# "Tunes of Glory" on Turner Classic Movies, Jan. 28, 2000 ET



## MarkOttawa (28 Jan 2011)

Great movie, Alec Guinness, John Mills and Susannah York, directed by Ronald Neame, try to catch it:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054412/



> Major Jock Sinclair has been in this Highland regiment since he joined as a boy piper. During the Second World War, as Second-in-Command, he was made acting Commanding Officer. Now the regiment has returned to Scotland, and a new commanding officer is to be appointed. Jock's own cleverness is pitted against his new CO, his daughter, his girlfriend, and the other officers in the Mess. Written by Aryk Nusbacher <nusbacher-a@rmc.ca>
> 
> This is the story of a conflict between two senior officers in the cloistered environment of a Scottish military regiment. Major Jock Sinclair has been the acting Colonel of the Regiment for a lengthy period of time. He is admired and respected by officers and men alike and there is a general assumption that he will be made their commanding officer. To everyone's surprise, they learn that Lt. Colonel Basil Barrow has been named to the post. Although a member of the Regiment, Barrow left as a young subaltern, made his career in staff functions and is basically unknown. Barrow is a strict disciplinarian compared to Sinclair's easygoing approach and as he tries to impose his own style of leadership on his command, he struggles to gain the loyalty of his officers, particularly that of Sinclair who bristles at being a second-in-command with little to do. A final confrontation between the two men leads to tragedy for both of them. Written by garykmcd
> 
> Major Jock Sinclair is the Acting Colonel of his regiment in the aftermath of WWII. Expecting to be posted as the permanent CO, he is disillusioned to learn that another officer (one who, unlike himself, did not rise from the ranks). Jock Sinclair begins a social and psychological campaign against the new Colonel, with tragic results for both.



Mark
Ottawa


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## mariomike (28 Jan 2011)

Mark, thank-you for the heads-up. I just set my recorder.  

"We're on a first name basis in this regiment. Your first name is Derek; my first name is Major."


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## The Bread Guy (28 Jan 2011)

My fave factoid on this film:  apparently, Alec G. was originally slated to play LCOL Barrow, and John Mills MAJ Sinclair, but after looking at the script, the actors convinced the film makers to do the switch.


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## Michael OLeary (28 Jan 2011)

One of the finest comments on "tradition" that many would benefit from understanding:

_[while watching the pipers practice, Barrow notes that some of the men are not wearing the proper caps]_

Major Jock Sinclair: Colonel, there's a tradition here...
Lt. Col. Basil Barrow: I'm all in favor of good tradition.
Major Jock Sinclair: I've always let the pipers wear pretty well what they please at band practice.
Lt. Col. Basil Barrow: Because you've let them wear what they like just doesn't make it a tradition!


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## Rifleman62 (28 Jan 2011)

Susannah York unfortunately, just died 15 January 2011. Not very old, born 1939.


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## MarkOttawa (28 Jan 2011)

Jock: "Go on laddie, smoke it, smoke it."  And he's not talking about inhaling dope 

Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa (28 Jan 2011)

Fifty-six minutes in, Col. Barrow mentions that he was in effect water-boarded by the Germans in a PoW camp.  What an odd place to find such a link to today's world.

Mark
Ottawa


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## CombatDoc (28 Jan 2011)

I saw this movie years ago and really enjoyed it at the time.  A great microcosm of "Regimental life" and a character-driven drama.  I'm going to see if it's available on DVD.  Thanks to the OP for the reminder.


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## Blackadder1916 (28 Jan 2011)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> Fifty-six minutes, in Col. Barrow mentions that he was in effect water-boarded by the Germans Japanese in a PoW camp.  What an odd place to find such a link to today's world.
> 
> Mark
> Ottawa



Slight correction.

One of my favourite movies about soldiering.  It is also an excellent training aid for discussions about leadership styles and development.


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## MarkOttawa (28 Jan 2011)

Blackadder1916:  Thanks, missed that by assumption.

Mark
Ottawa


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## Pusser (28 Jan 2011)

The book is pretty good too.


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## Infantry_wannabe (29 Jan 2011)

Stumbled on it flipping channels without reading this post first. A good movie. Never heard of it before.


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## LineDoggie (30 Jan 2011)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> Fifty-six minutes in, Col. Barrow mentions that he was in effect water-boarded by the Germans in a PoW camp.  What an odd place to find such a link to today's world.
> 
> Mark
> Ottawa


I thought he was a prisoner of the Japanese?


