Swing Parade of 1946 (1946) User Reviews

More than the Stooges

[jemkat · 6/10 · 7 September 2003]

This Monogram flick from 1946 is more than just a Stooges flick,and is of considerable historical interest for lovers of pre-rock era pop music because it contains performances by Gale Storm, Phil Regan, Connee Boswell, and Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five.

Gale Storm shows what a capable singer she was well before her vocal talents were "discovered" by the Dot label during the run of her TV show in the 1950s. And one is reminded of what a great, unjustly neglected singer Connee Boswell was. Her brief performance of Stormy Weather at the picture's end has such vocal strength and authority that it is hard to believe she was confined to a wheelchair (discretely camouflaged in the musical numbers).

As to the rest of the picture, well yes, it basically does rely on The Stooges and Ed Brophy for the rest of its entertainment value. And you either like The Stooges or you don't...I happen to like them, so although this picture is no great shakes, I found it a pleasant time filler.

An interesting find for Stooges fans....

[stalzz64 · 6/10 · 11 January 2008]

I had never seen this until it came out on DVD in 2007. It's an undiscovered piece of Three Stooges history. It's been out of print for ages, except on VHS.

The DVD company that this is re-released by make it sound like it is a movie 'starring The Three Stooges', but it's really not. Moe, Larry and Curly are co-stars with Gale Storm and Phil Regan. It's so cool to see Louis Jordan and his band! For those commenting here who say that this is a 'mediocre film', well....it's basically a typical 1940's musical comedy. Hollywood cranked out hundreds of musical comedies in the 1930's and 1940's and this was just another in the long line.

It's NOT mediocre, and if you're a Three Stooges fan like me I have a question for you. Do you like it? Cointenly! Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk.

ALSO: I have a huge beef with the DVD company though. Why must there be any old movies colorized in this day and age? They were made in black and white for a reason! At least this DVD gives you the option of watching the restored version in its original BLACK AND WHITE glory!

Give this one a chance. Plus it has extra bonus stuff on it, too!

The Stooges go slumming.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 31 May 2019]

"Swing Parade of 1946" is a most unusual film for two reasons. First, because it was made by tiny Monogram Studios, I was surprised to see them take a stab at a traditional 1940s sort of musical extravaganza....the sort of movie usually made by the more prestigious studiots with more talent. Second, the Three Stooges were apparently slumming it and instead of being with their usual studio (Columbia), they were loaned out to Monogram. I wonder if perhaps Columbia was punishing them...though I must admit they did help the movie quite a bit.

The plot involves the son of a rich man trying to build a nightclub while process servers sent by his father are trying to stop him. Mostly, however, the plot is ultra-thin and the movie actually is a giant musical showcase with one song after another after another--occasionally punctuated by funny bits by the Stooges or some plot...but mostly just singing. As far as the singing and dancing go, it's all quite competent but none of it is memorable and the songs (aside from those done by the African-American band) were poor. I think a lot of it was because unlike the major studios, Monogram simply couldn't afford to pay for the rights for popular tunes.

Overall, a dullish sort of musical extravaganza made tolerable by some Stooges. While I am not a big fan of the trio, here they definitely helped.

Quite obscure, yet quite enjoyable!

[slymusic · 24 May 2006]

"Swing Parade of 1946" is a film that is probably known only to Three Stooges aficionados, and indeed, the boys are given ample time to do their stuff, even though they are not the most prominent stars in the picture and Curly's failing health at the time put a damper on the famous slapstick trio. This rather obscure film focuses on the excitement of nightclub entertainment, with some great big band swing music for accompaniment, even if a majority of the big bands were drying up by 1946. Two of the featured songs are, in fact, well-known jazz standards ("Stormy Weather" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street"), but all the other songs are completely forgettable and cause the film to drag somewhat. In fact, the singing of "A Tender Word Will Mend It All" by bandleader Will Osborne and Marie Finch (Mary Treen) is probably the only bad & embarrassing moment in the film.

Highlights: The colorful personality and dazzling presence of saxophonist/singer/dancer Louis Jordan absolutely steals the show, as he & his Tympany Five perform the fantastic jump tunes "Don't Worry About the Mule" and "Caldonia." The best musical moment for the somewhat shy, naive, overreacting Carol Lawrence (Gail Storm) is her fine rendition of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" as she auditions for nightclub owner Danny Warren (Phil Regan) while the Stooges listen approvingly (and in real life, Curly and Larry were especially fans of jazz). The young Windy Cook is very entertaining with his wild impressions of cars, trains, motorboats, airplanes, ginger ale bottles, and saws. While searching for a watch that slipped down a drain, the Stooges flood the basement of the nightclub, with Curly performing a variation of the maze-of-pipes routine that he started in the Columbia Stooge short "A Plumbing We Will Go" (1940). As waiters, the Stooges give a few customers a hard time; Moe insists to one customer that he have roast beef instead of roast turkey, and Curly sits down with an annoyed couple who haven't had their order taken for over thirty minutes. The boys also humorously eject an elderly gentleman (Russell Hicks), whom they think is a process server, from the club, not knowing that he is the father of Danny Warren!

