Orchestra Wives
Picture: B-
Sound: C+ Extras: B- Film: B
There is at least one great reason to see 1942’s Orchestra Wives, that reason is simple:
The Glenn Miller Band. The film also
would be another Oscar winner for Fox and is now part of their Fox Studio
Classics that they are releasing to DVD.
Age has been kind to this film and the music is great, not only that,
but it’s a fun watch even after all these years. Now the title of this comes from that fact that while on tour the
Gene Morrisson Band (Glenn Miller band actually) trumpet player ends up eloping
with a girl from the audience. Only
problem is that the trumpet player (George Montgomery) also has a girlfriend
(Lynn Bari). Problems arise between
these wives and that brings the band down at the same time. I guess this goes to prove that if the wife
ain’t happy, then NO one is happy! So
jealousy arises and the band suffers, but will some sort of conclusion of
happiness occur? Find out!
Fox again did a great job of restoring this film back to
some sort of glory. Although there are
still some minor defects in the image quality, the 1.33 X 1 full frame image
still shines through. Solid blacks and
controlled whites look great. A bit of
softness and some extra grain make the film look a little less sharp than one
would hope, but still makes the film quite watchable and accessible. Since music is an integral part of this
films theme and story, it’s great to be able to choose either mono or stereo. The stereo track emphasizes the dialogue a
bit more and makes the film come alive a bit better. The mono track will appease purists though.
Extras include a commentary by actors Fayard Nicholas and
Ann Rutherford, which is excellent!
This is the biggest highlight of this DVD, although there is a still
gallery and theatrical trailer also thrown in.
Highly recommended little gem right here! Thanks Fox!
- Nate Goss
