Benny Goodman showed up with his band in Hollywood Hotel and other forgettable films, and even did a little acting in a Danny Kaye movie, A Song Is Born, playing a music professor. (Of course, he performed too.) Tommy Dorsey and many other stars made their share of appearances too, and gave Americans a feel-good experience at the theatre — which was especially important during the war years.
The movie that I caught recently and that started me thinking was called Sun Valley Serenade, and it starred - among others - Sonja Henie and a young comedian 
named Milton Berle. More importantly though, it featured Glenn Miller and his band, performing lots of their tunes. (And one very special one - but more later about that.)
In later years, many of the best-known bandleaders received the full Hollywood treatment by being the subject of romanticized biographies. Steve Allen and Donna Reed did their best in The Benny Goodman Story, Sal Mineo appeared in The Gene Krupa Story, and probably the best of all, Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson in The Glenn Miller Story.
The music for that movie was well performed and the musical adaptor did a good job. (By the way, his name was Henry Mancini and he was 22 years old.) However, the movie shortchanged at least one of the songs, "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," which appears in that movie but in a truncated form. A more complete version is performed in the older black and white Glenn Miller movie I mentioned earlier, Sun Valley Serenade, and that's
closer to what I'm going to post here as a sample.
Article comments
1 - George Spink
Hi, Big Geez,
I share your enthusiasm for Glenn Miller's two films. If fact, you might enjoy how the soundtrack of Sun Valley Serenade sounds on my podcast blog, The Palomar.
To hear it, first click the Stop button on the XSPF Player near the bottom of the page and then click the Play button at the bottom of the "Sun Valley Serenade at the Biograph" entry.
By the way, note that some of these songs are in stereo. Yes, stereo! Back in 1941!
You might also enjoy my main big band web site, Tuxedo Junction.
Cordially,
George Spink
2 - Big Geez
Thanks, George. I have visited your website Tuxedo Junction in the past, but didn't know about your other. Will check it out.
3 - Donna
I recently started listening to big band music, including the music of Russ Carlyle. The big band music is definitely an interesting ear and one we should not forget.