Sun Valley Serenade

Plot synopsis:
Ted Scott (John Payne) is a band pianist whose publicity manager decides that, for good press, the band should adopt a foreign refugee. The band goes to Ellis Island to meet the girl and soon discovers that the refugee isn't a 10-year-old child, but a young woman, Karen Benson (Sonja Henie). The surprise comes right before the band is to travel to Sun Valley, Idaho for a Christmas gig. While on the ski slopes Ted soon falls for Karen's inventive schemes to win the heart of her new sponsor, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Vivian Dawn (Lynn Bari), a soloist with the band. Vivian promptly quits the band out of jealousy, and Karen stages an elaborate ice show as a substitute.
Of particular note is the elaborate "Chattanooga Choo Choo" sequence. The scene begins at a rehearsal with the Glenn Miller Orchestra practicing "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and includes two choruses of the song whistled and sung by Tex Beneke in a musical exchange with The Modernaires. As the Miller band concludes their feature the camera pans left to reveal a railway station set. The band continues with the production number and accompanies Dorothy Dandridge and The Nicholas Brothers in their song and dance routine.
Sun Valley Serenade is the first of the only two movies featuring The Glenn Miller Orchestra (the other is 1942's Orchestra Wives). Besides "Chattanooga Choo Choo", other Glenn Miller tunes in the film are "Moonlight Serenade", "It Happened in Sun Valley", "I Know Why (And So Do You)", and "In the Mood".
An instrumental version of "At Last" was recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra as well as a version with vocals by John Payne and Pat Friday, but these recordings would remain unused and unissued. "At Last" can be heard in the movie in three scenes, however, in an orchestral performance by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in the Lido Terrace night club after they perform "In the Mood", as part of the orchestral background score in a scene between John Payne and Lynn Bari, and in an orchestral version with vocalization but without lyrics a minute and twenty seconds in length during the closing skating sequence with Sonja Henie. "At Last" would also appear in the 1942 follow-up movie Orchestra Wives performed by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday.
Glenn Miller vocalist Pat Friday provided the pre-recorded vocal tracks that Lynn Bari lip synced in the film.
Future Olympic gold medalist Gretchen Fraser was the skiing stand-in for Sonja Henie. Fraser was a member of the Olympic team in 1940 (cancelled) and 1948.

Tags: romantic

Review:
Anyone who has ever paid a visit to the mountain-cradled village of Sun Valley, Idaho knows that one of the luxuries of staying in its well know resort, of the same name, is that you can view this charming "boy-meets-girl, and then another girl" romantic-musical-comedy, 24 hours a day!
If you are very lucky, as I was during my most recent visit, you can do so from a room overlooking the very ice rink that Sonja Henie performed upon, in this snowbound, big-band era classic "Sun Valley Serenade".When war refugee Karen Benson (Henie) arrives from Sweden to meet her sponsor Tom Scott, the piano player for a big band played by John Payne, it is clear that she has her romantic sites set on our non-assuming hero.
The band gets a gig in Sun Valley, Karen tags along, and the fun begins.Henie's unshakable effervescence and contagious smile allow you to forgive, and even admire, her calculated attempts to win Scott's attention.
And now we know that Jimmy Stewart must have studied this performance prior to doing his bio-pic "The Glenn Miller Story" (1953).Watch for cameo appearances by the adorable 18-year-old Dorothy Dandridge, the show-stopping Nicholas Brothers, and Joan Davis as Berle's gad-fly.If you are a fan of romantic-comedies, the big-band era, ice-skating, or just an old film buff there are special moments for all.
I have long been a Glenn Miller fan and was pleased to find out the my 8 and 10 year old kids love this film and the music also.
Even immigration is covered as the band goes to Ellis Island to pick up the "little" refugee.Chattanooga choo choo was featured in the film and many not know that it was the very first gold record, the first million seller.
You can have all the glamour and pastels of the MGM musical - for sheer fun, give me the Fox musicals, especially this one, Sun Valley Serenade, starring John Payne, Sonja Henie, Glenn Miller, Lynn Bari and Milton Berle.
She connives her way into the train that's taking the band to Sun Valley, where she quickly gets in between Ted and the band's singer, Vivian Dawn (Lynn Bari) whose claws come out in full force."Sun Valley Serenade" is filled with skiing, Glenn Miller music, and Henje's fabulous skating.
Payne does well and sings pleasantly as her leading man.One outstanding musical feature, "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," a Miller standard, is performed first by Tex Beneke and the Miller singers and then - brilliantly - by Dorothy Dandrige and the Nicholas Brothers.
Some of it is filmed on location in Sun Valley, Idaho about 1940.The movie is filled with big band music, featuring Glenn Miller and his band.
It has a lot more music as well and a lot of skating by Sonja Henie.I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the big band sound..
Sun Valley Serenade is remembered today for being one of the two films that Glenn Miller and his Orchestra were featured in, the other one being Orchestra Wives for 20th Century Fox. Miller was the number one swing band in the country and his presence in the film was more important than stars Sonia Henie and John Payne.Payne's a pianist/vocalist with the Miller Band and his romancing of singer Lynn Bari gets the band a gig in Sun Valley during the ski season.
Which is doubly fine for Payne because he likes all kinds of winter sports, indoor and outdoor.But then an old publicity stunt that manager Milton Berle pulled some months earlier comes back to haunt them.
So the band goes to Ellis Island to meet their sponsored urchin, but instead it turns out to be a rather big girl who also likes winter sports, Sonia Henie.The band thinks to park her with Berle's aunt in New Jersey, but Sonia hears about Sun Valley and that sounds too much like home to suit her.
Give you a guess who Payne winds up with.Of course this whole fluffy plot is just an excuse to hang some skating sequences and some music by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
In fact Sun Valley Serenade was nominated for an Oscar for black and white cinematography and musical scoring.It also received a nomination for Best Song, one of the best known that the Glenn Miller Orchestra was known for, Chattanooga Choo Choo.
John Payne gets to vocalize another great song I Know Why And So Do You which sold a few platters back in the day.I don't know if Payne could play a piano in real life, but even if he was faking it for the film, he got a rare chance to jam with Glenn Miller as he was doing In The Mood, probably his best known hit song.
I'd have paid Darryl Zanuck to do that myself.The Miller Band's presence made a lot of folks forget this was a Sonia Henie film.
Her skating sequences or good, but I'm betting she didn't like being upstaged.Nearly all the big bands in their era which was roughly 1935-1945 got into one film or another.
Some got into better films than others and Miller's band did well by their two films before Glenn Miller went into the army and to his untimely disappearance over the English Channel.Not to forget that the Nicholas Brothers and Dorothy Dandridge got to do specialty numbers.
One of the lesser known (possibly because of the short running time and limited number of songs, but probably just because it's black and white and incredibly quaint), but absolutely classic movie musicals..
How could you miss with such talents as Sonja Henie, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, John Payne, Lynn Bari, Milton Berle, the Nicholas Brothers, and Dorothy Dandridge.
I've seen clips of a few other films including Sonja,the reigning ice queen of the times, and this is by far her most entertaining performance.
While Berle is trying to romance her, she definitely has her eye on a reluctant John Payne, who becomes engaged to the band's singer, played by perennial loser Lynn Bari.
Their collaboration produced such memorable songs in this film as "It Happened in Sun Valley", "I Know Why", "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "At Last".
John Payne, one of those often underated actors who turn up with regularity in the 1940s, makes a good partner for the sensuous Sonja Henie in this entertaining big band romp in the snow.
Ms. Henie is charming in her role as Karen, a Scandinavian refugee, who has been "adopted" by Ted (John Payne) and his band, who were expecting a little girl.
The classic "In the Mood", the gorgeous "I Know Why and So Do You" (THE most romantic song ever) and the stupendous "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (performed by Tex Beneke and the Modernaires, the number also features the supreme dancing and singing talents of the Nicholas Brothers and the lovely Dorothy Dandridge).
Throw in the presences of Milton Berle and the wacky Joan Davis, the beautiful snow and ski sequences, and the marvelous "black ice" ballet at the end, and you've got one of the best Hollywood musicals from the 40's, indeed, from any decade!.
An odd combination, this one, with the Glenn Miller Orchestra alongside Olympic skater turned film star Sonja Henje.
She plays a refugee who arrives to the USA at the invitation of band member Ted Scott (John Payne) - he's expecting a juvenile and gets little hottie Henje instead.
Miller himself appears as a fictional band leader with many of his real band - there's also a chance to see specialties The Nicholas Brothers and Dorothy Dandridge appear during numbers.There isn't an awful lot of plot, there are the usual hokey misunderstandings and the presence of one of those secluded log cabins out in the middle of nowhere.
John Payne's on as the leading man, Lynn Bari's adding spice to the other woman, and the legendary Sonja Henie is an effervescent leading lady.
