John Philip Sousa's position in American (and World) music is set in stone by now. Stars and Stripes Forever is an admirable film and of course the finale does have several bands and marching armed forces personnel playing and marching to Sousa's most famous composition. Even Clifton Webb does make you forget you're watching Clifton Webb and you do think you are seeing the real Sousa. Ruth Hussey is cast in the Myrna Loy type role of the perfect understanding mate for her genius husband and she fulfills the role admirably. The Marine Corps Band was playing at a White House reception and the Harrison who was not the most social of presidents ordered Sousa to speed up the tempo so the receiving line would move at a brisk pace. ![]() The Marine Corps official march, Semper Fidelis, was composed by Sousa and the incident involving President Benjamin Harrison as depicted in Stars and Stripes Forever is somewhat true. Though he composed all kinds of music, it is his marches that have come down today and have given him his reputation. After leaving the Marine Corps band, Sousa formed his own orchestra which became world famous and toured the globe well into the Twenties.īut our story concerns Sousa the March King. In that beard with those pince nez glasses, Clifton Webb looks remarkably like John Philip Sousa in that period and by reputation, Sousa was as much a dilettante as Webb normally played on screen which made him perfect casting. ![]() Also included is a romance between fictional characters played by Robert Wagner and Debra Paget. It is rather a portrait of the era known as the Gay Nineties in America where Sousa first achieved his reputation and prominence. What should be understood is that Stars and Stripes Forever is in no way a full biography of the famous March King which was the nickname given to John Philip Sousa.
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