Tunes of Glory is a 1960 British drama film directed by Ronald Neame, based on the novel of the same name by James Kennaway.
The story: two career officers struggle for command of a Scottish infantry battalion in the immediate post-war period. Jock Sinclair (Alec Guinness) joined the battalion as a piper in the 1930s. Raucous and popular, he represents a working-class figure who came up through the ranks, decorated as both an enlisted man and an officer, and is briefly given command of his battalion after the war. Brigade headquarters considers him not the man for the job, and Basil Barrow (John Mills), educated at Eton and Oxford, arrives to assume command.
Barrow is an educated, tee-totaling commander who demands his officers dance "like gentlemen" at the regularly scheduled social engagements in the officers' mess. Sinclair, bitter that he spent the entire war with the battalion, rising steadily in rank and rewarded for both bravery (the Military Medal) and leadership (the Distinguished Service Order), feels that he should be the one to command.
The film is popular among soldiers in Scottish and Highland regiments to this day, and despite an Academy Award nomination for Kennaway, who adapted the script from his novel, the film is not widely known outside of military audiences.
Bagpipe music is a common theme throughout the film. Kennaway himself had served in The Gordon Highlanders, who the film is loosely based on (though objections to the script saw official support withdrawn). Sinclair, the former piper, objects to his daughter's romantic attentions toward one of the corporals in the battalion pipe band. The title of the film is spoken in dialogue in the film's final scene.
This film provides examples of:
- Artistic License – Military: The badges and tartan worn by soldiers in the film correspond to no actual military regiment. The badges are generic Scottish thistles and the tartan is often confused for Hunting Scott in ancient colours, but the kilts and sleeve swatches were done in a special tartan specifically designed for the film. Kilts used in the production also appeared in Carry On Up the Khyber.
- Break the Haughty: Thoroughly played with. The film has little action and focuses on the personalities of the two officers. Sinclair, the hard-drinking popular officer, declares that not only should he command the battalion, but that he will find a way to make it happen. He both bullies and flatters fellow officers in a bid to turn them against the new C.O. Barrow's allies include the unit adjutant and Charlie Scott, a friend of Sinclair's who is also seeing Sinclair's romantic interest, a local actress. Barrow is ultimately broken when Scott coldly informs him that Sinclair has been running the battalion the whole time Barrow was ostensibly in command. Sinclair, however, is also broken at the end of the film, possibly in realization that he was no less haughty than Barrow.
- Broken Ace: Colonel Barrow was educated at Eton and Oxford, and later lectured at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He projects an image of someone completely in control, from his refusal to drink alcohol, to his correct military protocol, to his clipped military mustache. As the film goes on the audience becomes aware of the psychological influences on him. He comes from a long line of military officers, including his grandfather who had also commanded the same battalion. He mentions being a prisoner of the Japanese, but mentions nothing of the horrifying experience of torture while in captivity. Sinclair, who fought in the relatively "gentlemanly" war in North Africa, publicly dismisses Barrow's experiences as "officer's privileges and amateur theatrics" presuming his status as an officer got him preferential treatment by his captors. Barrow breaks down a number of times at Sinclair's antics. He is eventually Driven to Suicide because of it.
- Historical Fiction: some exteriors were filmed at Stirling Castle, the regimental headquarters of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Objections to the script meant other scenes intended to be filmed there were done on soundstages instead. The film is very obviously set in the period immediately after World War II. Many officers wear ribbons awarded for service in that war; they are still young, vibrant serving officers.
