Tunes of Glory (1960)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

James Kennaway (novel)
James Kennaway (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 December 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Colonel Jock Sinclair drank with his officers...and sang and danced with them...until that day when a shot rang out AND HE STOOD ALONE!

Plot:

Major Jock Sinclair has been in this Highland regiment since he joined as a boy piper. During the Second World War...

Plot Keywords:

Major | Scotland | Tragedy | Military | Father Daughter Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Maj. Jock Sinclair, D.S.O., M.M.
John Mills	...	Lt. Col. Basil Barrow (Battalion Commander)
Dennis Price	...	Maj. Charles 'Charlie' Scott, M.C. (Battalion Executive Officer)
Kay Walsh	...	Mary Titterington
John Fraser	...	Cpl. Piper Ian Fraser
Susannah York	...	Morag Sinclair
Gordon Jackson	...	Capt. Jimmy Cairns, M.C. (Battalion Adjutant)
Duncan Macrae	...	Pipe Maj. Duncan MacLean
Percy Herbert	...	RSM Riddick
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Capt. Eric Simpson
Paul Whitsun-Jones	...	Maj. 'Dusty' Miller (Mess President)
Gerald Harper	...	Maj. Hugo MacMillan
Richard Leech	...	Capt. Alec Rattray
Peter McEnery	...	2nd Lt. David MacKinnon
Keith Faulkner	...	Cpl. Piper Adam

Runtime:

107 min | USA:106 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Knightsbridge Films

Trivia:

'Joan Hickson' can be seen among the party-guests at the castle just before Barrow blows his cool. A brief exchange with him appears to be edited out.

Quotes:

Jock Sinclair: That's a cheesy tune!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 52nd Annual Academy Awards (1980) (TV)

searing portrayal by Guinness

One of the marks of a truly great actor is the ability to do both comedy and heavy roles. To contrast Guinness's portrayal here of Jock Sinclair with, say, his Professor Marcus in 'The Ladykillers' is to become aware of the protean range of his talent. (One cannot imagine, for instance, John Wayne doing comedy.) To my mind Alex Guinness is the premier actor of the century; his performances have immeasurably enriched my inner life.

I am not as enamored of "Tunes of Glory" as I am of, say, "Bridge on the River Kwai," but it is without question a powerful movie. The conflict between Sinclair and Barrow is palpable; I think, in particular, of Mill's violently trembling rage during the dancing scene, and Guinness's dismissive ridicule of Barrow's deepest confidences ("toy soldiers!") during his attempt to con him into clemency. Sinclair's grief-stricken collapse at the end is truly an unforgettable scene and a tribute to Guinness's power.