"Swing Parade of 1946" is indeed a special treat, with the two best acts being the Three Stooges and Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five. Also, watch for Edward S. Brophy as the well-meaning, yet hot-tempered, headwaiter Moose; Brophy worked with the Stooges (and their mentor Ted Healy) twice before in the 1933 MGM shorts "Beer and Pretzels" and "Hello Pop!"

Dated Monogram musical with the Three Stooges in support

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 25 July 2017]

SWING PARADE OF 1946 is a low rent musical from Monogram Pictures that's notable for featuring the Three Stooges in support. The film is chock full of unknown actors and singing talent, some of which is okay, with the proviso that it is, of course, very dated. The Stooges appear in support as typically bumbling waiters who get involved with the plot involving the usual villains and obstacles in the path of those involved. I didn't find it particularly funny.

Swing Parade of 1946 was a nice showcase for The Three Stooges and Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five

[tavm · 7/10 · 15 February 2008]

In honor of Black History Month, I've been making comments on films that featured African-Americans. We're now in 1946 with Swing Parade of 1946. In this one, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five perform "Don't Worry About the Mule" and "Caldonia" in segments that could easily be edited out by Southern theatres of the time without ruining the plot-what there is of one (which easily explains why he and his group are nowhere near the musical finale). Both performances bring a rollicking attitude that lifts the movie above the norm. The main reason I, and I'm sure many, would want to watch this movie today is because of The Three Stooges with Curly, especially, in fine form months before his stroke forced him to retire. The singing leads here are Phil Regan and Gale Storm. Ms. Storm displays some comic talents that served her well in her later TV shows, "My Little Margie" and "The Gale Storm Show". She also sings a wonderful rendition of "The Sunny Side of the Street" and "Oh, Brother". There's also Connee Boswell singing the third version of "Stormy Weather" I've heard this month (following Ivie Anderson and Lena Horne) that again takes my breath away. Ed Brophy provides perfect blustery segue from the plot to the Stooges as their boss "Moose". And Windy Cook provides some amusing impressions of boat motors and plane engines though the movie becomes a bit long by that point. And there's another player from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, here-Mary Treen who plays Marie Finch and does a nice duet with band leader Will Osborne on "A Tender Word Will Mend It All". No great shakes, but with the presence of the Stooges and Louis Jordan, Swing Parade of 1946 is definitely worth a look.

Worse than I could have imagined

[bensonmum2 · 3/10 · 10 March 2010]

Fearing his father will have his nightclub closed down, club owner and singer Danny Warren (Phil Regan) goes to extremes to ensure no one is able to serve papers on him. In an effort to have the papers served, Papa Warren hires an attractive young woman named Carol Lawrence (Gale Storm) who might have more luck getting close to Danny. But Carol's more interested in pursuing her music – and love – than any old papers.

Deathly dull, Swing Parade of 1946 isn't so much a movie as it is a series of set-pieces and musical numbers held together by the most minimal plot thread imaginable. What little plot there is wouldn't fill 10 minutes of the movie's runtime. Instead, the film goes something like this – a little plot followed a bit from the Three Stooges followed by an excruciating, painfully long music number. Just repeat this pattern for 74 minutes. The Stooges are wasted and out-of-place repeating bits most fans will have seen a number of times previous. Regan and Storm are both too uninteresting to carry the film themselves. I know that, at least in the case of Gale Storm, she would go on to have a long career in entertainment, but it's difficult to imagine that after watching this movie. I never thought I would say this, but Edward Brophy actually comes out of Swing Parade of 1946 looking better than anyone else – well, anyone other than Louis Jordan. Jordan and his band are the film's real highlight. As for the rest, it's all 'lowlights". Unless you're just a fan of really bad musicals from the mid-1940s, I'd say skip this one altogether.

I swang and loved it.

