At the time of its release, everyone in the audience knew what to expect from The Glenn Miller Story. But watching it decades later, even with a love of the early 20th century, I didn't know anything about his life. Needless to say, I was pretty surprised by certain events in the movie.
Many musician biopics blend together, but they have a good reason for them: most musicians have a similar characteristic. Music consumes their lives, often at the expense of other basic needs. In this movie, you'll see James Stewart losing focus of his surroundings when he hears music in his head. He prioritizes concerts over his love for June Allyson, and he's seen time and again hocking his instruments for rent money only to buy them back again when he gets another gig in a band. This one does stand out among some of the others because it's set during a specific time period, the years before WWII.
With his long face, grey in the temples, and round glasses, James Stewart is a great choice for the famed bandleader. Plus, it was a great compliment for Hollywood to cast their favorite everyman as Miller. His longtime pal is played by Harry Morgan, and his sweet, devoted wife is June Allyson. Normally, I can't abide June, so realize my praise for her in this movie is quite rare and precious. Her scenes with Jimmy were very cute, especially the proposal and wedding scenes. Even her dramatics in the film were convincing. She wore a particularly effective expression in her final scene that actually brought a lump to my throat.
You're going to have to be a music lover to like this movie. You'll hear tons of old big band standards, and you'll be taken back to a golden era. Plus, you'll see a classic movie of James Stewart, and that's always fun!
Many musician biopics blend together, but they have a good reason for them: most musicians have a similar characteristic. Music consumes their lives, often at the expense of other basic needs. In this movie, you'll see James Stewart losing focus of his surroundings when he hears music in his head. He prioritizes concerts over his love for June Allyson, and he's seen time and again hocking his instruments for rent money only to buy them back again when he gets another gig in a band. This one does stand out among some of the others because it's set during a specific time period, the years before WWII.
With his long face, grey in the temples, and round glasses, James Stewart is a great choice for the famed bandleader. Plus, it was a great compliment for Hollywood to cast their favorite everyman as Miller. His longtime pal is played by Harry Morgan, and his sweet, devoted wife is June Allyson. Normally, I can't abide June, so realize my praise for her in this movie is quite rare and precious. Her scenes with Jimmy were very cute, especially the proposal and wedding scenes. Even her dramatics in the film were convincing. She wore a particularly effective expression in her final scene that actually brought a lump to my throat.
You're going to have to be a music lover to like this movie. You'll hear tons of old big band standards, and you'll be taken back to a golden era. Plus, you'll see a classic movie of James Stewart, and that's always fun!