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Venerable British actors Alec Guinness and John Mills give two of their finest performances in Tunes of Glory, a compelling, emotionally charged study of leadership in a peacetime Scottish battalion. In one of his most memorable roles, Guinness plays Jock Sinclair, the brash, red-haired colonel who temporarily commands his regiment of loyal, devoted soldiers. He's quick with a drink and hearty tales of military bravado, placing him in fun-loving contrast to his replacement, Col. Barrow (Mills), a hot-tempered martinet whose by-the-book style couldn't be more different, or less likable, than Sinclair's. In adapting his own novel for director Ronald Neame, James Kennaway keenly establishes the psychological opposition of these two stubborn men, demonstrating the equal merit of their military careers while exploring class distinctions and, ultimately, the inevitable tragedy of their failure to reach a mutual understanding. Ironically, Guinness was originally offered Mills's role, but suggested a switch to avoid comparison to his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai. It was an inspired decision, allowing each actor to shine in a timeless film that speaks volumes about military men and the winning (or losing) of hearts and minds. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (17)

a tour de force of acting!
Alec Guinness and John Mills - two of the best actors for decades, though I don't think either really received their full dues. Face it, a lot of people's awareness of Guinness came from Star Wars. And that is a shame. He was a brilliant actor with a touch of comedic genius, and he shines in this battle of wits and wills with Mills, another great.

It's basically a two man film, though there is a fine supporting cast of John Fraser, Dennis Price, Susannah York, Gordon Jackson, Percy Herbert and Peter McEnery.

Guinness is Major Jock Sinclair who has been with this Highland regiment since he joined as a boy piper, and rose to Second-in-Command during war time. The unit is now back in Scotland during peace time. Had he stayed as second-in-command, it might now have set tone for the conflict with Lt. Col. Basil Barrow (John Mills). But Jock has been Acting-Commander, so he fully expected to be promoted to full command. The men love him, he's a real man's man. He is devastated, a blow to his ego, when they bring in Barrow to assume command.

Barrow is not a very likable character, a martinet, so it's easy for Jock to wage psychological warfare by undermining Barrow at every turn. A Sandhurst trained disciplinarian, Barrows quickly alienates everyone with his prissy by the book ways, giving Jock the power to slowly rot Barrows authority, ultimately shaking Barrows mental foundations.

While Jock is doing all he can to send Barrows into a tissy fit, Jock's daughter is slipping around meeting John Fraser, which is pushing Jock to the edge as well.

There is a coming confrontation and only one man will survive.

This is acting at is best, and this film really should get more attention.

An astonishing story by Ronald Neame...
The sociable and veteran Major Jock Sinclair (Alec Guinness) has been the acting as Commanding Officer for the Highland Regiment since World War II where he once began as a piper. However, Jock is about to be replaced by a new Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Basil Barrow (John MIlls), and the mere thought of being swapped with another officer upsets Jock. Colonel Barrow is an aloof and pedant officer with deep scares from the war where he spent most of his time in a prison camp. When Colonel Barrow takes over he immediately begins to set his changes into action, which upsets the lenient Jock who does not like Colonel Barrow or his new strict changes that he has brought to the Highland Regiment. These changes instigate Jock to begin a private psychological warfare toward Colonel Barrow where he plays on the fact that the other officers are not used to changes.

Tunes of Glory is an astonishing story as it displays the rough surface of the Highland military, but at the same time presents the affectionate side of grown men that have returned from war. On top of this the audience gets to see two outstanding performances by Alec Guinness and John Mills that are supported by a terrific cast. In the end the audience will have experienced a wonderful film that leaves them with thoughts and stirred feelings.

One astonishing movie
This smart film shows us one true tour de force between John Mills and Alec Guiness.
Besides all the technical aspects that support this work, the dramatic nucleus deserves be remarked.
Yet this film was made in 1960 ; this script turns around one the essentials lines that support the question about what an effective leader must be.
Look inside what Guiness means; he has set up his mood leadership in a crowd of soldiers accostumed to his irreverent behavior.
He shares what they like; he drinks and he's vulgar too; in other words he flies with them , even ridiculizes the essential role of the authority. This a style yet employed for many managements specially in organizations composed by people of medium professional rank ; this leader stans up about the warm scent of the charisma; that behavior lets to Guiness smell and know the hidden weakness of every man under his power.
This approach is suddenly disturbed when an officer (John Mills) comes for him to replace. Obviously; that fact generates an inmediat reaction state in all the officers. Guiness knows his days are gone and yet he fights with his rules ; you disagree with his psycolghical handles; but you think that Mills a distingued officer, will be capable to end with this screwy state of things.
The obstacle are countless: some are direct and the rest you can imagine: that invisible match to establish the real rules of game , will turn in an unexpected twist ending.
The script is very carefully made ; just remember just two years before Stanley Kubrick had filmed Paths of Glory. This is important due the bitter atmosphere about every item related with the authority excess was not accepted in any society status.
Add to this, the Korea Cold War from the fifties ; the russian invassion over Hungary ; the growing nuclear tension around the nuclear weapons and the visible increase of peace movements all around the world in multiple facets as Litherature; poetry ; painting (Jason Pollock) ; music (rock & roll); cinema (New Wave birth) and challenging films as Baby doll, On the waterfront or Anatomy of a crime ; the raising movements for protecting the nature ; at this decade (fifties) the society was opened for new discoveries and sensations search (remember that the pill was discovered in the middle of the fifties) ; and this mood made the loss of certain principles you assumed as permanent.
And this movie walks in that direction. Watch this one; because its values and intentions goes far beyond a mere entertainment , the movie inquires you ; it challenges you and invites you to react.
Another superb achievement.

