The salad days of Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray. Image: TCM
When it started making talking pictures, Hollywood intensified its plundering of Broadway.
No, really. Hollywood, pressed for dialogue and actors that studios felt were trained to deliver it, began luring Talent to California with promises of sunshine, opportunity and Money.
Although Broadway has long been a place where Hollywood shops for ideas, the advent of sound escalated things: Now there was Talking! Singing! Dancing!
As expected, some plays made for good films; others were, well, uneven.
One of the latter is Swing High, Swing Low (1937), starring Fred MacMurray and Carole Lombard. This is the story of a talented musician who lets his ego Run Amok, and the poor sap of a woman who loves him.
The pair meet in Panama, where Lombard is on furlough from her cruise ship job. When she misses her boat’s departure, one thing leads to another…and she and MacMurray get married.
MacMurray is a talented trumpet player, content to entertain folks in the local night club. However, when he catches the eye of a Broadway producer, Lombard persuades him to go to New York – with the proviso he send for her when he starts earning Real Dough.
Alas! Nightclub performer Dorothy Lamour, who’s also in love with MacMurray (and who can blame her?) runs Interference. It doesn’t take much for MacMurray to be dazzled by Lamour, wealth and fame. Too bad about ol’ what’s-her-name, stuck in Panama.
You might think Lombard is Better Off without that schmuck MacMurray, and normally we’d agree. However, MacMurray has a way of gaining your sympathy and – even though you want to smack him up the side of the head – you wish he and Lombard would reunite.
Carole, blink twice if you want to escape. Image: Pinterest
Swing High, Swing Low is adapted from the 1927 Broadway play, Burlesque, which ran for 372 performances. In the play, the male lead is a dancer, but the character was changed to a musician in the film, because MacMurray wasn’t the dancing type.
As the title suggests, the film opens on a high – a screwball comedy, even, and the witty banter is a treat.
For example, early in the film, Lombard’s cruise ship stops in the Panama canal. She calls down to MacMurray on shore, asking him to move so she can see the scenery down there. He replies, “I am the scenery down here.”
But what goes up must come down, and when the script decides to get All Serious, the sparkles vanish, leaving us with Lombard’s anxiety and MacMurray’s manic behaviour.
Now, this drama sounds unappealing, and it would be if it weren’t for one thing. As wonderful as Lombard is, it’s MacMurray’s performance of a man fuelled by Ego, then Despondency, that keeps us engaged.
MacMurray in the Pits of Despair.
One of the first signs of MacMurray’s ego Taking Over is the scene in a café where he sees a sandwich has been named after him. He asks what’s in the sandwich and is told, “Ham and cheese.” The pre-fame MacMurray would have found this amusing, but the famous MacMurray doesn’t.
When Lombard finally arrives in New York – no thanks to MacMurray – she announces she’s getting a divorce and going to Europe. This pushes MacMurray Over The Edge. He throws a surprise farewell party to show he doesn’t Care, at which he talks too loudly and behaves strangely.
After Lombard decamps, he loses interest in music, and life, and wanders the streets, rumpled and unshaven. He’s politely escorted out of clubs and restaurants because proprietors don’t want him around the “nice” customers. Even the army turns him down when he tries to re-enlist.
MacMurray is utterly convincing as a sunken man, lost in depression. His eyes are soulless, his body lethargic, as though he’s neither alive nor dead.
Although he treats Lombard with callous disregard and proves himself a Real Jerk, we can’t help but feel for him. “Pull yourself together,” we want to shout. “You can do it!”
Swing High, Swing Low isn’t the best film Carole Lombard or Fred MacMurray ever made, but it does have many wonderful moments. We recommend it, if you don’t expect too much.
This post is part of the FRED MacMURRAY BLOGATHON hosted by Phyllis Loves Classic Movies.
Swing High, Swing Low: starring Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, Charles Butterworth. Directed by Mitchell Leisen. Written by Virginia Van Upp & Oscar Hammerstein II. Paramount Pictures, 1937, B&W, 92 mins.
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Fascinating stuff, Ruth. I’ve never rated Murray all that high (probably because I first came across him in Disney-dad roles), but I can see I should explore his catalog a bit more.
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This is a good film to see MacMurray as Actor. He shows his comic timing, along with dramatic chops. I think the film, overall, could be better, but the performances are very good.
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Sounds good. I’m not a fan of MacMurray, although I do like him in Double Indemnity. His performance here is one I’m interested in checking out.
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If you liked him in Double Indemnity, you might like him here, if the melodrama doesn’t turn you off. Some films can successfully blend comedy and drama – but this isn’t one of ’em, in my opinion. However, there are some good things here.
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I watched this a couple of years ago and didn’t enjoy it at all. The print I saw was poor and I wasn’t crazy about the story. But your review makes me want to give it another shot.
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Admittedly, I’m a huge MacMurray fan, so that could be influencing my opinion. But if you do give it another go, it would be interesting to see if your view changes…or is reinforced. 😉
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I think I’ve only ever seen bits and pieces of this film, never the whole thing. My favourite MacMurray/Lombard pairing is The Princess Comes Across which is hilarious – have you seen it?
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Haven’t seen it, but have heard great things about it. They’re such a terrific onscreen pair!
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Oh man, you’ve GOT to watch it soon! It’s such an amazing movie – a terrific blend of screwball and suspense (if you can believe it haha)
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Very interesting! I think you brought up a good point too in that most musicals start on more of a shiny note, but then the second act often turns tragic (Sound of Music, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, etc) I imagine it would be hard to reverse gears like that on screen.
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It’s probably really hard to reverse gears, as you cleverly put it, and far more difficult than I’ve given them credit for. Some films make it look really easy…
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Truth!!
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The good work by Fred MacMurray in this film should be appreciated, but as a viewer I’m peeved that they pulled the comedy rug out from under us. Perhaps if the movie began as a drama, it would have made the entire thing work better.
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I hear you. The comedy is so much fun…and then we’re thrown into an entirely different movie, it seems like. I like your idea of the movie starting as a drama.
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Ruth, I read through your plot summary twice and I’m not sure I’ve seen this movie. I am a fan of the stars, especially Fred. Also, I was a trumpet player back in school and might have remained one if Carole Lombard and Dorothy Lamour were interested in me.
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Rick, I’m sure Carole and Dorothy would have been interested in you even if you didn’t pursue a career as a trumpet player.
I hope you get the chance to see this, even if it’s as a completist exercise.
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I’ll be honest: I’ve never been terribly interested in this film. I love MacMurray and he and Lombard were a fabulous team, but I’ve just never heard any good things about this particular collaboration. That being said, your description of MacMurray’s performance really has me intrigued — looks like I’ll be giving this one a shot after all!
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There are many good things to like about this film, even though it’s not entirely cohesive. Lombard is luminous, as always, but MacMurray’s performance is stellar. It’s worth a look, I think, even if you don’t care for it.
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I haven’t seen Fred McMurray in much other than My Three Sons. Maybe I should be watching something other than Harry Potter tonight.
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Well, it’s hard to overrule Harry Potter if he’s a household favourite… As for Fred MacMurray, I think some of his best work was done before his stint on “My Three Sons”. However, one could argue he’s fabulous in any phase, which he is.
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It’s less about being a household favorite and more about not having immediate access to all of the good stuff that you are watching and kids…
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Looks like one worth checking out!
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Fred MacMurray is always worth it – and so is Carole Lombard. They have terrific screen chemistry.
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It’s interesting that you focused on MacMurray’s character’s ego in your review, and when I reviewed this film, a couple of years ago, I focused on how Dorothy Lamour’s character – with huge bow and all – was the stereotyped exotic woman who can make a good man’s life miserable and turn him into bad things. But we both agree that MacMurray is the biggest star of the film!
Thanks for the kind comment!
Kisses!
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That’s an excellent point, Le. I’ll be dropping by to read your review later today.
I focused on Fred M’s character for the blogathon, but it’s interesting how many things there are to analyze in this film, no?
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Didn’t even know about this film of MacMurray’s. I always thought he was a highly underrated actor. I always was fascinated by his more dramatic/unethical man roles like in Double Indemnity and The Apartment. I always respect an actor that can be versatile enough to play both good and bad people roles effectively.
Tam May
The Dream Book Blog
https://thedreambookblog. wordpess.com
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I agree about Fred MacMurray being underrated. He’s great in a comedy, but even more so in a drama. This movie shows both sides; he is terrific as a down-and-out celebrity.
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Sounds interesting. Even though it might not be a great film, it seems worth checking out, due to the depth of Fred MacMurray’s performance.
By the way, nice new look, I almost didn’t recognize your Blog!! Ha!!
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Ha! Thanks – I decided to change the style of my blog, just because.
About the film: Yes, it is worth seeing. Carole Lombard is glam and fabulous, as always, but I think Fred MacMurray is the interesting one here. His performance is really, really good. I hope you get the chance to see it.
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Fred MacMurray was always a favorite of mine as a kid though i knew him only through Disney films like Follow Me Boys and Charlie and the Angel. RE-posted on twitter @trefology
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Fred MacMurray was good in the Disney films, but he’s also good in dramas. I’m always glad to find a fellow Fred fan!
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I still recall seeing double indemnity for the first time and being unable to square it with the Fred that I knew. Of course, I was very young, and appreciated the film (and Fred’s work) much more the older I became.
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Also: Thanks for the Twitter promo! 🙂
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I don’t know if it helps, but I like to get things I love out there to be seen and appreciated.
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