Swing Parade

Swing Parade (AKA Swing Parade of 1946)
1946 - Monogram Pictures
Directed by Phil Karlson



SYNOPSIS

After being evicted from her apartment, a struggling young singer named Carol (Gale Storm) gets a job working in a supper club run by Danny Warren (Phil Regan.) Warren's father (Russell Hicks) is a utilities magnate and is intent on shutting the place down before it opens because he believes his son can do better. It's up to Carol and three schlubs that work there (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard) to help keep the place open... and the elder Warren away. Meanwhile, the younger Warren falls for Carol.




MY THOUGHTS

A bargain basement '42nd Street' delivers on laughs and music.

'42nd Street was the tale of a Broadway show in the making. This is the 'B' movie version, a supper club variety show in the making. It never plans/expects to be anything better than it is and the down-home feel makes it feel genuine and endearing.

The music excels far beyond what I would expect in a low rent production. Monogram Studios were known for the lowest of the low in terms of production cost. You would imagine a 'B' movie musical would employ some hack songwriters to come up with second rate crap for the cast to sing, but with this film, the producers chose to use already familiar tunes. "Stormy Weather," "Caldonia," and "On The Sunny Side of The Street" are some of the well-known classics used to keep the audience entertained.

Gale Storm, as Carol, is a bright center to the film. She's very likable and this was near the beginning of her career, which would later lead to her starring role on TV as "My Little Margie." She passed away in the middle of the celebrity death march following Michael Jackson's death in June.

The Three Stooges are hilarious as always. The trio get to be dishwashers, waiters, and plumbers, all with disastrous results (naturally.) This was Curly's final feature film appearance with the group before his debilitating stroke which caused him to retire. He is maybe not as manic as his younger days, but still is the standout of the three, though Moe and Larry get some great lines/parts/slaps as well.

Phil Regan is suitable as are most of the other cast. It's always great to see comedic character actor Edward Brophy pop up, here as the manager of club and the Stooges' boss and feared nemesis.
Louis Jordan and his band add much to the overall fell to the film. Their brief musical appearances show their important influence as one of the main links between swing and rock and roll. Their performance of "Caldonia" (see above) is one of the band's most well-known songs.

While the film won't go down as one of the classic musicals of the golden age, Swing Parade remains a lot of fun.