The Glenn Miller Story Movie Review

Jimmy Stewart gives a promising performance in a film that starts off great and quickly descends into unfortunate boredom. The big problem? Glenn Miller just wasn't that interesting a character. Aside from the fact that he basically ordered his girlfriend (then engaged to another man) to take a train across the country and marry Miller instead, there's not much new to this up-from-poverty-to-famous-composer/musician story. The entire last half concerns Miller's work as a bandleader in the military (which is, I suppose, important since he died during World War II), but the very worst scene comes earlier in the film, when Miller and best gal Helen (June Allyson) visit a jazz club: The entire scene is filmed through a spinning color wheel. It may be the worst directorial decision in the history of movies.