The Glenn Miller Story

James Stewart: Glenn Miller
June Allyson: Helen Berger Miller
Harry Morgan: Chummy MacGregor
Charles Drake: Don Haynes
George Tobias: Si Schribman
Barton MacLane: General Hap Arnold
Sig Ruman: rim, the pawnbroker

The Glenn Miller Story is an American feature film from 1953, which traces the life of Glenn Miller. It was the highlight of the cooperation of the director Anthony Mann with James Stewart, who in 1950 started the Western Winchester '73. James Stewart and June Allyson in the lead roles embody the ideal of an American couple in that time. The film impresses mainly by its soundtrack, which contains the most popular swing tunes of Glenn Miller Band. The Glenn Miller Story was one of the most commercially successful Hollywood productions of 1954, prompting the Universal International Pictures with The Benny Goodman Story in 1955 to bring out another bandleader biopic. Numerous well-known musicians had cameo appearances: Louis Armstrong, Barney Bigard, Cozy Cole, Gene Krupa, Frances Langford, Marty Napoleon, Ben Pollack, Trummy Young, Babe Russin, Arvell Shaw, The Modernaires, and James Young ( IV). The part Stewarts as a trombonist Glenn Miller played Joe Yukl, who advised the actor also during the shooting.

Action

The U.S. at the time of the great big band era and the Great Depression: The young trombonist and arranger Glenn Miller sees his trumpet more often in the pawn shop, as that he could play on it. When he is engaged with his friend, the pianist Chummy MacGregor, for a tour of America in a big band and coming through Denver, he visits his old friend Helen, who he has not seen two years. He ignored the fact that she is now with another man, and announces to her that she would get married soon. When the band comes to New York, Glenn gets out of the band to get back to take care of his arrangements. He phoned Helen and persuades her to come to New York. When she actually comes, it will lead them on the same registry office. Glenn is working on Broadway in a musical production ( Gershwin's Girl Crazy ) and Helen are her husband, their savings, so that he can start his own band. The company fails, however, and Helen is seriously ill. At the hospital, the tide turns again and they learn the manager Si Schribman know who believes in the work of Glenn and gives him the possibility of a new band. However, a day before the premiere in Boston ill trumpeter and Glenn must replace it with a clarinet. Thus, the Glenn Miller sound is born and the world-class career Glenn Miller can begin.

When the Second World War breaks out, Glenn himself for the army to play for the soldiers. In December 1944, Glenn Miller flies from London to a Christmas concert to liberated Paris. The plane never arrives in Paris. Helen sitting at home listening to the radio and expects the concert from France than it receives from General Arnold the news of the missing plane. The band plays the concert in memory of her band leader.

German versions

For this film, there are two different German synchronous operations. The first was in 1954 in the studios of the Berliner Synchron GmbH Wenzel Luedecke in Berlin. The dialog book came from Fritz A. Koeniger, synchronous directed by Rolf von Sydow. The second version on the occasion of the 1985 re-release also made to the Berliner Synchron GmbH. This new version has since been shown, however, at the 2006 brought out by Universal Germany DVD the old version to hear. In both versions can be heard in the title role of James Stewart's German tribe spokesman Sigmar Schneider.

Reviews

"Excellent staged biographical film about the American big band leader ( ... ) Not very emotional, pathetic act makes the film remarkable, but the likeable actor and authentic interpretation of all evergreens in distinctive Glenn Miller Sound (...)" - Lexikon of international film. CD -ROM edition. Systhema, Munich 1997.

" (...); convincing in the title role, James Stewart; enchanting jazz with well-known stars, bands and soloists ( ... ) "( rating: 2 ½ stars = above average) - Adolf Meier Heinzl, Berndt Schulz in: Encyclopedia " Movies on TV ". Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-89136-392-3, p 308

" Exquisite biographical film (...) represented very personable and warm, exemplary ethos, excellent. Interesting not only for fans of jazz, from 14 " - 6000 movies. Critical Notes from the cinema from 1945 to 1958. Handbook V of the Catholic film criticism. 3rd edition, house Altenberg, Dusseldorf 1963, p 160

" Excellent played by Stewart and with all Miller hits. " - Heyne film lexicon.

Awards

The film received an Oscar in 1955 for " best sound" and two additional nominations in the categories " Best Music " and " Best Screenplay ".

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