Swing Parade of 1946

Last updated
Swing Parade of 1946
Swing Parade of 1946 poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Phil Karlson
Written by Tim Ryan (screenplay)
Edmond Kelso (story)
Nicholas Ray (additional dialogue)
Produced by Lindsley Parsons
Harry A. Romm
Trem Carr
Starring Gale Storm
Phil Regan
Moe Howard
Larry Fine
Jerome Howard
Cinematography Harry Neumann
Edited by Richard Currier
Music by Edward J. Kay
Distributed by Monogram Pictures
Release date
  • March 16, 1946 (1946-03-16)
Running time
73 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Swing Parade of 1946 is a 1946 musical comedy film directed by Phil Karlson and released by Monogram Pictures. The film features Gale Storm, Phil Regan, The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard), Edward Brophy, and musical numbers by Connee Boswell and the Louis Jordan and Will Osborne orchestras, including "Stormy Weather" and "Caldonia".

Contents

Plot

Tycoon Daniel Warren, Sr. (Russell Hicks) is opposed to his son Danny (Phil Regan) opening a nightclub. The tycoon hires unemployed singer Carol Lawrence (Gale Storm) to serve legal papers on Danny to shut down the club, but instead Danny hires Carol to sing in his show. The Three Stooges are Danny's handymen, called upon to wash dishes, fix the plumbing, and fill in as waiters. When Warren Sr. persists in his efforts, Warren Jr. learns about Carol and the legal papers, causing a rift in their romance. The misunderstanding is only temporary, however, and the club opens to great success.

The Three Stooges' appearance

The Three Stooges' appearance in the film was arranged by their agent, Harry Romm. This was Romm's first effort as a movie producer; he had established himself at General Amusement Corporation (GAC) in charge of its theaters. Romm co-produced Swing Parade of 1946 with Monogram staff producer Lindsley Parsons.

The Stooges rework several bits they performed with Ted Healy at MGM: the plumbing sequences are adapted from Meet the Baron and several waiter gags are borrowed from Beer and Pretzels . [1] The 42-year-old Curly Howard had suffered a series of minor strokes several months prior to filming, and his performances in their Columbia shorts at that time were often sluggish and lethargic. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, and had difficulty maintaining his trademark falsetto voice. He appears somewhat more healthy and animated in Swing Parade of 1946, however, possibly due to The Stooges' supporting roles being less strenuous than in the shorts, where Curly was in virtually every scene. [2] He is also billed as "Jerome Howard" in the credits for the first time in many years, possibly to prepare for some future, non-Curly acting roles.

Production

Swing Parade of 1946 was filmed over a period of 24 days between July 30 and August 25, 1945. [1] Monogram's economical features were generally filmed in nine to fourteen days, a speedy schedule as full-length features went, but Gale Storm was the studio's leading star and her films received preferred treatment.

The studio announced that the Stooges' frequent colleague Del Lord would direct, and also serve as associate producer. [3] Lord withdrew from the project, forcing Monogram to assign a new associate producer (Trem Carr) and a new director. The young Phil Karlson had recently proven his abilities on Monogram features, using special lighting and staging to make his films look more elaborate than the budgets allowed. He was selected to direct Swing Parade of 1946, slated to be one of the studio's most important releases of 1946. Future director Nicholas Ray worked uncredited on the screenplay; this was Ray's only collaboration with the Three Stooges.

Lobby card Swingparadelobbycard.jpg
Lobby card

Promotion

Monogram arranged for the film's original songs to be extensively promoted and widely recorded before the film's release. Performers Phil Regan and Will Osborne appeared on network radio shows, Gene Krupa recorded one song with The King Sisters, and a trade paper reported that other songs "are getting a heavy play by the nation's orchestras." [4]

The studio released Swing Parade of 1946 as a light companion to one of its dramatic features, Suspense . [5] The musical was offered as part of a ready-made double-feature program, or it could be shown on its own as a second feature in large theaters, or the main attraction in small theaters.

