Swing High, Swing Low
About Swing High, Swing Low
In Panama, Maggie King meets soldier Skid Johnson on his last day in the army. A nightclub brawl makes her miss her ship, so she moves in with Skid and his friend Harry and falls in love with him. Skid’s trumpet playing makes him a success. The success breaks the relationship and the career.
Cast & crew
More about Swing High, Swing Low
Mitchell Leisen directed. Arthur Hornblow Jr. produced. Virginia Van Upp and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote it from the 1927 play Burlesque by George Manker Watters and Arthur Hopkins. Ted Tetzlaff photographed it. Victor Young wrote the music. Eda Warren edited. It runs 95 minutes. Carole Lombard plays Maggie. Fred MacMurray plays Skid.
Themes
Making
Hornblow produced it at Paramount with Lombard and MacMurray as a new version of the 1927 play.
Look
Ted Tetzlaff shot the Panama nightclub where the brawl costs Maggie her ship, and the rooms Skid and Harry share.
Music
Victor Young composed the music. Skid’s success is as a trumpet player.
Notes
- Charles Butterworth plays Harry. Dorothy Lamour, Anthony Quinn, Cecil Cunningham, and Charles Arnt are in the cast.
- It is the second film of Burlesque, after The Dance of Life (1929) and before When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948).
- The story starts in Panama and the success takes Skid away from Maggie.
- Paramount both produced and released it.
- A print is on the Internet Archive.
Scenes
- The nightclub brawl makes Maggie miss her ship.
- Skid’s trumpet success pulls him away from Maggie.
Influenced by
- The 1927 play Burlesque by George Manker Watters and Arthur Hopkins
Also available
- Internet Archive (swinghi_swinglo)