Sun Valley Serenade

Sun Valley Serenade is a 1941 musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller, Milton Berle, and Lynn Bari. It features the Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as dancing by the Nicholas Brothers. It also features Dorothy Dandridge, performing "Chattanooga Choo Choo", which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1996, and was awarded the first Gold Record for sales of 1.2 million. 20th Century Fox re-released the film in 1946 and in 1954 to tie-in with the biopic The Glenn Miller Story. Plot 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 event. 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. Cast Sonja Henie as Karen Benson John Payne as Ted Scott Glenn Miller as Phil Corey Milton Berle as Jerome K. 'Nifty' Allen Lynn Bari as Vivian Dawn (singing voice by Pat Friday) Joan Davis as Miss Carstairs (charity collector at Sun Valley) William B. Davidson as Mr. Murray, owner of Sun Valley Almira Sessions as Karen's nurse The Modernaires as Themselves The Nicholas Brothers as Themselves Dorothy Dandridge as a Specialty Act with the Nicolas Brothers Glenn Miller Orchestra as the Phil Corey Orchestra / The Dartmouth Troubadours