Reception

Swing Parade of 1946 received very good to excellent reviews. Showmen's Trade Review called it "a top-flight musical worthy of a topspot in most situations... Credit for this unusually good musical goes to Harry A. Romm and Lindsley Parsons, co-producers." [6] Trade publisher Pete Harrison classed it "an agreeable combination of music, comedy, and romance, good enough to top a double bill in small-town and neighborhood houses.". [7] Columnist Thalia Bell covered the preview: "Here's a musical that wisely concentrates on music, and the result is one of the best bundles of entertainment to come from Monogram to date... Previewed at the Alexander theatre, Glendale, whose audience was delighted with the offering." [8]

Character comedian Edward Brophy, who had appeared with the Stooges in 1934, was reunited with the team here, playing their short-tempered supervisor. Brophy turned in a fine performance but was angered by the finished product, as reported by Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin: "Edward S. Brophy (who sued Monogram because he didn't receive star billing in this) is completely overshadowed by the Three Stooges, whose slapstick antics are good for many laughs, and by Windy Cook, whose plane and motorcycle imitations will keep naborhood [sic] patrons in stitches." [9]

The Swing Parade of 1946 title was inspired by other studios' annual musical revues ("The Big Broadcast of...", "The Broadway Melody of...", "The Hit Parade of..."), but there was no Swing Parade of 1947. By that time, producer Lindsley Parsons had been reassigned from the Gale Storm series to the new Bowery Boys series, [10] and Monogram had established a deluxe division, Allied Artists Productions, dedicated to higher-budgeted pictures that would not be associated with the Monogram brand name. The studio later retitled Swing Parade of 1946, masking the last two words on the screen. On most prints circulating today, the title reads Swing Parade.

Alternate version

In 2009, the film was lampooned by Rifftrax.

Cast

Specialties by:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Three Stooges</span> American slapstick comedy trio

The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total Stooges appeared over the act's run ; Moe Howard and Larry Fine were mainstays throughout the ensemble's nearly 50-year run, while the "third stooge" was played in turn by Shemp Howard, Curly Howard, Shemp Howard again, Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gale Storm</span> American actress, singer (1922–2009)

Josephine Owaissa Cottle, known professionally as Gale Storm, was an American actress and singer. After a film career from 1940 to 1952, she starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show. Six of her songs were top ten hits. Storm's greatest recording success was a cover version of "I Hear You Knockin'," which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moe Howard</span> American comedian and actor (1897–1975)

Moses Harry Horwitz, better known by his stage name Moe Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the leader and straight man of the Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades. That group initially started out as Ted Healy and His Stooges, an act that toured the vaudeville circuit. Moe's distinctive hairstyle came about when he was a boy and cut off his curls with a pair of scissors, producing an irregular shape approximating a bowl cut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shemp Howard</span> American comedian and actor (1895–1955)

Shemp Howard was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the third Stooge in The Three Stooges, a role he played when the act began in the early 1920s (1923–1932), while it was still associated with Ted Healy and known as "Ted Healy and his Stooges"; and again from 1946 until his death in 1955. During the fourteen years between his times with the Stooges, he had a successful solo career as a film comedian, including a series of shorts by himself and with partners. He reluctantly returned to the Stooges as a favor to his brother Moe and friend Larry Fine to replace his brother Curly as the third Stooge after Curly's illness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curly Howard</span> American comedian and actor (1903–1952)

Jerome Lester Horwitz, better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He was a member of the comedy team The Three Stooges, which also featured his elder brothers Moe and Shemp Howard, as well as actor Larry Fine. In early shorts, he was billed as Curley. Curly Howard was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monogram Pictures</span> American film studio

Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios in the golden age of Hollywood, generally referred to collectively as Poverty Row. Lacking the financial resources to deliver the lavish sets, production values, and star power of the larger studios, Monogram sought to attract its audiences with the promise of action and adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Regan (actor)</span> American actor and singer (1908–1996)

Philip Joseph Christopher Aloysius Regan was an American actor and singer who later served time for bribery in a real estate scandal.

