The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

James Stewart, at his warmest and most avuncular, plays the bandleader who rocketed to fame during the swing era. The Glenn Miller Story may be a whitewashed version of Miller's life, but it certainly is a pleasant example of the feel-good Hollywood biopic, with the usual conventions: early struggles, loyal wife (June Allyson at her chirpiest), personal sacrifice--Miller joins the Army when war breaks out, although he doesn't have to--and ultimate tragedy. All the Glenn Miller classics filling the soundtrack make the film pretty easy to take, too: "Moonlight Serenade," "A String of Pearls," "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." Miller plays the great "In the Mood" with his military band during a World War II air-raid warning. Pure corn, but it works. Director Anthony Mann, better known for his superb series of hard-bitten fifties westerns with Stewart, keeps the story moving gently and gracefully. A hot jazz interlude features Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa. --Robert Horton Amazon.com essential video

Can't beat the old classic movies

If you love Jimmy Stewart, this is the movie for you. Jimmy Stewart portrayed Glenn Miller with style and grace. Love it!

The scenes with the service men is very special to my family as my father was in this film and can be clearly seen. When this movie was on TV when I was growing up, we always watched it no matter the time of day. Now we can watch it over and over and pause it to get a better look. September 28, 2008

Incompatable

Delivery service was great however, I then found I could not play DVD on my TV. We had to watch it through the computer which tells me I can only change the format a limited number of times?

Wonder if it is possible to order DVD's which are compatable with UK TV format? September 28, 2008

DVD Glenn Miller Story

This is an old movie so I had to have it. I remember the great music. September 12, 2008

Good Movie!

This is a good movie, especially if you like the music of Glenn Miller. It's a bit slow but overall good. August 4, 2008

Great true life musician story

This is a great true life story movie, classic family movie, great music-musician movie. Who doesn't love Jimmy Stewart? Who didn't love Glenn Miller? Okay, maybe you're too young to get this, but then, I wasn't alive when this was going on and I know how historically important the period was. If WWII was an era you're a little fuzzy on, it's the momentous series of events that shape our modern world, and one way to make history come alive and be interesting is to delve into the arts, the music, the popular culture of the time. American music then dominated the whole world, just like American hip-hop spread around the globe in the 1990s. In the WWII period, big band swing became an international phenomena. The Imperial Japanese listened to it, the Nazis listened to it, but most of all, American G.I.s overseas, the Americans working in the factories, big band swing defined America and American pride. And Glenn Miller's band was as close as the U.S. came to having an official patriotic emotional popular national band. Parts of the movie suffer from the same problems all movies of the post WWII era genre have, the soundtrack timing is off so that even though the real Glenn Miller orchestra is playing themselves, they're not always playing in synch with the movie, and some of the dialogue is excessive, some of the waiting scenes are too long, but on the other hand, this is a completely family friendly movie, no gratuitous sex scenes, no harsh language, no senseless violence (well there is the whole WWII thing as the historic backdrop, but no violence is depicted). I highly recommend this film to: music students, music fans, musicians, music teachers, jazz fans, swing band fans, history buffs, WWII buffs, history teachers, fans of classic movies, Jimmy Stewart fans, anyone who has never heard of Jimmy Stewart, anyone unclear on Glenn Miller or swing music, anyone who has never seen a movie made before the 1970s, parents who are tired of the postmodern Disney drivel wanting a film you can watch with kids without fast forwarding past awkward scenes, and people who like biographies. June 3, 2008

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