The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

Biography of bandleader Glenn Miller from his beginnings to his death over the English Channel in December 1944.

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Valentine Davies, Oscar Brodney

Stars:

James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Stewart	...	Glenn Miller
June Allyson	...	Helen Burger
Harry Morgan	...	Chummy (as Henry Morgan)
Charles Drake	...	Don Haynes
George Tobias	...	Si Schribman
Barton MacLane	...	General Arnold
Sig Ruman	...	Kranz
Irving Bacon	...	Mr. Miller
James Bell	...	Mr. Burger
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Miller
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Burger (as Katharine Warren)
Frances Langford	...	Frances Langford
Louis Armstrong	...	Louis Armstrong
Ben Pollack	...	Ben Pollack
Gene Krupa	...	Gene Krupa

Storyline

The unemployed trombone player Glenn Miller is always broken, chasing his sound to form his band and hocking his instrument in the pawn house to survive. When his friend Chummy MacGregor is hired to play in the band of Ben Pollack, the band-leader listens to one Glenn's composition and invites him to join his band. While traveling to New York, Glenn visits his former girlfriend Helen Berger, in Boulder, Colorado, and asks her to wait for him. Two years later he quits the band and proposes Helen that moves to New York to marry him. After the success of "Moonlight Serenade", Glenn Miller's band becomes worldwide known and Glenn and Helen and their two children have a very comfortable life. Duting the World War II, Glenn enlists in the army and travels to Europe to increase the moral of the allied troops. In the Christmas of 1944, he travels from London to Paris for a concert to be broadcast; however his plane is never found in the tragic flight.

---

Plot Keywords:

band | based on real events | music band | u.s. air force | swing band | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 January 1954 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Glenn Miller Story

Filming Locations:

Colonial Mansion, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) Stereo (1985 re-release)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The on-screen chemistry between Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson was so strong that Universal International had the duo make three movies together between 1949 and 1955. These were: The Stratton Story, The Glenn Miller Story and Strategic Air Command..

---

Goofs

When the air raid siren goes off during 'In The Mood' as a warning for the Doodlebug it is actually sounding the continuous 'Raiders Past' or 'All Clear' signal when the actual air raid warning was a wavering sound with the note changing in an approx 5 second pattern for 2 minutes.

---

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?
Si'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!

---

Alternate Versions

Most current prints in circulation are the slightly shortened 113-minute 1959 re-release version.

---

Connections

Referenced in American Dad!: The One That Got Away (2008)

---

Soundtracks

Adios
(uncredited)
Music by Enric Madriguera
Played when Down Beat magazine proclaims Glenn Miller "Tops for 3rd Year in Row"
Also played on the phonograph when Helen and Chummy are talking

User Reviews

Really, truly, one of the best!

"The Glenn Miller Story" appears on cable-TV from time to time. It is an historically accurate piece about a beloved man whose music defined an era.

Miller is portrayed as a gracious and kind man -- an officer and a gentleman. We see Jimmy Stewart's affectionate portrayal of this simple man who spent his short musical career searching for a particular sound. The results got the whole world dancing to his new beat: Swing! The music in this movie will surely get you on your feet!

The driving force in Glenn Miller's life was his love for his wife, Helen, amicably played by June Allyson.

A "must-see", movie classic. Be sure to bring a hanky!