Tunes of Glory is a 1960 film adapted from a novel by James Kennaway, who also wrote the screenplay.  Despite the film's title, it is not a musical but rather a dramatic film that uses regimental military life as allegory to the class hierarchy of traditional English society.  One of the film's best assets is a stellar cast that benefits from the presence of two of England's greatest actors - Alec Guinness and John Mills.

Guinness portrays Jock Sinclair, a whisky-drinking, high-spirited major.  He is the current acting-colonel of a Scottish military battalion, and being lenient with regulations, is fairly liked by his men.  However, as Tunes of Glory begins, a new replacement commander has arrived to take over control of the battalion.  He is Basil Barrow (John Mills), a stiff upper-lip and strictly by-the-books colonel.  The consequent clash of personalities and military methods between these two men provides the dramatic fire in the film's battle of wills.

Cast: Alec Guinness, John Mills, Dennis Price, Kay Walsh, Susannah York, John Fraser, Duncan MacRae
Director: Ronald Neame

Running time: 106 minutes
Classification: PG
PAL format

"One of the all-time great British films...absolutely riveting"