[ptb-8 · 7/10 · 7 April 2004]

Astonishing mish mash from Monogram ...is that tautology? BUT this pic is an excuse for Monogram to show off a huge new nightclub set they decided to build. Interspersed with quite funny 3 Stooges-on-loan-scenes and demented dance and comedy numbers, it all ends up in an avalanche of borrowed costumes, amateur 17 year olds in tuxedos and a barrage of swing noise. Louis Jordan is , as usual wild and rude, and Gale Storm is lovely, and Phil Regan is as usual competent.... BUT the Embassy Club as opened in this effervescent calamity must have seemed the utopia of white trash kitsch....and that is for the viewer, not the characters. So awful it is wonderful, with characters not seen in reels 1/2/3 who suddenly appear in a HUGE musical number as major input, THE SWING PARADE OF 1946 is wonderfully awful. I loved every mad misguided minute of it all, and so should you.

Monogram's "Let's clear out the fridge" film

[atogcheese · 3/10 · 7 April 2007]

It is a bit of a stretch to call this a film, that is to say, a narrative complete with characters, plot, conflict, a beginning, an end, etc.

It seems more to be a collection of random musical material, actors, scenery, and costumes that Monogram pictures had lying around. The three stooges occasionally pop in with their antics to be browbeaten by a character named "Moose", and the female lead threatens the physically inferior male lead with a champagne bottle, but that's about it for genuine entertainment value. A flimsy premise of somebody's dad trying to close his night club (which, despite being on the brink of bankruptcy, can afford massive sets, tuxedos, lavish meals, and neon-fitted instruments) is relentlessly padded out with long dull repetitive musical numbers. In said music numbers, overused songs, costumes, choreography, and sets all gyrate madly about with no relation to each other.

This movie might have "historical interest". An ancient cracked Greek cup dug out of the ground might have historical interest, but that doesn't mean you want to drink from it. Likewise, I suggest that you do not attempt to actually watch Swing Parade, which contains neither swing, nor parades. What it does contain is musical dullness with a touch of surreality, people with oddly shaped faces, process servers, and equine blindness anxiety.

a lot of swinging...and not just from Moe

[beauzee · 6/10 · 4 November 2014]

the stooges take a small departure from their usual high powered rough house antics and the change will not detract 99% of Stooges fans...I looked that up!

good screenplay, smoothly directed...with great musical spots, talking about Louis Jordan and Gail Storm.

something about a struggling club run by a rich man's kid...Dad wants the whole enterprise to fail to teach his Son a lesson. but the very cute Gail swings in (she's the recently hired bearer of bad news) and the kid is gaga.

the stooges are the enforcers > they will cause as many impediments as possible to block the foreclosure, as they can...with an emphasis on keeping Gail (six years shy of "My Little Margie") in the "spotlight".

The usual Stooge antics

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 12 April 2016]

Back when they first came to Hollywood, the Three Stooges were known as Ted Healy's Three Stooges and were his second bananas in his films. The boys tired of that and went from MGM to Columbia where the rest is history. Yet in Swing Parade Of 1946 they are functioning as Edward Brophy's stooges in the same manner they did for Healy.

The guys are dishwashers who later become waiters when there is a shortage and Brophy is in charge of the food. They work in a restaurant nightclub that's owned by Phil Regan who's a rich kid and whose father Russell Hicks wants him not involved in show business. In fact he's trying to shut his son down by hook or crook. Gale Storm is an aspiring singer looking for a break.

This rather threadbare plot is the hook to hang some musical numbers by Connee Boswell and orchestra leaders Will Bradley and Will Jordan and of course Regan and Storm. Not to mention the usual Stooge antics with the slow burning Brophy.

Harry Cohn over at Columbia where the 3 Stooges normally worked and worked on time and under budget must have owed something to Sam Katzman at Monogram. Maybe he lost their services in a poker game. I can't figure out why they were working at Monogram for a single film.

Swing Parade Of 1946 is pleasant enough, nothing outstanding about it.

No worse than any Universal b-musical

[crop24 · 8/10 · 3 April 2021]

Sometimes I read the reviews here and wonder if these people even watched the movie they're reviewing,or just looking for a platform for their pet political hatred. This particular opus happened because Harry Romm,the Stooges personal manager wanted to break into production and made a deal with Monogram and Lindsey Parsons to bring his clients into a slightly upgraded musical comedy,likely to show Harry Cohn he could pull it off. Sam Katzman had nothing to do with this film,nor was he anything more than the boss of a production unit releasing through Monogram. Monogram existed to serve a certain market existing at the time,supplying needed product for neighborhood theatres. They never pretended that they were making Citizen Kane,nor did they have access to the talent of finances to do so. Nevertheless,more often than not,they managed to turn out compact,entertaining movies. It gets a bit tiresome reading "reviews " here written by people who seem to have seen only the company logo and use that as an excuse for superior sounding put downs of the film,when half the time they don't seem to know who was actually in it,or what the plot was all about. Juvenile wisecracks are sufficient for those folks who find Mystery Science 3000 or whatever the epitome of sophisticated humor. However,others find it more informative when a film is assessed on its own particular merit.

