The Glenn Miller Story

 

 

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Big band legend Glenn Miller gets the Hollywood treament of his life in this wonderful film starring Jimmy Stewart as the ill-fated band leader and June Allyson as his wife,Helen.I say the Hollywood treatment because that's exactly what this is, as the truth is sprinkled sparsely throughout.But the story after all is what makes or breaks a film and despite the inconsistencies that abound here(which are oblivious to the uninformed viewer) it comes across very well and manages to at least give us the essence of the man in question in a very entertaining fashion.
Henry Morgan who plays Glenns' close friend Chummy McGregor is portrayed as having knew Glenn almost all of his life.In real life Glenn first met Chummy in 1932 when playing with the Smith Ballew band.Also Glenn is portrayed as a kind of a dreaming adolescent while Chummy comes across as the stronger of the two.In real life the opposite was true.Glenn generally knew what he wanted while Chummy was very dependant on Glenn.
George Simon,the famous Downbeat critic and writer of various books on big bands including Glenn himself(he was a close personal friend of his),said the most true portrayal was by June Allyson.The love and bond between the two on film was the same as in real life.Jimmy Stewart he said did a great portrayal of...Jimmy Stewart.Overall I think I have to agree with Mr.Simons' assessment,as much as I like Mr.Stewarts' body of work.
The only other drawback here is the film itself.It has NOT been remastered.If they had remastered it the numerous minor artifacts would have been gone and the picture would have been a little cleaner and much crisper.But they used a pretty good print so it is at least more than adequate.
The most important and best thing about this film however is the music.That wonderful Glenn Miller music using the original arrangements and played in studio by alot of members of the original band,is here in all its' glory.You more than once find your self tapping your feet and singing along when the musical interludes arrive.And to help things along we get appearances by some of the original players in the real life of Glenn Miller like musicians Ben Pollack,Gene Krupa and Louis Armstrong.
As I said the story in general comes across very well and in the end as a crying June/Helen is listening to a Christmas concert,minus her screen hubby,there is not a dry in the house.It never fails to tug at the heart strings which is exactly what this movie succeeds at doing best throughout its' 113 minute run.
I recommend this film highly.It has a good plot that moves along very well all wrapped around the greatest big band music one is ever going to hear as originally arranged by the greatest leader of them all,Glenn Miller.

This was the highest grossing American film of 1954; had he wanted to, James Stewart could probably have ended up owning Universal Studios, so vastly indebted were they to him at this stage for the string of hits he'd produced for them. Director Anthony Mann too. It's a pretty easygoing look at the not-so easygoing bandleader Glenn Miller from his earliest days as a sideman trombonist and arranger to his becoming the top pop musician in the United States. Very interesting and enlightening about the way Miller searched for his own distinctive sound to set him apart from the hundreds of other jazz bands of the day. It also pretty much set the tone for the mysterioso treatment that has ever since surrounded Miller's disappearance in the European theater during WW2 in 1944. The theories are that his plane crashed in England and has yet to be found, or that returning bombers from an unsuccessful mission accidentally dumped their loads on his plane over the Channel. Neither gets any exploration here; Miller just ascends into band heaven. Pretty good performances all around, especially the wonderful and always reliable George Tobias as the theater owner/agent.

"The Glenn Miller Story" can be enjoyed even by someone who's not a fan of big band or jazz music. It's for everyone especially music lovers of all tastes. Jimmy Stewart is cast superbly here and at times you're thinking you're watching the actual Glenn Miller himself and not the actor. The music of Glenn Miller is brought to life so magically with its captivating soundtrack filled with his most memorable tunes and melodies like "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" and the one everyone knows: "Moonlight Serenade." The colors on this film are vivid and make you wish you'd want to be there. It was indeed tragic to lose such a great musician all too soon. You still hear his music in movies, nightclubs, theaters and more. All in all, it is a neat movie to look at and to hear remembering the trombonist who became the leader of the band: Glenn Miller.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Evocative and Amazing
It happens every time. When you watch a film with James Stewart in it certain things happen.

The film begins, we see Mr. Read more

Published on Feb 14 2004 by charles pope

2.0 out of 5 stars Another mistreatment of a classic
Let's clarify a couple of things.

First, this movie IS INDEED anamorphic, despite the claim of another writer that the package was wrong in claiming such. Read more

Published on Feb 9 2004 by Yarby

3.0 out of 5 stars No-frills Glenn is Better Than None
This low-budget DVD issue of one of 1954's biggest commercial successes is welcome, if a bit chintzy. Read more

Published on Feb 4 2004 by Thomas Bumbera

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Movie
It amuses me how upset people get with some minor historical inaccuracies. As if the movies of today were completely true! Read more

Published on Jan 14 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible Tribute to the Great Miller!
Leave it to Hollywood in the 50s to make a hysterical "tribute" to a musical legend. James Stewart tries hard to enact the rather bland looking Glenn Miller but he also... Read more

Published on Jan 8 2004 by Jery Tillotson

4.0 out of 5 stars 1.85:1?
The original aspect ratio for this movie is 1.37:1. Has it been cut to adapt it to widescreen TV?

Published on Oct 21 2003 by Josep Mir

5.0 out of 5 stars Inaccurate, but absolutely entertaining!
Another reviewer commented on the innaccuracies of this film, and I have to concur. But who cares? This is an absolutely enjoyable, old fashioned, biopic love story, and I don't... Read more

Published on Sep 15 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the real Miller, but that's okay.
By all accounts, Glenn Miller was not nearly so engaging and charming a personality as that portrayed by Jimmy Stewart. Read more

Published on July 8 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Hollywoods Best now on Anamorphic WideScreen DVD!
Hollywoods 1954 version of "The Glenn Miller Story" is a great story, with outstanding music & WideScreen gorgeous Technicolor. Read more

Published on May 11 2003 by forrie

3.0 out of 5 stars SWINGING BACK IN TIME TO MARVELOUS MILLER!
"The Glenn Miller Story" is one of those glossy, over fictionalized life stories that Hollywood still enjoys making from time to time. Read more

Published on Mar 28 2003 by Nix Pix

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