Customer Reviews

The Glenn Miller Story

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This low-budget DVD issue of one of 1954's biggest commercial successes is welcome, if a bit chintzy. Although the real Miller's movies were made for a rival studio, surely Universal could have found some newsreel footage of the civilian or AAF bands to liven things up with some extras. Oh well. It's nice to see the film letterboxed in its original widescreen ratio - NOT anamorphic, as the box claims! (sloppy) - but the real reason to shell out ten bucks here is the soundtrack, with its gloriously-recorded (in true stereo), impeccable recreations of the original, beloved Miller charts (played by many members of Miller's original band, if memory serves). The film elements don't fare as well; color fading and spottiness is evident throughout, sometimes distractingly so, and after all the money Universal has milked out of this title through the years, you'd think they could afford some restoration work. Too bad Turner/TW doesn't own this one or it would have been restored already and issued with cool extras. If you have the last VHS incarnation, which featured the same soundtrack, you really don't need this DVD unless you're annoyed by the slight cropping that the video version endured. Oh yeah, there's a totally fictionalized, ultra-sentimental storyline, beautifully underplayed by both Allyson and Stewart, without whom this might have been... "The Benny Goodman Story."

Now that's a movie!! Fascinating story, terrific image and sound quality, if you love Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson this is a treat. I love having this flick in my collection!!

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.

It happens every time. When you watch a film with James Stewart in it certain things happen.

The film begins, we see Mr. Stewart appear in character, he is the same, tall ,lanky and charismatic. As the film proceeds on..slowly but surely, Mr Stewart becomes " That" character he is playing. Soon the viewer is hooked by the total talent of Jim Stewart , he invites us in to each character he is playing.

He is Glenn Miller for us here in this film. If we didnt see Glenn Miller while he was around this is a good chance to see a close example.It does not matter how accurate the film is really.
Those who carp about accuracy should pick up a biography. Those who love the mystique will watch and enjoy the timeless Glenn Miller through James Stewart.

I cant see Krupa or Satchmo in any biography , and for sure I cant hear them. In this film I can..with superb effect. A snapshot in time of our musical history.

Finally, I was not around during during the Miller era however,

after viewing this film .. " I was there"

C Pope

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.

Secondly, to expect any biographical picture out of Hollywood to NOT play loosely with the facts is expecting a bit much. After all, from "The Babe Ruth Story" to "JFK", Hollywood has always subscribed to the theory of "fictional biographies".

Frankly, I found this movie to be quite enjoyable. First, ANY movie with Jimmy Stewart has something going for it. Throw in some FANTASTIC music, and a great...albeit way to short...cameo by Louis Armstrong, and this movie is a real piece of cinematic history.

Unfortunately, Universal Pictures seems to have a different opinion, as they have given this picture a very bare-bones AND shabby release.

The picture, while widescreen AND anamorphic, has a VHS quality to it. Some portions had an "out of focus" appearance. But most distracting was a frequent pulsating color...going from bright to dull to bright...ad infinitum. In some instances, this REALLY distracted from the enjoyment of...and the concentration on...the movie.

Having seen other pictures from this era with wonderfully clear transfers, I can but only believe that this was merely the result of laziness, cheapness, or carelessness on the part of Universal.

As this is not considered a classic in most film circles, I doubt this movie will ever see a second release. So sad, as it could be so enjoyable with a good picture. As it is, I hate to say it, but I'd recommend against a purchase.

It amuses me how upset people get with some minor historical inaccuracies. As if the movies of today were completely true! This is a simple story of the music of one of the greatest swing arrangers of all times, a chance to get the music before the public at a time in which it was sorely missed. It is a fun experience, one to sit back and simply enjoy without the criticism. I too missed some of the regulars in the band, particularly the Modernaires, but so what? What was left was more than enough.

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 has to share screen time with perky, understanding, boring June Allyson. Since I've been obsessed with the two Miller movies he made: "Sun Valley Serenade" and "Orchestra Wives" I was hoping there's be at least a fairly realistic segment of Glenn Miller's Hollywood experience. There's nothing. You see the Miller Orchestra playing along to an African native dance! The real-life Miller musicals are routine in story line but they have a fabulous, electrifying quality in the big show-stopping numbers like "Chatanooga Choo-Choo" and "Kalamazoo", as sung by the Modernaires. The hair styles and fashions are all transformed into quasi-40s and 50s. You do see a few of the real-life Modernaires and Francis Langford perform "Chatanooga Choo-Choo" but it sounds horrible. I was hoping they could use more real-life personalities than the obviously Hollywood types you see. I was hoping especially to see the incredible blonde bombshell, Marion Hutton, do her "Kalamazoo" singing but she was nowhere to be found. After watching this botched nightmare, I went straight back to watch my thread-bare VHS copies of "Sun Valley Serenade" and "Orchestra Wives" and felt like there really is a God. But certainly not in "The Glenn Miller Story."

The original aspect ratio for this movie is 1.37:1. Has it been cut to adapt it to widescreen TV?