Fine DVD for a Guinness classic
No need to say much about the film itself: it is superb as others have agreed, with a phenomenally compelling performance from Sir Alec Guinness, with Sir John Mills (who won Best Actor prize at the 1960 Venice Film Festival) and the rest of the cast giving great support.

The Criterion DVD offers a really fine transfer: colours are rich, and there is a total absence of any artefacts, nicks or blemishes in the print. Sharpness is also very good, there is a hint of occasional grain but this is in the original celluloid I think - and anyway is nothing to worry about.

One slight caveat which has been commented upon by various review sites (so is not just a flaw in my DVD copy) is near the end of the film the appearance on the transfer of an opaque vertical line close to the right edge of the image, about a centimetre wide on my 28" screen. This is not really as distracting as it sounds and was presumably unfixable by Criterion from the source print. It starts near the end of the snooker room scene and stays for about 5 minutes - disappearing during Guinness's tour-de-force final scene where he addresses the assembled officers in a bravura display of fine acting - which leads to the unforgettable (and very moving) climax of the film. Certainly no-one should be put off by this slight flaw as it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the film.

Soundwise this film offers a straight mono track - which with a 5 channel set-up will unusually use only the centre speaker. Manually adjusting my amp I was able to switch to the two fronts (minus the centre) which gives a slightly wider soundstage. In any event the dialogue is clear (subtitles will help with some of the more inpenetrable lines) and Malcolm Arnold'd bagpipe-based score comes through well.

The extras are slight but OK: the audio-only interview with the aged John Mills in 2002 is not too revealing but he is a lovely man, as comes across well here. The filmed interview with Guinness is better but covers his whole career rather than this film - and he doesn't give too much away of the real man. The trailer is interesting - because it is so appallingly (and hilariously) bad, with a dreadful voiceover and bizarre captions.

Get this DVD for the fine transfer of a brilliant film, which at the end of the day is the prime reason for any DVD package.

Och aye, a supairrb disc!
One of my favorite films has finally made it to DVD. One of the true gems of the postwar British cinema, by a director who often gets short shrift alongside his illustrious contemporaries, Ronald Neame. Everything about the picture's been said - some of the best screen acting of all time in this one. The disc does it justice. The delicate color balance is magnificently rendered,
and the sound is equally well-presented. The real kicker, tho',
is in the extras. The Neame interview is a delight, as is the Guinness one. The Mills one is marred slightly by the rather fatuous questions he is aked, but still quite fine. In short, Criterion hits another one out of the park. Pour yersailf a
wee dram, sit down, and enjoy a bona-fide classic. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

True Love
Here's a real life story, told with love and compassion. If you love animals, you'll love this movie! Both children and adults will laugh and cry at this movie. The scenery is great, and the acting is great. The phrase, Man's Best Friend, must have been coined with "Bobby" in mind!

Loyalty and the Transformng Power of Love
Greyfriars Bobby is one of the finest children's movies of all time. Based on a true story, it is a deep-feeling, understated exploration of how a "pound-hound" transformed an entire city. In detail it shows the the mutual transformation of a lonely, impoverished older man and the stray dog who befriends him. They become a fixture in their Scottish neighborhood -- the dog greeting schoolchildren, etc. -- until the old man's death. Scruffy-looking Bobby develops a routine of staying on his dead master's grave each day, still taking the time to greet the kids on their way to and from school. Upon the old dog's death, the people of Greyfriar's built a statue to Bobby, by his master's grave: a testament to loyalty and love. A several handkerchief movie but very uplifting, for adults and kids alike.

Wonderful film...too bad it's in fullscreen
I feel tricked and used.
After waiting decades to enjoy this film the way I saw it in the movie theater as a child, what does Disney do? They glibly release the DVD in fullscreen format, even going so far as to list one of the "Special Features" on the jacket as "Fullscreen (1.33:1)". The "breathtaking Scottish countryside" mentioned on the box is nearly obscured in the film due to the cropping on all sides.

While the image and sound quality are superior to the VHS version, poor Bobby would cry at this fullscreen treatment by Eisner and his cronies.Why Disney doesn't offer buyers a DVD with fullscreen on one side and letterbox on the other is a complete mystery.

