Swing Parade of 1946

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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".