Tex and the Modernairs. But who is the tenor sax player prominently filmed at the beginning and during the piece? Tall light haired fellow. He must have been a section leader. Maybe someone out there knows. Thanks

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Hi. The saxophonist you are noticing is Al Klink. He was with the civilian band from either '38 or '39 until 1942 I believe. He and Tex Beneke were the two tenor saxes. I only know this from reading lots of 33 RPM record jackets and then also Glenn Miller's biography by George Simon. Glad you enjoyed the movie and the music!

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Hated that Kalamazoo song. Just look at these lyrics:

A B C D E F G H, I got a gal in Kalamazoo
Don’t want to boast but I know she’s the toast of Kalamazoo
Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo
Years have gone by, my my how she grew
I liked her looks when I carried her books in Kalamazoo
Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo

Gee, I'm a lyricist and don't know how to come up with any words so I just start reciting the alphabet. And later on I'll just start repeating zoo over and over again. It's like they lost a bet and were forced to write a song about a city with a completely awkward name. All so lame.

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Not enough of a devotee to spell Glenn Miller's name correctly though.

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