The DVD of Darby O'Gill and the Little People is coming out in August of 2004. If Disney releases it in fullscreen with the opening titles cut off like on the VHS tape, I think I'll consider breaking the DVD in half.

among disney's best animal films
Originally released in 1961, Greyfriars Bobby is a very tender and beautifull film. It really is right up there with old yeller, and other disney classics. Set in Scotland, the sets are lavish, the production values strong. Performances by Donald Crisp and Laurence Naismith are involving. I saw it recently for the first time in 30 years, since it was broadcast on the disneyland tv show many years ago. I was as equally captivated by it as I was when I was a boy. It isnt overly sentimental as some may think, but it is quite touching. A real classic.

Great movie
I watched this movie as a child and thought it was one of the sweetest Disney ever made. The tale of a little dog who comes to his master's grave no matter who tries to stop him. In the end the whole village of Greyfriar loves him and adopts him as their own. I loved watching the battle of wills between the restaurant owner and the graveyard caretaker who each thought the "wee dog" should be his. But Bobby belonged only to his dead master in the graveyard. After Bobby died he was buried in the graveyard alongside his master, a rare honor for a little dog.

The only reason I gave the video 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the mono soundtrack. I stronly prefer stereo and would really like to see this movie released on DVD or even VCD. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hilarious and Vintage Guinness
Alec Guinness gives a terrifically funny performance as Wormold, a man reluctant to be enlisted as a secret agent by a desperate and ridiculously credulous "intelligence" service. Wormold, a lonely father of a nubile daughter, wants extra money to provide for her increasingly expensive wishes. One day, rather hopelessly and absently, he sketches the interior of a vacuum cleaner he is supposed to be selling at his modest business, pretending this sketch pertains to some dangerous real-life strategic device. His employers are elated. Unfortunately, they demand more and more from the now equally desperate Wormold. As he invents more outrageous fictions, they grow ever more fascinated. Then comes the kicker: Wormold's elaborate fantasies begin to come true. He has created a monster, in effect. The complexities of his imaginary spy world begin to envelope him. The outcome is terrible - and teribly funny. The subtle comic genius of Guinness may be lost on some American audiences, or it may be just your cup of tea. I laughed till I cried. I have never forgotten this movie since I saw it when I was an English major, studying Graham Greene, among others. I eagerly await its issuance in DVD.

Very realistic dark comedy
Graham Greene served in British Intelligence during the 1939-1945 war along with other literary types such as Malcolm Muggeridge. They all were less than impressed with the organization and expressed this in various literary ways. For Greene it was a series of semi historical novels. I would guess that Inspector Clouseau would not feel out of place in the MI6 of the post war era. In this novel Greene illustrates all of the misunderstandings and quirks of fate that foul up intelligence operations. An inept person is recruited into the organization. In order to show results he fakes the recruitment of subagents and fabricates information they are supposed to have given to him. His security is bad and these reports are read by the other side thinking they are true. The sub agents are arrested and tortured to death. The hero is recalled to London and given a medal and retirement to cover up for the bungling of himself and the poor judgement of the person who recruited him and the people who accepted his false information and used it for national policy direction.

Slow-building, surprisingly subtle comedy of spying
Sir Carol Reed's 1960 film of Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" gets off to a slow start. The expatriate British widower Jim Wormold (Alec Guinness) is having difficulty making enough money to support the expensive tastes of his cherished teenaged daughter Milly (Jo Morrow), who has caught the idea of a Batista torturer and equestrian, Capt. Segura (Ernie Kovacs). The British spymaster for the Caribbean (Noël Coward) insists that Wormold become a British secret agent, and Wormold decides to take the money and when pressed for results, concocts nonsense "intelligence."

His ludicrous inventions, including a military installation he invents out of vacuum cleaner parts, are taken very seriously. As in Greene's "The Third Man" (also filmed by Reed) and "The Quiet American" (filmed by Joseph Mankiewicz), ignorance ("innocence") proves to be extremely dangerous to others. This film is not as great as those other two, but has a very strong cast (including Burl Ives as a German doctor, Maureen O'Hara as a plucky M16 professional sent to assist Wormold, and Ralph Richardson as the agency head back in London) and splendid black-and-white cinematography of Havana almost as good as that of Vienna and Hanoi in the other two films. The camerawork is by Oswald Morris, John Huston's cinematographer on another, broader 1950s spy spoof (Beat the Devil) and other films (including the 1952 Moulin Rouge, Moby Dick, The Roots of Heaven, The Man who Would be King, and Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison) plus Kubrick's "Lolita" and Reed's "Oliver!"

Guinness (who had a career in spying movies ahead of him!) delivers a subtle performance. More unexpectedly, so does Ernie Kovacs, who was generally a very broad and antic comic. A thuggish police officer in a Latin American dictatorship is an easy target, but Kovacs draws on the tradition of cortesia and is considerably more professional than the M16 establishment that turns out to be at least as devoted as he is to keeping up appearances. Burl Ives (who long outlived Kovacs, but stopped getting roles like those in which he was so memorable in the late 1950s) also delivers a subtle performance as he is dragged into the madness Wormold's fantasies unleash. ... Read more