Monogram Stooges....

[simeon_flake · 7/10 · 6 January 2018]

And a few other co-stars, obviously. I'm not that well versed in "Poverty Row" entertainment, like some of the major studios. When it comes to Monogram or PRC, or a few of those other outfits, it's either hit or miss. The presence of the "Stooges" may be the obvious draw for this one--they definitely provide most of the humor; although Ed Brophy in a Healy type role is great himself. A lot of attractive women running around too--if you're into that sort of thing.

The story--what there is of it--is easy enough to understand. Process servers, a father who doesn't want his son in the entertainment business, some jilted landlords, and a pretty good looking movie in spite of it's budget limitations. Usually these B or C grade turkeys look just like that--but, if you didn't know any better--this would look like the same sort of movie Columbia or Universal could have cranked out.

Typically Entertaining 40s Musical

[earlytalkie · 30 April 2012]

Swing Parade plays almost like one of those early talkie musical revues, that is, it has an acorn of a plot concerning an ambitious singer (Gale Storm) trying for a job in a nightclub. There are many musical numbers in the film's relatively short 74 minute running time, and just about everybody except The Three Stooges (quite funny here) gets a chance to sing. Gale Storm, one of my favorites, really gets a chance to show off her singing (and dancing) abilities here. Connee Boswell does a swell job on "Stormy Weather" and Louis Jordan tears up the stage doing "Caledonia". There is a big finale which looks like it cost little Monogram more of a chunk of money than they usually had to pay which again hearkens back to those early talkie revues. The version of the film I got can be viewed in it's original black-and-white or in a colorized version. A good example of an upscale Monogram film.

A decent Monogram musical comedy, including the Three Stooges.

[weezeralfalfa · 7/10 · 11 March 2019]

I was very surprised that Monogram could make such a musical comedy. I though they just made westerns.........So far, there are 2 groups of reviewers: those who found this obscure musical comedy unexpectedly entertaining, and those who found it a bore, except perhaps for the Three Stooges. I fall into the first group, and disagree with its low mean rating.........The Stooges do their expected schtick as amateur dishwashers, plumbers, and waiters. Louis Jordan does his expected eccentric singing and dancing around in 2 jazz numbers. Edward Brophy is always getting into trouble, as expected. But , the interactions between stars Gale Storm and Phil Regan, and between Gale and bandleader Will Osborn or grandfatherly Russel Hicks are also often amusing. Young Windy Cook has a dandy feature, mimicking the noise of various mechanical devices, including fighter planes and locomotives, to an astonished Ed Brophy. .......Gale's big musical number is the standard "On the Sunny Side of the Street.", which served as her audition for Phil's opening nightclub. Of course, she got the job. But, previously her prospects didn't look good, as she was taken as a hated process server masquerading as a singer. Thus, she was pushed out the door, or laughed at. Upon meeting Phil, she just wanted to leave, hence, mistakenly gave him her eviction notice rather than the summons given to her by Phil's father, played by charismatic Russell Hicks, who wants to prevent the opening of his son's nightclub, for personal reasons. Assuming she is broke and homeless, Phil asks the Stooges to run and bring her back. They carry her back kicking and screaming, with a surprise audition awaiting her. After her audition, Phil suggests they have dinner privately. Gale is skittish about this, as she fears it may lead to the casting couch. When she enters Phil's private quarters, there is a couch, and Brophy soon puts some sheets on it, thus apparently confirming her fears. Brophy also brings in some night clothes for her. She runs for the door, but the Stooges enter in their white night clothes, and she faints(Why? Did she think them ghosts?). She remains unconscious the rest of the evening and night. When she awakens, she finds she is wearing pajamas, and wonders who took her clothes off. Phil assures her that Marie(Mary Treen) did. Of course, soon she and Phil fall in love. .........Russell Hicks becomes a victim when he enters the club on its opening night, incognito. The Stooges, as waiters, smell a process server, and they are right. So they rough him up, tearing his clothes, pulling him to the exit, and push him into the street. Later, he announces that he was pleasantly surprised by the show, and tears up his summons.........Noted singer and composer Connee Boswell gets to sing the standard "Stormy Weather", twice, actually. The second time is in the finale, where she is the center of attention, as the film ends. .......I thought the comedy-strong first half generally was more entertaining than the music-strong second half. Overall, I thought the blending of the Stooges with conventional musical comedy people worked out well.......See it at YouTube!

