James Stewart is on engaging form in this biopic of acclaimed American composer and band leader Glenn Miller. A talented trombonist, when he hasn’t got it pawned, he makes his money working in bars and clubs whilst trying to set up a band with his friends. A chance audition sees him fall on his feet and together with pianist Chummy (Harry Morgan) they start to make some inroads into a market place that’s still to experience “popular” music on record. All the while, he’s rekindling a romance with “Helen” (June Allyson) and then “Moonlight Serenade” changes everyone’s life for good. So, however, does WWII and when he is called up, he suggests to General Arnold (Barton MacLane) that his skills could be put to better use if he, and many of his musical cohorts, were to establish a band that could travel to Europe and cheer the troops. It’s an history, so we know that he lost his life in the Channel in late 1944, but along the way here we have a few personable efforts from Allyson and Morgan and lots of his music. What I enjoyed more than in many a musical retrospective, is that we do actually get a decent amount of his tunes played all the way through. “Pennsylvania 6-5000”; “Little Brown Jug” and “In The Mood” are amongst the staples that remind us not just of how popular he was on vinyl (a very nice home from 3c a disc suggests sales in the millions) but just how effective nostalgia was at boosting morale for troops overseas facing the Nazis. Sure, it can be a bit sentimental - but Stewart always managed to present that with a glint in his eye, and together together with the always smiling Allyson they keep it just the right side of cheesy whilst emanating a feel-good factor that’s easy to watch.