I've seen this movie maybe twenty times and I still enjoy it.Almost all the big Miller's standards are there, especially CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO, with its savage coda (missing from all audio versions) and the terrific Nicholas Bros/Dorothy Dandridge number (the Brothers were even better afterwards, in ORCHESTRA WIVES and STORMY WEATHER) Also remarkable is the featuring of the famous Idaho ski station, with a tune I can't identify (it's not Sun Valley Jump).
The story is lightweight, but it's supposed to be, and it is sufficient to tie the rest together.Sonja Henie brings energy and talent to her role as a war refugee who is taken in by a band member.
Glenn Miller's band and the performers in the musical sequences get lots of screen time, making good use of most of it.
The best of all the Sonja Henie films thanks to Glenn Miller and His Orchestra!.
It's got Glenn Miller in full swing with some of his big toe-tapping favorites--including 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' danced by Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers, 'I Know Why' and 'In the Mood'.
With all of the skating, skiing and great Miller music, this one can't miss.
Lynn Bari plays it straight as the jealous woman trying to keep Sonja away from Payne and her singing is obviously dubbed--but her song, 'I Know Why', is given a great treatment with the Miller band.
Glenn Miller + Sonja Henie + Romantic comedy: unexpectedly great.
This very agreeable romantic musical comedy from 1941 links two seemingly incompatible elements, both very popular at the time it was filmed: Sonja Henie's ice skating and Glenn Miller's big band jazz.
It's admittedly fluffy, but is also very hard to dislike.The slim plot of sorts: Ted (John Payne), a pianist in a struggling jazz big band headed by Glenn Miller (though he is given another name here), has volunteered for publicity reasons to take a refugee from war torn Norway.
When Ted and Viv goes to the ski resort of Sun Valley for a performance there in the middle of the winter, Karen decides to join them hiding in the train with the help of the band manager (Milton Berle).Of course more than the plot, the important thing here is the music (In the Mood and Chattanooga Choo Choo are some of the pieces included) and Henie's skating.
Maybe a little SUN VALLEY SERENADE will do the trick...Sonja Henie was Norway's ice queen when she won Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 & 1936.
Gentle & soft-spoken, he nevertheless provides the strongest competition yet, in any of her films, to capturing the viewers' attention away from Henie.The Miller Band performs In The Mood' and the absolute definitive version of Chattanooga Choo Choo,' which is further enhanced with performances by the fancy-jumping Nicholas Brothers (Harold & Fayard) and the beautiful Dorothy Dandridge.
Fans of the Swing Era should recognize several of Glenn's band members, including saxophonist Tex Beneke, all of whom appear uncredited.John Payne plays Sonja's love interest, and she goes to great lengths to get him, including the willingness to compromise her moral character.
Lovely Lynn Bari is the vocalist also interested in Payne, and the script does her something of a disservice, letting her appear sweet & charming until its time to clear the decks for Henie, at which point Miss Bari's character becomes a jealous virago.
Comedienne Joan Davis, who had already enlivened a couple of Henie's films, makes three appearances so brief as to be little more than a cameo.Ultimately, though, this is Sonja's show.
Almost seven decades after Sonja skated off Olympic ice for the final time, no one has yet laid claim to be her successor in this role."Sun Valley Serenade" lives on in Sunday-morning PBS television screenings and that ultimate mulligan for the golden age of film, home video.
Sun Valley Serenade provides a hot number with Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers.
In a brief specialty number at the end of Glenn Miller's "rehersal" of "Chattanooga Choo Choo", The Nicholas Brothers-Fayard and younger sibling Harold-tap dance up a storm after first doing some steps and singing with Dorothy Dandridge in her only appearance with her future husband (Harold) and his brother.
Otherwise, it's a mostly entertaining movie with John Payne providing some excellent physical comedy near the end, Milton Berle being his amusing wisecracking self, Miller playing his great classics with his band before disappearing in a plane during the war after finishing another picture, Sonja Henie as the refugee from Norway doing some pretty good acting for a skater, and Lynn Bari, who while her role as Payne's first love takes a back seat after Henie appears, does the best she can with the material she's given.
The bright spots were often her, the ice skating sequences and the music, while the weak link was often typically the story.The story is the weak link in 'Sun Valley Serenade'.
8/10 Bethany Cox. Chataneegie Cha Cha. Milton Berle (Nifty) manages the Glenn Miller (Phil) band that includes piano player John Payne (Ted).
Every musical number is a highlight with the showstopper being Glenn Miller's "Chatanooga Choo Choo" which also includes a sequence with Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers.
