It’s that time of year — Christmas movie time! Time to DVR those old favorites or find out if your streaming service has what you are looking for.
Personally, I still load them into the DVD player. Just hate to get rid of those long-treasured discs, even have a couple on VHS. Now that really is “old school,” chucking those cassettes into the ancient tape player.
One such film I have on tape is Sun Valley Serenade. Takes place around New Year’s but still has a spot on my Christmas/Holiday movie shelf. I am reminded of this film every time I head to Bloomington on State Road 46 West.
A few miles out of Nashville on the south side of the road is what was once back in the 80’s (that’s the 1980’s) a ski resort.
A little research looking through The Democrat archives identified this resort first as the “Nashville Alps” and then later as “Ski World.”
It had somewhat of a checkered past and in both cases, it failed as a business. Nevertheless, it brings a smile to my face as I pass by.
Still standing is the little gatehouse and there’s a nice sized pond, perhaps perfect for skating and of course there is the clear-cut ski slope coming down from the top of the ridge. Ah —Brown County’s Little Sun Valley.
The 20th Century Fox 1941 movie rates a place in American Movie Classic’s Bob Dorian’s, Classic Movies from Hollywood’s Golden Years. In Bob’s introduction to the book, he makes the point that this is his personal list and these films have one thing in common for him.
“They’re the kind of movies you can watch over and over again, and each time you watch them they touch something within you,” he writes.
Sonja Henie is the female star of Sun Valley Serenade. The Norwegian figure skating star was world champion at the age of 15 and won gold in the Olympics in 1928, 1932 and 1936. With her good looks and buoyant personality, she was a natural for the movies and 20th Century Fox signed her to a contract.
In addition to her film career, she also produced and starred in the Hollywood Ice Revue that toured the country every winter. She was an annual visitor to the State Fair Coliseum in Indianapolis. A multi-millionaire, she became one of the richest women in the world.
The highlight of this film for me as it is for many others is the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s Chattanooga Choo Choo with Tex Beneke followed immediately with the song by Dorothy Dandridge accompanied by the fantastic dancing of the Nicholas Brothers.
If you have not seen the Nicholas Brothers dance, you need to. The Glenn Miller Band was at the height of its popularity at this time and this performance shows why.
Milton Berle has a supporting role ten years before “Uncle Miltie” would become the biggest star on television.
The entire film can be viewed on YouTube, or you might just watch the “Chattanooga Choo Choo” renditions and perhaps a couple of minutes to watch and enjoy Glenn Miller’s “It Happened in Sun Valley” segment.
Jim Watkins is a Brown County resident who was a public school teacher for 42 years and has special interest in history. He is also a member of the Brown County Historical Society. He can be reached at [email protected].
Jim Watkins is a Brown County resident who was a public school teacher for 42 years and has special interest in history. He is also a member of the Brown County Historical Society. He can be reached at [email protected].
