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Tunes of Glory

Play trailer Poster for Tunes of Glory Released Dec 20, 1960 1h 46m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 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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Tunes of Glory

Critics Reviews

View All (10) Critics Reviews
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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (51) audience reviews
Ian F A fine film that, perhaps above all else, portrays the complexities and contradictions in human nature. Neither man is a distinct hero or villain; instead each man possesses and is tortured by these conflicting characteristics. In the end, neither man wins. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews
Tunes of Glory

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

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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