Swing High, Swing Low (1937)

64% of users liked it
(71 ratings)

Swing High Swing Low is a new coat of paint on the old stage play Burlesque, first filmed in 1929 as The Dance of Life. Ex-serviceman Skid Johnson (Fred MacMurray) rises to the uppermost rungs of show business as a bandleader. As his fame swells, so does his head, and he becomes impossibly arrogant,… More Swing High Swing Low is a new coat of paint on the old stage play Burlesque, first filmed in 1929 as The Dance of Life. Ex-serviceman Skid Johnson (Fred MacMurray) rises to the uppermost rungs of show business as a bandleader. As his fame swells, so does his head, and he becomes impossibly arrogant, forgetting the friends who helped him get to the top -- not to mention his ever-faithful sweetheart, band vocalist Maggie King (Carole Lombard). Consuming great quantities of booze, Skid hits the skids, ending up a skid-row derelict (there seems to be a pattern here). The ultimate humiliation comes when he isn't even allowed to return to the Army because his insides are shot. In the film's calculatedly teary finale, Skid is rescued emotionally and professionally by Maggie, now a big star in her own right. As indicated by the synopsis, the film is banal and old-hat, but the stars are terrific, especially Carole Lombard, who sings in several scenes (and not all that badly!) Swing High, Swing Low was remade in 1948 as When My Baby Smiles at Me. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Mitchell Leisen
Written By: George Manker Watters, Virginia Van Upp
Genres: Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts

In Theaters: Mar 12, 1937 Wide

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Beautifully affecting
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Any film that has Franklin Pangborn, no matter how little screen time, should have been able to swing more high than low.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

No Featured Audience Ratings Found…

Cast

            Carole Lombard as Maggie King

            Fred MacMurray as Skid Johnson

            Charles Butterworth as Harry

            Jean Dixon as Ella

            Dorothy Lamour as Anita Alvarez

            Harvey Stephens as Harvey Dexter

            Franklin Pangborn as Henri

            Charles Judels as Tony

            Cecil Cunningham as Murphy

            Charles Arnt as Georgie

            Anthony Quinn as The Don

            Harry Semels as Chief of Police

            Enrique de Rosas as Judge

            Lee Bowman as Man in Nightclub

            Spencer Chan as Cook

            Gino Corrado as Italian

            Jack Daley as Dock Policeman

            Esther Howard as Customer

            Darby Jones as Negro Santa Claus

            Donald Kerr as Radio Technician

            Nick Lukats as Man in Nightclub

            Chris-Pin Martin as Sleepy Servant

            Louis Natheaux as Gambler

            Paul Newlan as Army Lieutenant

            Ralph M. Remley as Musselwhite

            Oscar Rudolph as Elevator Boy

            George Sorel as Manager

            Charles Stevens as Panamanian at Cock Fight

            Frank Whitson as Gambler

            William Arnold as Croupier

            Dennis O'Keefe as Purser

            William Wright as Attendant

            Richard Kipling as Army Surgeon

            Eumenio Blanco as Interpreter

            Nick Kobliansky
            
See full cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

Discover movies your friends are watching
Keep track of what you want to see
Add your reviews to your Timeline

Get Started