Stars and Stripes Forever (1952)

Luckily, John Philip Sousa left us a legacy that anyone who ever drilled in the Boy's Brigade, or the Scouts, or any of the more grown up military will recognise instantly. An huge portfolio of marching music that earned him acclaim throughout the world. Luckily? Well that's because this is not really much of a fitting tribute. Though Clifton Webb goes at the role with gusto, and a doey-eyed Robert Wagner brings a cheeky light-heartedness as his enthusiastic sousaphone (a sort of tuba) protege, the rest of this is really quite weak. Webb spends a great deal of his time parading around like a toy soldier from a Brothers' Grimm fairy tale delivering the somewhat clipped dialogue in the most methodical of manners. The sight of Finlay Currie doing his best Colonel Sanders routine does raise a smile, but for this most part Henry Koster has just created a colourful, but all too processional march through the works of this able musician, without really giving us much to get our teeth into. There are wars to be fought, and no doubt his tunes offered inspiration to those facing combat; and the effects of conflict are felt close to his heart, but again little effort has been put into developing the supporting characters and so it all just feels a bit superficial - fluffy, even. Still, you ought to enjoy this if you like a bit of flamboyance and some good band sound.