October 19, 1941
Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Chicago Cardinals
“NAME BAND FOR PRO FOOTBALL INTERMISH”
Variety, October 15, 1941.: “On a deal that was started during the making of 20th Century Fox’s Sun Valley Serenade, Glenn Miller will take his band and singing troupe to Ebbetts Field, N. Y., next Sunday (19) to give a between-halves concert at the Dodgers – Pittsburgh football game (Editor’s note: the game was actually against the Chicago Cardinals). Dan Topping, owner of the Dodgers, is Sonja Henie’s husband. Miss Henie is starred in ‘Serenade.’ Topping is building a large portable bandstand, which will be wheeled to mid-field for the show. The grid intermission will be longer than usual to allow Miller plenty of time to give a performance … Topping has hired a 25-piece military band composed’ of local’s musicians. Miller crew is, of course, also on salary.”
THE NFL BROOKLYN DODGERS
The NFL Brooklyn Dodgers football franchise existed from 1930 to 1943. Firstly, Its most successful seasons were in 1940 and 1941 under the coaching of Jock Sutherland. Furthermore, in 1940 Sutherland inherited a club with a losing tradition. By the end of the 1940 season he had transformed the Dodgers into winners at 8-3-0. The Dodgers had an uneven start during the 1941 season and had a 2-2 record going into their October 19 divisional home game at Ebbetts Field against the Chicago Cardinals. Not even the inspiration of Glenn Miller and his Orchestra could help the Dodgers, however, and they lost to the Cardinals 20-7. The team would go on to finish the season with a 7-4 record.
Dennis M. Spragg is Glenn Miller’s biographer, archivist and author of the critically praised Glenn Miller Declassified and America Ascendant. To learn more about Glenn Miller and Sun Valley Serenade: