Search - The Three Stooges: Swing Parade on DVD

Rosalio N. (piobman) from POST FALLS, ID
Reviewed on 8/30/2009...

Wonderfully restored version of a film that surprising wasn't centered around the three stooges. Included with the movie is a solo riff by Mike Nelson (Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame). Well worth it just for the riff alone!

Obscure but good Stooge feature; this is the version to buy

Scott MacGillivray | Massachusetts, USA | 03/19/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Low-budget Monogram Pictures usually made a couple of higher-bracket "specials" every year with the studio's leading star, Gale Storm. SWING PARADE (originally released as SWING PARADE OF 1946} is Monogram's biggie for '46, with The Three Stooges in featured roles. It's an above-average Monogram production with good direction by Phil Karlson, and fans of '40s movies should enjoy it.

Gale Storm is an aspiring singer mistaken for a process server at Phil Regan's new nightclub. Regan and the Stooges are determined to open the club successfully, while the stern Russell Hicks is just as determined to close it. The Stooges are in fine form, with the reliable Ed Brophy as their foil in extended versions of their "plumbers" and "waiters" routines. (Moe didn't dye his hair for this one, so you'll notice the salt-and-pepper in the haircut.) Considering that Curly was in failing health at the time, his work here is especially good. The other guest artists are Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, who do two jump numbers ("Don't Worry 'Bout that Mule" is the standout), singer Connee Boswell, and sound-effects mimic Windy Cook.

Former video releases have left something to be desired: the Allied Artists edition uses a beautiful print but an inferior video transfer so the image is sometimes unsteady; the Goodtimes version (under the title "Swing Parade") has a better transfer but a slightly lesser print and a superimposed watermark in the lower-right corner.

This new Legend Films edition is a definite improvement over past video versions. The source print is identical to the Goodtimes version but there is no watermark, and the colorization is very well done (some of the Gale Storm close-ups are particularly pretty). This picture is almost never shown on television, so most Stooge fans probably haven't seen it. Confirmed Stooge fans will enjoy the team's antics, but may be impatient with the stretches of story between the trio's appearances."

An era vanished

Scott MacGillivray | 08/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most people today aren't even aware there was once was a phenomenon called "B films." Low-budget, they were intended as the second-half of a two-picture bill. A whole group of actors had totally B film careers and were stars of the genre. Monogram's biggest star was Gale Storm, way before she became "My Litttle Margie" on T.V. and even way-er before she began making hit records. She is darling here--gorgeous, funny, a great singer and dancer (the voice is quite different from what she did on records, by the way--here it's more direct, brassier and stagier). The sets and costumes here are quite impressive for a B film. The storyline is nearly nonexistent. You get to see Connee Boswell, today almost forgotten, sing; you get some big production numbers; and you get the Three Stooges, who--yes--are funny. You also get to see character actors such as Mary Treen get more screen time than they'd ever land in any A movie. Well worth getting and can be enjoyed over and over."

Not bad...

ferrell | colorado | 06/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My main comaplaint is what the reviewer was saying below about the color inconsistances,there are some odd places where you see the color of the clothing change ,for example the three stooges will be wearing pure white clothing (almost like they forgot to color in the black and white) then a minute later they are wearing grey,then back to white again,also sometimes the skin tones in some places look odd kind of like green or maby even an orange color,it's almost like they gave it to different people to color different sections,now as the movie goes on the color get's better,in fact the whole restaurant scene with the dancers and the "Caldonia" songs was beautifuly done,I give it 4 stars because I think the movie is an underated gem,where else can you get the three stooges with curly in a full lengnth film in print,also the song "Caldonia" is the best thing on the whole thing,it shows the change between swing,jazz and what later became rock n roll,it's obvious these guys influenced Little Richard,also this is one of the few three stooges movies where they worked outside of the studio and the major censors of the time so keep you eyes out for some mild sexual innuindo in a couple parts,nothing to overt though,but it's there..."