For those who don’t know who Glenn Miller was, he was the one to invent the big band and thereby revolutionizing band sound. Contra to the ordinary band, the big band has sections rather than a single instrument, thus making it sound bigger, hence the name. In 1935 Miller arranged his first big band and by 1937 he had his own. But it wasn’t until 1939 that he broke thru and his sound became instantly recognizable with the big band sound. At the height of his career, Miller chose to join the armed forces in 1942 and over the next two years he would serve the US by playing for the troops, adding an invaluable moral effort. Sadly, while flying to Paris in December 15, 1944, the plane never arrived, presumed crashed. Today Glenn Miller is remembered as the father of the big band and the composer of more than twenty classic melodies, amongst them now legendary tunes as "Moonlight Serenade", "String of Pearls" and of course "In the Mood".

In between the classical westerns, Mann and Stewart teamed up for a biographical picture on Glenn Miller. The film begins in 1924 and follows Miller over the next twenty years, until his fatal crash. To add authenticity, Mann invited original musicians and singers to participate, such as Frances Langford, Louis Armstrong, Ben Pollack, Gene Krupa, James Young and Babe Russin, to name some.

The film itself is a heart warming homage to Miller, taking full advantage of both its stars, James Stewart and June Allyson, but also of Miller’s music, and became a huge box office hit. And while it is possible as far removed from the existential westerns of Mann, it remains both one of his best directorial efforts and one of Stewart’s best parts. It is a film, that still today invites one to just sit back and be carried away. Pure Hollywood cinema.

Henrik Sylow