The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Valentine Davies (writer) and
Oscar Brodney (writer)

Release Date:

8 January 1954 (Japan)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

See it and Hear it as Never Before [1980 re-release]

Plot:

The biography of the Bandleader Glenn Miller from his beginnings to his death over the English Channel in December 1944...

Plot Keywords:

Bandleader | Plane | Husband Wife Relationship | Pawnshop | Dancing

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	Glenn Miller
June Allyson	...	Helen Berger Miller
Harry Morgan	...	Chummy MacGregor (as Henry Morgan)
Charles Drake	...	Don Haynes
George Tobias	...	Si Schribman
Barton MacLane	...	Gen. Hap Arnold, USAAF
Sig Ruman	...	W. Kranz (pawnshop owner)
Irving Bacon	...	Mr. Miller
James Bell	...	Mr. Burger
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Miller
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Burger (as Katharine Warren)
Frances Langford	...	Herself
Louis Armstrong	...	Himself
Ben Pollack	...	Himself
Gene Krupa	...	Himself

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:6 (f) | USA:Approved (PCA #16668) | South Korea:All | Australia:G (alternate rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

3rd Street Tunnel Stairway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Second of three movies where James Stewart and June Allyson played husband and wife.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The best-known solo on a Miller record, Bobby Hackett's cornet solo on "String of Pearls", is presented as being played on a trumpet.

Quotes:

Glenn Miller: Alright, alright, let's have the five saxes right in there...
Si Schribman: *Five* saxes?
Glenn Miller: And the trombones, right on the left here, over there, right in there, and the four trumpets right behind them...
Si Schribman: Four Trombones and Four Trumpets! When they get playing, what's gonna hold the roof on?
Sy's Assistant: He's trying five saxes with a trumpet lead.
Si Schribman: Maybe it's good and maybe it ain't, but it's radical!

Movie Connections:

References Orchestra Wives (1942)

Soundtrack:

Santa Lucia

Glenn Miller Story-Forever in the Mood ***

Glenn Miller's rise to fame and the tragedy that took him from us at the height of his career makes for a wonderfully entertaining film.

This film is rich because of the wonderful performances of James Stewart as the band leader and June Allyson, the latter was just made for the picture. She captures the depth of a devoted wife and we all can just cry with her when her happiness was ended so suddenly.

Naturally, the supporting cast of musicians and scenes with Frances Langford, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa are just wonderful.

We view Miller from humble beginnings to stardom, the old-fashioned Hollywood Way-he earned it by hard work and perseverance as he went through life looking for that sound.

My main flaw with this film. Just like Miller's life, it ended too suddenly. It could have gone on and on while we all danced the night away in tribute to this find musician.

Ever Harry Morgan's tear in the end tells you what this was all about.