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

[MarkOttawa]

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

 

[mariomike]

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."

 

[The Bread Guy]

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.

 

[Michael OLeary]

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!

 

[Rifleman62]

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

 

[MarkOttawa]

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

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

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

 

[CombatDoc]

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.

 

[Blackadder1916]

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.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Blackadder1916:  Thanks, missed that by assumption.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Pusser]

The book is pretty good too.

 

[Infantry_wannabe]

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

 

[LineDoggie]

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?

 

[Ignatius J. Reilly]

Sir Alec is always a treat to watch.

 

[The Bread Guy]

.... 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.

 

[Rifleman62]

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

 

[jollyjacktar]

I down loaded it from a torrent site.

 

[Old Sweat]

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.

 

[MarkOttawa]

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

Mark
Ottawa

 

[mariomike]

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."