The Three Stooges in Swing Parade of 1946

Technically, Swing Parade of 1946 isn’t a Three Stooges movie. Yes, the Three Stooges (Moe, Larry and Curly) are in the movie, and they appear as the Three Stooges. But they’re secondary characters. The main plot concerns a young nightclub owner whose father wants him to shut down the nightclub and run the family business instead.  However, the nightclub owner is determined to succeed, and even hires his pals the Three Stooges as waiters. 

See?  They’re in here.  And they tend to steal every scene that they’re in). The father hires a down-on-her-luck young lady to deliver the legal papers to shut down the nightclub.  But instead she falls for the nightclub owner …. And eventually gets hired by him as a singer (this is a musical, after all).  And the conflict grows from there.

If you’re a fan of old-time musicals like I am, or a fan of the Stooges, it’s a film you’ll want to see.

Editorial review of Swing Parade starring the Three Stooges, courtesy of Amazon.com

Three Stooges are at their bumbling, eye-poking, hair-pulling best in this warm, hilarious, musical romp! This time around “The Boys” must protect talented nightclub owner Danny Warren (Phil Regan) from the schemes of his powerful and overprotective father — who will go to any lengths to shut him down. Can Moe, Larry and Curly run the club, manage Danny’s budding love life, and avoid the wrath of Moose, their cantankerous boss?

Future TV star Gale Storm (MY LITTLE MARGIE) plays an aspiring singer mistaken for a process server and thrown out of the nightclub owned by dashing Phil Regan, whose stuffy father disapproves of is son’s business venture. Perky Storm is seen to good advantage, as is Regan (a former New York cop who became a minor-league movie star), but the picture’s real stars are The Three Stooges, who steal the show with their slapstick turns as waiters. There isn’t much plot, but the comedy routines and sprightly tunes make this one well worth having.

Cast of characters

• Gale Storm (It Happened on Fifth Avenue) … Carol Lawrence
• Phil Regan (Three Little Words; Sweet Rosie O’Grady) … Danny Warren
• Moe Howard (Shot in the Frontier) … Moe
• Larry Fine (He Cooked His Goose) … Larry
• Curly Howard (I’m a Monkey’s Uncle) … Curly (as Jerome Howard)
• Connee Boswell (Moulin Rouge 1934) … Connee Boswell
• Louis Jordan … Louis Jordan
• Will Osborne (In Society) … Will Osborne
• Edward Brophy (Beer and Pretzels) … Moose
• Mary Treen (It’s a Wonderful Life) … Marie Finch
• Russell Hicks (Scarlet Street) … Daniel Warren Sr.
• Windy Cook … Sound Effects Mimic
• John Eldredge (High Sierra) … Bascomb
• Leon Belasco (Topper Takes a Trip) … Pete
• The Tympany Five … The Tympany Five (as Louis Jordan’s Tympany Five)
• Will Osborne’s Orchestra … Will Osborne’s Orchestra

Songs

• Caldonia
  • Written by Fleecie Moore
  • Performed by Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five
• Oh, Brother
  • Written by Matty Malneck and Allie Wrubel
  • Sung by Gale Storm
• On the Sunny Side of the Street
  • Music by Jimmy McHugh
  • Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
  • Sung by Gale Storm
• Don’t Worry ‘Bout That Mule
  • Written by William Davis, Duke Groner, and Charles Stewart
  • Performed by Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five
• A Tender Word Will Mend It All
  • Sung by Will Osborne and Mary Treen
• Just a Little Fond Affection
  • Performed by Will Osborne and Mary Treen
• Stormy Weather
  • Written by Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen
  • Performed by Connee Boswell
• Small World
  • Sung by Phil Regan
• After All This Time
  • Sung by Phil Regan and Gale Storm