The film also serves up Sonja Henie and her ice skating spins.
Sonja Henie's skating and the big band music are obviously the highlights of this movie.
You have Sonja Henie who does some beautiful skating, John Payne, choreography be Hermès Pan and music by Glenn Miller and his orchestra.
Throw in Lynn Bari and that voice of hers, Milton Berle playing the bands manager, a cameo by comedienne Joan Davis, and a dance routine by the Fabulous Nicholas Brothers and you have a wonderful film.
Sonja Henie was so cute and her paired with John Payne was amazing.There were some great numbers and of course the ice skating was amazing.
John Payne plays the pianist/arranger for a big band led by Glenn Miller and managed by Milton Berle.
With Glenn Miller around, you know the music is going to be top-notch; the movie introduced the Oscar-nominated "Chattanooga Choo-Choo".
That number also offers a scene for a young Dorothy Dandrige and the Nicholas Brothers.Like is often true in Fox musicals, this one is a split decision The story I give just a 5/10.
Sun Valley is for those who like fun romantic movies..
Sun Valley Serenade has many delightful little songs throughout the film.
Although John Payne is the big actor in the film, his co-star, Sonja Henie is very enjoyable to watch as well.
The dialog was dumb, the humor (mainly Milton Berle's) was downright stupid and the music was just not up my alley.I've never been a big-band fan, anyway, and if I hear "In The Mood" one more time I'll puke.This was my first look at famous skater-actor Sonja Henie and I have no complaints about her.
This musical has the Glenn Miller band and some wonderful songs-- Chattanooga Choo Choo (charmingly performed by Dorothy Dandridge and the Nicholas Brothers), I Know Why, At Last.
"Sun Valley Serenade" is a quite a fun & pleasant movie starring one of the most famous big bands of all time: the Glenn Miller Orchestra!
But the presence of Miller and his band (as Phil Corey and the Dartmouth Troubadours), performing a fair number of old favorites, is what provides this film with a lot of its charm.
The primary love interest in this movie involves the figure-skating Norwegian refugee Karen Benson (Sonja Henie) and the Troubadours' pianist/vocalist Ted Scott (John Payne), who happens to be Karen's sponsor.
By the end of the film, Ted realizes how stuffy Vivian is and how wonderful it would be to have Karen for a wife.My favorite highlights from "Sun Valley Serenade" include the following.
Before Vivian joins the Dartmouth Troubadours, she does a miserable audition of "It Happened in Sun Valley" with her own band, which proves to be a fine accompaniment for her until the second chorus; she walks off the band and continues her audition with the Troubadours, and after their short rendition of the classic "Moonlight Serenade," Vivian chimes in with "I Know Why and So Do You." "Sun Valley Serenade" is a fine showcase for Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, as well as for the figure-skating talent of Sonja Henie.
I highly recommend this film for all admirers of big band music and love stories with mischievous twists..
Arguably in 1941 the average Big Band fan would have been satisfied with just the orchestra and not asked for a story but for the benefit of run-of-the-mill audiences Fox concocted a storyline that had 'pianist' John Payne falling for the band vocalist Lynn Bari until the arrival of Sonja Henie as a refugee he has unwittingly sponsored provides the conflict.
Comedy was provided by Milton Berle and Joan Davis but the icing on the cake was the standout score by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon which included I Know Why, Chattanooga Choo-Choo and The Kiss Polka.
What's not to like about any film that has a good dose of big band music?
"Sun Valley Serenade" has Glenn Miller and his orchestra with a fine cast, wonderful scenery, superb skiing and filming and an unusual, far-fetched but good plot.
The film is only one of three in which Glenn Miller's band appears, and the only one of two in which he has much of a role.
But the band plays half a dozen tunes, including a smashing rendition with repeats of "Chattanooga Choo Choo." Of course, we see and hear the Glenn Miller signature tunes, "Moonlight Serenade" and "In the Mood."Besides Miller and his orchestra, Tex Beneke and The Modernaires sing, Dorothy Dandridge sings, and the Nicholas Brothers have a fine song and dance routine.
The last of the show entertainment comes from Sonja Henie on the ice.
She plays Karen Benson, whom Miller band member and composer Ted Scott is sponsoring as a refugee.
"Sun Valley Serenade" was one of a dozen movies Sonja Henie made in Hollywood.
She has been waiting for the band to begin rehearsals while John Payne's Ted Scott is off skiing with Sonja Henie's Karen Benson.