Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Andres Salama After the unexpected success of Sun Valley Serenade in 1941, 20th Century Fox tried the next year with the same formula, a romantic comedy with Glenn Miller's music and the great jazz man himself in a speaking part as the leader of a traveling jazz band touring small town America. The film is less fluffy, we have no Sonja Henie here, and a more serious script, yet the film is not as successful, in my opinion. The best part, naturally, are the musical numbers. I've got a gal in Kalamazoo closes the film but there are many others (At Last, People like you and me).The story of the trumpet player (George Montgomery) marrying an ingénue (the sweet Ann Rutherford) he met as his fan in some small town and the reactions and jealousy this causes in other members of the band is interesting up to a point. Amusingly, the scene of the seduction of the ingénue, with the trumpet guy basically forcing a kiss from her, would never be shown today in a contemporary film, unless the guy was a clear villain. Archie Mayo directed. Also with Cesar Romero, Tex Beneke, the luminous Marion Hutton and Lynn Bari.

mark.waltz An innocent young bride (Ann Rutherford) gets even with the catty wives of Glenn Miller's band members when they use her naiveté to cause trouble in her marriage to handsome George Montgomery. "It it's one thing I hate, it's a leaky dame", one of the other wives says about her blubbering bride. "Hello, Room Service? Come on up, I've got a lot of dirty dishes", Rutherford retorts after pulling a Norma Shearer (in "The Women") and causing a cat fight among two of the women who have just destroyed a service cart. All this and the best music Glenn Miller didn't play in "Sun Valley Serenade".That recent Beyonce hit ("At Last", also recorded by Etta James) was introduced here, which makes this a historical must for modern music lovers. "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" was the other big song. Fresh from the Andy Hardy series and her most famous role (as Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister in "Gone With the Wind"), Rutherford is excellent, going from that leaky dame to fellow cat, joining Lynn Bari, Carole Landis and Virginia Gilmore in the art of classic movie bitchery. Grant Mitchell (as Rutherford's father), Cesar Romero, Jackie Gleason and Harry Morgan are among the familiar faces who round out the supporting cast. Morgan (playing a soda jerk) has a memorable sequence where he escorts Rutherford to a concert but is aghast when he finds her with Montgomery and threatens to beat up the much larger man.There is an amusing moment between Mitchell and George Montgomery where Montgomery, not realizing that Mitchell is his father-in-law, calls him "older than Metheselah". (I always wondered where that quote originated!) Usually, the plots in musicals are rather flaccid, but this one is much better than normal. The music simply enhances it, and when the Nicholas Brothers come on to dance, it explodes into red-hot rhythm with the war a quiet backdrop for the moving of the band on the road. Life must go on, it is observed, even in wartime. This makes for perhaps one of the best big band musicals filled with sizzling music, wonderful wisecracks, plenty of female bickering and tons of fun!

kidboots Ann Rutherford was a bright, vivacious actress, who found her niche playing snooty Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy series. She also went on to play Red Skelton's harassed fiancé in his comedy mystery series starting with "Whistling in the Dark".This super little film is a showcase for Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, opening with a patriotic song "People Like You and Me", featuring vocalist Ray Eberle. Jeannie (Lynn Bari) is the singing "diva" who sashays in late as usual and after a few wisecracks - "I'm the girl who knows all the answers" - announces the news that they are going on tour. Gene Morrison (Glenn Miller - it helps to have the same initials) has to convince them that it is a good idea - the married musicians are not keen. He wants to tour America's heartland - to give concerts to the kids that buy the records.During the tour Bill Ablet (George Montgomery) star trumpet player meets star struck Connie (Ann Rutherford). After a whirlwind courtship (24 hours!!!) they get married and Connie becomes an "orchestra wife". Many of them are mean and catty - especially Bill's ex flame Jeannie and also Natalie (Carole Landis). The one friend Connie has is "Becksey" (Tamara Geva), wife of Ben Beck (Jackie Gleason, in an early role). They are an old married couple and she takes Connie under her wing.Jeannie is on a mission to win Bill back and she tries by becoming Connie's best friend. During a game of bridge when the wives are left behind, Connie hears that Jeannie had been going with Bill for a year before he married Connie. So she decides to pay a midnight visit to her husband who is playing in another city. Of course the girls ring Jeannie to tell her the news - so she sets a scheme of her own going. She entices Bill to her room so Connie will find them together. She does and there is a scene - Connie then loses Bill's trust. Connie then turns the tables, telling bits of gossip she has heard about the other girls. There is a huge cat fight and the band breaks up. Connie goes back to her hometown and the remains of the band try to carry on. She (in cahoots with "Sinjin" Smith (Cesare Romero) then sends telegrams to every band member and they settle their differences, still not knowing who got them together.There are some wonderful songs, "At Last", "Serenade in Blue" but the highlight for me are the fabulous Nicholas Brothers. They perform "I Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" and with splits, leaps and walking up walls they are just fantastic.Highly Recommended.

Rustiger i enjoyed this film Very Much! Vintage Thumbs UP!! Great music!! Sweet Plot with just enough conflict to keep things interesting. The who's who of players keeps you guessing and surprised to see such young faces of people that later went on to be success stories on their own. It gives a glimpse into the small town life of the ice cream parlor with juke box dreams come true.... leading to a stars in your eyes infatuation for the female leading to sudden matrimony...proposal as she is trying to get on a bus! Interesting Slang scene with Caeser Romero, Jackie Gleason and George Montgomery's Characters....discussing Anne Rutherford...and referring to her/women in terms of different bird species...guess the term "chick" came later from such discussions by men. My main frustration was the lack of Credits on the film... but thankfully this Site cleared many of my questions with that up in a jiffy!!! THANKS!!