Glenn Miller was a timid man, with a pushy wife. At least that is what "The Glenn Miller Story", a loose biographical look at the latter part of the famed band leader's life, would have you believe. And just when did his wife become so ambitious? The filmmakers never really let us know. But not being familiar with the details of Miller's life myself, I took this Universal-International tale very lightly and did not take the details, or lack thereof, to heart too much.
Old reliable James Stewart plays Miller, as we follow his life from his more lean days as a musical hopeful until his untimely death in a World War II plane crash. Along the way, we watch as Miller makes successes in his career, as well as his budding relationship with college sweetheart and eventual wife, Helen(June Allyson). After enduring setbacks in creating his signature sound and his wife's eventual infertility, he reaches the pinnacle of his career, only to lose his life while participating in America's war effort.
Stewart plays Miller convincingly enough, if a little boring at times. But Stewart does manage to inject the right amount of sweetness and earnestness to make Miller seem likable and of rooting-value. Allyson, who has never been a favorite of mine, warbles her way through the film as if she has a mouth full of marbles. And she never truly brings the character to life to make me see past Allyson just playing a part. "The Glenn Miller Story" does have its moments, though. There are a great few moments of cinematography in a nightclub performance of Louis Armstrong, in which various colors of lenses rotate on the camera lens. There is also a touching, if underdone scene at the end, when a heartbroken Helen listens to Glenn's posthumous performance on the radio. But these great moments are unfortunately weighed down by other not-so-great moments. For instance, when Helen finds out she won't be able to have children of her own, she seems to take the news as if someone just told her that the Piggly Wiggly stopped carrying her favorite brand of detergent. They never seem to want to delve too deeply into the difficult moments. Nonetheless, the movie works. Stewart and a fine supporting cast create a foundation which holds up the good and the bad, and Glenn Miller's tale is glossy and engaging, if a tad bit uneven at times.
Old reliable James Stewart plays Miller, as we follow his life from his more lean days as a musical hopeful until his untimely death in a World War II plane crash. Along the way, we watch as Miller makes successes in his career, as well as his budding relationship with college sweetheart and eventual wife, Helen(June Allyson). After enduring setbacks in creating his signature sound and his wife's eventual infertility, he reaches the pinnacle of his career, only to lose his life while participating in America's war effort.
Stewart plays Miller convincingly enough, if a little boring at times. But Stewart does manage to inject the right amount of sweetness and earnestness to make Miller seem likable and of rooting-value. Allyson, who has never been a favorite of mine, warbles her way through the film as if she has a mouth full of marbles. And she never truly brings the character to life to make me see past Allyson just playing a part. "The Glenn Miller Story" does have its moments, though. There are a great few moments of cinematography in a nightclub performance of Louis Armstrong, in which various colors of lenses rotate on the camera lens. There is also a touching, if underdone scene at the end, when a heartbroken Helen listens to Glenn's posthumous performance on the radio. But these great moments are unfortunately weighed down by other not-so-great moments. For instance, when Helen finds out she won't be able to have children of her own, she seems to take the news as if someone just told her that the Piggly Wiggly stopped carrying her favorite brand of detergent. They never seem to want to delve too deeply into the difficult moments. Nonetheless, the movie works. Stewart and a fine supporting cast create a foundation which holds up the good and the bad, and Glenn Miller's tale is glossy and engaging, if a tad bit uneven at times.