Stars and Stripes Forever (1952)

Review by All Movie Guide
Though it falls short of biography -- and what Hollywood biopic doesn't? -- Stars and Stripes Forever succeeds marvelously as a spirited and tuneful musical film. The plots -- one involving both famed composer John Philip Sousa and his wife, the other involving a fictional "young love" couple -- are predictable and, truth be told, fairly trite; but their stories are told with conviction and professionalism. They're also told swiftly, allowing Stars to dispense with them as often as necessary to get to the real business of the film -- Sousa's music, especially his marches. Stars does pay lip service to its subject's oft-stated desire to have his ballads more appreciated, but it's the marches that really make the film come alive, and they're delivered impeccably under musical director Alfred Newman's precise supervision. There are also a couple of non-march numbers that stand out, especially Debra Paget's rollicking, high-energy "Father's Got 'Em." Holding the picture together is Clifton Webb as Sousa; the part doesn't require a tremendous range, but Webb makes an asset of that, enjoying the chance to explore new ways to deliver a wisecrack or to combine bewilderment and disdain in one quick glance. Paget is simply gorgeous and adorable, and Robert Wagner is handsome and engaging; as Sousa's wife, Ruth Hussey has too little to do, but does it so well that she seems to play a much bigger role than she actually does. The costumes are lovely, the color is yummy, and Henry Koster directs as if this were simply the nicest Fourth of July picnic in existence -- which it pretty much is. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide