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 does a skating routine that is spectacular with a perfect reflection off the ice. The ice is covered with a paper- thin sheet of water that doesn't ripple, splash or appear to be water. Only in a couple of instances is it even noticeable. The plot for this musical comedy and romance revolves around Henie, who arrives at Ellis Island as a refugee from Norway. She plays Karen Benson, whom Miller band member and composer Ted Scott is sponsoring as a refugee. John Payne plays Scott, who assumes he will be getting a little girl. He shows up with Glenn Miller and the whole band to meet their immigrant, and are they surprised. The band has been trying to see a music promoter to get a gig somewhere. They continue to be put off by the promoter's secretary. When a singer, Vivian Dawn (played by Lynn Bari) has a dispute with a band that is playing for her recording, Tess Scott comes to her defense. She agrees to let Phil Corey's band play for the recording and that lands them a gig playing in Sun Valley. Vivian has yes for Ted, and he for her. But before heading for the hills, Ted has to deposit his refugee with his aunt in New England. The band takes off on the train for Sun Valley. Only their manager, Nifty Allen (played by Milton Berle) has smuggled Karen on board. He has eyes for her, but she has eyes for her sponsor, Ted. Amidst the snow, scenery, music, and fun at Sun Valley, Karen plies her wiles to win Ted's affection away from Vivian. Vivian cooperates by her moodiness, impatience and nasty behavior with the band and just about everyone. We all know where this is leading and how it will end. But the fun is in enjoying the music and entertainment as it unfolds. Besides all this, we see some spectacular skiing scenes. "Sun Valley Serenade" was one of a dozen movies Sonja Henie made in Hollywood. All were successful at the box office and Henie was much liked by the public. Her films weren't especially great movies, but all were good. This is the best of the lot. When she came to the U.S., Henie had been a three-time gold medal winner in single figure skating at the Winter Olympics of 1928, 1932 and 1936. She was world figure skating champion 10 consecutive years, from 1929 to 1936. And, she was European champion seven straight years. No one has equaled her Olympic, world or combined titles in her sport since. When this film was made, Sun Valley was just five years old and was the premier ski resort in North America. It's attraction for winter sports was similar to the draw of Hawaii for beach and ocean vacations. Union Pacific Railroad chairman W Averell Harriman, was the mover and shaker who built the Sun Valley resort and community adjacent to Ketchum, Idaho. Here's a favorite line from the film. Glenn Miller's Phil Corey is talking with Milton Berle's Nifty Allen. Lynn Bari's Vivian Dawn is obviously perturbed. 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. Phil Corey say, "Boy is she burning." Nifty Allen replies, "What do ya mean, burning? You could ski right down the ice on her back."This is a wonderful, entertaining film that the whole family should enjoy. Even if some don't care for swing music or the excellent sound of the big bands.

Milton Berle (Nifty) manages the Glenn Miller (Phil) band that includes piano player John Payne (Ted). They land a long-term gig with famous singer Lynn Bari (Vivian) in Sun Valley. Guess what – there's romance between Payne and Bari. However, before they depart for Sun Valley, Payne has to collect a war refugee child that he has undertaken to look after. Enter Sonja Henie (Karen). And she's not a child. Everyone goes to Sun Valley but Payne can only choose one woman. Or does the woman choose him? The story is lightweight nonsense but the music is excellent. 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. Wow! The film also serves up Sonja Henie and her ice skating spins. For me, the skating sequences aren't as powerful as the musical numbers, but they are still being performed by a 3 time Olympic gold medallist! The film is funny and entertaining and contains some legendary performers. Definitely one to watch.

OK, those ain't the lyrics to the Oscar-Nominated song from this early war era Sonia Henie musical, but if Mel Brooks can't spoof it ("Pardon me boys, is this the Transylvania Station?") so could thousands of others who have danced, sang or tapped their feet to this Glenn Miller classic over and over. The movie it comes from isn't very clever, but features some great big band music, a fascinating skiing sequence that looks straight out of a Busby Berkeley musical. The Nicholas Brothers shine in "Chattanooga Choo Choo" dancing violently as a young Dorothy Dandridge sings. Saxaphones blow, trombones blare. If only the plot was as hot as that musical number. The story surrounds band manager John Payne who finds him taking in war refugee Sonia Henie, a young lady whose mission it is to marry him in spite of the catty Lynn Bari, the band's lead singer who makes a claim on him and is determined to keep Henie's Norwegian claws off of him. There isn't nearly enough music to get past this silly plot, with Milton Berle not at his best, forcing gags that are cornier than the opening song in "Oklahoma!". Henie has a more detailed role as usual, but her character's cheeriness covers an unconvincing craftiness. Payne is perhaps even more handsome than MGM's "pretty boy", Robert Taylor, and is overloaded with charm. Bari tries to add some spice to her stereotypical bitchy dame, but fails. The lack of a suitable romantic partner for Payne makes the overall love sequences disappointing.Comic genius Joan Davis is wasted in a brief walk-in, interacting momentarily with Berle, but oh, what laughs she can get with just that. Still, any movie that gives the most popular big band leader swingin' his trombone is worth a look.

For the first time the 'Sun Valley Serenade' was shown in the USSR at the time of WW2. It was never forbidden by the Soviet censorship, so it could be watched in the following years as well. The film made formidable impression on Soviet citizens. It conjured up 'the American dream' in which the USA appeared as a country where everything is excellent, all women are beautiful, life is extremely easy and cheerful, where money lies on the streets - bend down and take!Opposite to that paradise picture they saw around them a surly Soviet reality, lack of liberty, empty shops, shabby life in overcrowded communal apartments where people had to stand in turns to get to WC, etc.Surely, Stalin made a great mistake permitting his subjects to see this film.A friend of mine watched this film 46 times. Glen Miller became the greatest composer to him. I saw it twice, and at the second time left the cinema long before the end.That dream about America continued to live in hearts and minds of many people in the Soviet Union. It had been one of the factors which gave birth to the dissident movement, and at the end, made a contribution to the fall of Communism in Russia.I'm sure that there are some people who participated in creation of the movie who are living now: do they know about their part in the History?From the point of view of pure art, the rating, I think, is 6 out of 10.