You are being served.....with a glorious musical treat!

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 6 April 2015]

Kicked out of her apartment, young singer Carol Lawrence (Gale Storm) takes a job as a process server, sneaking into a nightclub she was just kicked out of in the hopes of getting an audition. When the owner's lacky (Edward Brophy) refuses to set her up with the owner (Phil Regan) she has to either sing for or serve, she walks up to him and accidentally hands him her eviction notice! He takes pity on her and gives her an audition, making her a star. But his wealthy father who is behind the attempts to have him served with a subpoena to close his nightclub persists, threatening the blossoming romance of his son and Ms. Lawrence who doesn't break into a song from "West Side Story" or an International Delight Coffee commercial.

In between the amusing plot and some comic antics by the Three Stooges (perfect as bumbling dishwashers who are even more bumbling as plumbers and waiters), there are a ton of specialty numbers by Louis Jordan and his band, Connie Boswell and Ms. Storm. This is extremely lavish for a Monogram film with one musical number featuring a giant stage set up to look like sheet music with a ton of chorus girls. Mary Treen is a combination Zasu Pitts/Mary Wickes, playing a socialite with a yen for band leaders and even getting to sing a bit. The adorable teenager playing the bellboy finally gets his own moment in the spotlight towards the end, doing imitations of various gadgets and moving vehicles, much like Joan Davis did in "George White's Scandals" the previous year. The DVD gives you the option for black and white and color. The black and white suits me just fine. Whoever saw and rated the movie for the Leonard Maltin classic guide must have seen a totally different movie than I did with their *1/2 star review.

Great songs, less great movie

[mrdonleone · 7/10 · 10 July 2020]

Great songs, great lyrics and funny situations; unfortunately this is where it ends for this flick, which is not so interessant but only worth viewing for the song performances.

Music, Comedy, & Lite Romance...Weak Story But Still Entertains

[AudioFileZ · 6/10 · 28 March 2021]

If you think too much this movie isn't going to please. But, if you want to escape that whole trap you may find some varied entertainment here. Think of this loosely as a damsel in distress story set up for numerous musical numbers that are quite good with some great comic relief.

Gail Storm is Carol Lawrence who is down on her luck. You instantly like Carol because Gail is so "girl next door" innocent but alluringly beautiful. And beauty can sing too, making her a fit for this musical comedy. While the story is anything but interesting, it is a just serviceable hanger for the much better music and comedy. In fact this movie should be a solid 6.5 for it's entertainment value. A fun watch and a fair colorized version to boot showing a little of the music and glamor of a great period (post WW II) in which there was class and great expectations.

Da Stooges

[Hinopio · 14 November 1998]

This is a pretty good movie, it's relatively short and it's got the Stooges, however they're more side characters in this film, but great side characters they were. The plot is also simple, a man opens up a nightclub, but his rich father objects and wants to shut it down so his son will take over the family business. He doesn't want to deliver the paper that will shut down the nightclub himself, so he offers a woman who had just visited the club looking for a job singing (she's just been evicted from her apartment) $50 to deliver it. She gets there and now she is offered a job, so she doesn't even mention the paper. The father sees her name in a newspaper so he heads off to the club himself. The Stooges make an appearance every now and then, and when they do, they steal the show. This movie wouldn't have been all that great without them, but they're in it, so check it out.

Stooges Fans Get Gypped.

[GManfred · 12 August 2009]

"Swing Parade of 1946" is a Monogram musical. Have you heard enough yet? Actually, it's not that bad a movie, with better production values than you would suspect. It's even in color, which is a definite plus. They gathered several 'B' list actors and some fairly good musical talent, and even some cute chorus girls. They just didn't get a good enough story to go with the rest of the production.

The Three Stooges are billed near the top of the ticket but their screen time is only about 6-8 minutes, which will be a disappointment to Stooges fans. Gale Storm is pretty, can sing and dance a little but I always felt her acting tended towards ham, and a little of Gale goes a long way. Louis Jordan and his Tympani Five are on hand, and they do "Caldonia", which livens up matters but the rest of the score consists of several forgettable songs. The dance routines are fair-to-middling.

I would have given this picture a rating of 4 but for the presence of the aforementioned Stooges - I confess I am a fan of their mayhem/ humor. I ended up with a 5 despite the uninspired storyline.

It would be a bomb if it weren't for the stooges

[holme-1 · 15 August 2001]

Swing Parade is pretty dull and mediocre, and if it weren't for the stooges, this movie would've bombed! The highlight is certainly the stooges. The best part is when they lose Moose's watch and attempt to get it, but that only lasts five minutes.

Overall: D+