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## Ignatius J. Reilly (31 Jan 2011)

Sir Alec is always a treat to watch.


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## The Bread Guy (31 Jan 2011)

CombatDoc said:
			
		

> .... I'm going to see if it's available on DVD ....


A bit pricey because (I believe) it's out of print, but it's out there.


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## Rifleman62 (31 Jan 2011)

I just Googled Amazon and it came up at -$20. Other places $16


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## jollyjacktar (31 Jan 2011)

I down loaded it from a torrent site.


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## Old Sweat (31 Jan 2011)

Maybe I am the odd guy out, but I found it a very depressing movie. In it we see two decent men destroyed because one of them won't accept that his time at the centre of the universe is over. Add to that the dreariness of the immediate post-war period in Scotland, the loss of war time purpose and the seeming lack of a grip on reality of most of the officers, and the battalion is a skittish horse looking for a cliff to gallop over, oops over gallop, sorry Bob. It still is a heck of a good story, but verrry, verry black.


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## MarkOttawa (31 Jan 2011)

Old Sweat: Quite, old boy.  Why it is such a good movie.

Mark
Ottawa


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## mariomike (31 Jan 2011)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> Add to that the dreariness of the immediate post-war period in Scotland, the loss of war time purpose and the seeming lack of a grip on reality of most of the officers, and the battalion is a skittish horse looking for a cliff to gallop over, oops over gallop, sorry Bob. It still is a heck of a good story, but verrry, verry black.



The senior officers from the World War years reminded me a little bit of the song by Irving Berlin, which was probably written about the same time as the book:
"They fill his chest with medals while he's across the foam
And they spread the crimson carpet when he comes marching home
The next day someone hollers when he comes into view
"Here comes the general" and they all say "General who?"

It wasn't just the officers having a hard time with the new times:
"Och, it's wicked. - Are you attempting to insult my late regiment?
Tell me that, Mr. MacLean. - No, I am not.
If you want to insult my late regiment, then we'll meet in the gymnasium!
Peter Pan. That's what we should call you.
Och, man, you're far too old to be going to the gymnasium."


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## Jed (1 Feb 2011)

I first watched this movie in my 20's and then watched a part of it a few days ago. It is amazing how one's perspective changes as you get older. My first viewing left a indelible impression on me with respect to the character of true soldiers, now I find it was too depressing to watch to the end of the movie.


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## Edward Campbell (19 Feb 2011)

I'm with Old Sweat; it is a a good, dark drama - a tightly drawn character study (often with too little attention being given to the characters of Maj Charlie Scott and Capt Jimmie Cairnes). I've watched it several times because it's film about very human failings, not about soldiers and soldiering. Kennaway simply used his own experiences in the immediate post-war army to compose a really fine tragedy.


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## Blackadder1916 (19 Feb 2011)

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> I'm with Old Sweat; it is a a good, dark drama - a tightly drawn character study (often with too little attention being given to the characters of Maj Charlie Scott and Capt Jimmie Cairnes). I've watched it several times *because it's film about very human failings, not about soldiers and soldiering*. Kennaway simply used his own experiences in the immediate post-war army to compose a really fine tragedy.



It's because it's about human failings that makes it a "good, dark drama" *about soldiers*.  Too often (even back when this film was made), stories about soldiers and soldiering are peopled with caricatures who must be either good or bad and have little depth of personality, however, soldiers are rarely one dimensional.  It is the exploration of the baser natures of these soldiers that had, in many years past, made it a favourite selection of mine for officer leadership development periods.  It was especially useful in stimulating discussion about the integration of officers commissioned from the ranks, who, in my branch back then, were plentiful.

I do agree that the characters of Maj Scott and Capt Cairnes could have been explored more.  It is interesting that Kennaway served in the same regiment (though different battalions?) as George MacDonald Fraser - was there something about the Gordon Highlanders that compelled two of its former subalterns to pen such engrossing (though very different) fictionalized tales about the nature of their regiment.  What would have happened if Jock Sinclair had met McAuslan?


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## GINge! (19 Feb 2011)

The book is also very well done. Gives a bit more insight into Sinclair's comments about ghosts. Its a quick read, and it appears the film makers stayed quite true to the novel. The author may have written the screenplay, I'd have to imdb it..

and yep, author James Kennaway did write the screenplay.


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## Pusser (19 Feb 2011)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> What would have happened if Jock Sinclair had met McAuslan?



I'm betting only one would have survived.  The questions is, who?


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