THE MOVIEGOER

With the world's greatest artist of the silver skates, the top swing king of the nation, and a beautiful scenic background, a show can't help but be good. Add to that a more than passable plot, a strong supporting cast, superb photography--and even the calloused Crimson Moviegoer starts writing like a ten cylinder Hollywood press agent out of "What Makes Sammy Run."

"Sun Valley Serenade" does have all that and more to boot. Sonja Henie, in addition to her solo winter sports carnival, proves to be no slouch at parlor games and turns in a first rate romantic performance. Playing a Norwegian refugee adopted by Miller's band as a publicity gag, Sonja falls for pianist-arranger John Payne. He, however, is already somewhat attached to torch singer Lynn Bari. The torcher oozes more sex appeal than the skater, but she's a dub in the snow. So Sonja gets Payne out in the open and love soon finds a way to leave the hot mama out in the cold.

The only sour note in this best musical of recent date is the weak attempt at acting by Glenn Miller. Once he lets go of the baton, his part might as well be played by a frozen penguin. In the second feature George Sanders plays "The Gay Falcon" to a slightly bored Wendy Barrie and a very bored audience who have seen such grade D mysteries oh so many times before.