Tunes of Glory

Released Dec 20, 1960

1h 46m

Drama

List

73%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

78%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Following World War II in peacetime Scotland, brigade headquarters replaces commanding officer Major Jock Sinclair (Alec Guinness), a boisterous battalion leader, with the strict, temperamental Lieutenant Colonel Basil Barrow (John Mills). Resentful toward his replacement, Sinclair undermines Barrow's authority and damages his successor's reputation among the soldiers. Barrow faces an uphill battle in regaining the discipline and respect of his battalion.

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Terence Kelly

Sight & Sound

The ending itself is inexcusable.

Feb 10, 2020

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Guinness and Mills expertly engage with Kennaway's dialogue, which boiled down is two men unable or unwilling to secede control.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 10, 2020

Full Review

Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

A marvelous indictment of institutional machismo and performative masculinity that saw two of England's best actors...play against type and deliver two of their finest performances.

Rated: 7/10

Jan 9, 2020

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

The persistent and lovely sound of bagpipes is almost enough to drown out the sound of men's inner demons clawing at each other's psyches.

Dec 22, 2019

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Alec Guinness and John Mills prove to be able adversaries in this drama (with sizable dollops of humor) set amidst the officers of a Scottish peacetime battalion.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 15, 2019

Full Review

Dwight MacDonald

Esquire Magazine

One of those films... which are of little interest cinematically and out of fashion thematically (no sex, no violence, no low life) and yet manage to be very good entertainment.

Jul 12, 2019

Full Review

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Audience Member

Despite the presence of the lovely Miss York, this had me bored 20 minutes in. This ain't no "Bridge on the River Kwai" for Sir Alec.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/23/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Suberb. A gripping interrogation of the politics in a Scottish regiment during peacetime. The revelations of petty jealousies. Superbly portrayed by a stellar cast of British actors. Guinness is at his peerless best as the drunken, flawed heroic Jock Sincl, while Mills tragic Colonel Barrow almost matches him. Wonderful support from Gordon Jackson Duncan Macrea, amongst others. Plus a debut from the gloriously ravishing Susannah York

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

delysid d

i love old british movies!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/17/21

Full Review

bo s

Entertaining story; good characters; some good dialogue; bagpipes!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Tunes of Glory (1960) A film about a British Scottish Dance & music brigade It has pretty good music and dancing moments. I liked the architecture in this film. Alec Guinnes is in this film portraying a heavy Scottish ascent drinker and smoker. Who likes being roudy and drinking heavily and his drinking effects his judgement. So much so that his judgement while drunk drives his commanding officer nuts because he likes running his regiment a bit more loosely than the commander prefers. The Commander in charge gets so frustrated eventually that he decides once he has learned that he has been fooled to commit suicide. Which to me surprised me. Honestly I felt like there were a few steps he should have done like put his officers on report as well as get rid of the alcohol or at least limit the consumption of alcohol to prevent the problems he faced.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/17/20

Full Review

Audience Member

It reverts to sentimentality and never manages to get to anything significant.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

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Ronald Neame

Director

Alec Guinness

Maj. Jock Sinclair, D.S.O., M.M.

John Mills

Lt. Col. Basil Barrow

Susannah York

Morag Sinclair

Dennis Price

Maj. Charles 'Charlie' Scott, M.C.

John Fraser

Cpl. Piper Ian Fraser

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Synopsis

Following World War II in peacetime Scotland, brigade headquarters replaces commanding officer Major Jock Sinclair (Alec Guinness), a boisterous battalion leader, with the strict, temperamental Lieutenant Colonel Basil Barrow (John Mills). Resentful toward his replacement, Sinclair undermines Barrow's authority and damages his successor's reputation among the soldiers. Barrow faces an uphill battle in regaining the discipline and respect of his battalion.

Director: Ronald Neame
Producer: Colin Lesslie
Screenwriter: James Kennaway
Distributor: Lopert Pictures Corp.
Production Co: Knightsbridge Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 1960, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2016
Runtime: 1h 46m

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