<i>Rockin in the Rockies</i> 1945 film by Vernon Keays

Rockin' in the Rockies is a 1945 American musical western feature film starring the Three Stooges. The picture was one of the Stooges' few feature-length films made during the run of their better-known series of short subjects for Columbia Pictures, although the group had appeared in supporting roles in other features. It is the only Stooges feature-length film with the team's best known line-up in starring roles.

<i>A Plumbing We Will Go</i> 1940 American short film by Del Lord

A Plumbing We Will Go is a 1940 short subject directed by Del Lord starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 46th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Hello Pop!</i> 1933 American short film by Jack Cummings

Hello Pop! is the third of five short films starring Ted Healy and His Stooges released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 16, 1933. A musical-comedy film, the film also featured the Albertina Rasch Dancers and Bonnie Bonnell. The film was considered lost until a 35mm nitrate print was discovered in Australia in January 2013. Stooges Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard were billed as "Howard, Fine and Howard."

<i>Boobs in Arms</i> 1940 American short film by Jules White

Boobs in Arms is a 1940 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 52nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

<i>Time Out for Rhythm</i> 1941 film by Sidney Salkow

Time Out for Rhythm is a 1941 American musical comedy film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Rudy Vallée, Ann Miller and the Three Stooges. It was based on the stage musical Show Business by Alex Ruben. Six Hits and a Miss perform, as well as Glen Gray and His Casa Loma Orchestra, and Eduardo Durant's Rhumba Band, and with eight original songs by Saul Chaplin and Sammy Cahn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Hymer</span> American actor (1906–1948)

Edgar Warren Hymer was an American theatre and film actor.

<i>Stop! Look! and Laugh!</i> 1960 film

Stop! Look! and Laugh! is a 1960 feature-length Three Stooges compilation film featuring Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard in scenes from 11 movie short subjects of 1937–1947. Additional footage, filmed especially for this production, features ventriloquist Paul Winchell and his dummies Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff, and animal act The Marquis Chimps.

<i>Three Loan Wolves</i> 1946 film by Jules White

Three Loan Wolves is a 1946 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges. It is the 93rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring the comedians, who released 190 shorts for the studio between 1934 and 1959.

Hugh McCollum was an American film producer best known for his credits on Three Stooges short subject comedies.

<i>The Three Stooges</i> (2000 film) 2000 biopic about the Three Stooges

The Three Stooges is an American biographical comedy television film about the slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges directed by James Frawley. The film was entirely shot in Sydney, Australia. It was broadcast on ABC on April 24, 2000.

<i>Sunbonnet Sue</i> 1945 film by Ralph Murphy

Sunbonnet Sue is a 1945 American comedy musical film directed by Ralph Murphy and starring Gale Storm, Phil Regan and George Cleveland. The film's composer, Edward J. Kay, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1946.

Harry Romm (1896–1986) was an American producer and agent. He was a long time agent for The Three Stooges.

<i>Sweetheart of Sigma Chi</i> (film) 1946 film

Sweetheart of Sigma Chi is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Jack Bernhard and starring Phil Regan, Elyse Knox and Ross Hunter. It was produced and distributed by Monogram Pictures.

References

  1. 1 2 Swing Parade of 1946 at threestooges.net
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook, p. 77, Citadel Press. ISBN   0-8065-0946-5
  3. ↑ Showmen's Trade Review, May 26, 1945, p. 60.
  4. ↑ Showmen's Trade Review, 'Swing Parade of 1946 Tunes Getting Heavy Radio Plugs', Oct. 13, 1945, p. 16.
  5. ↑ Motion Picture Herald, July 6, 1946, p. 62.
  6. ↑ Showmen's Trade Review, Jan. 26, 1946, p. 10.
  7. ↑ Harrison's Reports, Jan. 26, 1946, p. 16.
  8. ↑ Thalia Bell, Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 26, 1946, p. 2818.
  9. ↑ Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin, Sept. 2, 1946, p. 23.
  10. ↑ The Exhibitor, Oct. 10, 1945, p. 22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.