dougdoepke
Plot-heavy MGM musical, not likely to turn up on studio highlights. I suppose war demands account for many shortcomings, like the unlikely Kyser in the lead, shoestring production values from a big-budget studio, and a roster of undistinguished supporting players. Then too, musicals need lightweight stories to coordinate with overall mood. This one can't make up its mind. Too bad that outside of Maxwell, the performances are spotty. Kyser tries manfully but the seams show, nor does the lumpy screenplay help.Nonetheless, there are some highlights. The production number "I Planted A Rose" shows spunk, along with a classy Lena Horne, a lively Marilyn Maxwell, and hep-cat swingers doing their acrobatic thing. And for fans of 50's sci-fi, there's the lordly Morris Ankrum mugging it up, of all things. Still, the plot's too convoluted for a musical and overshadows many of the more lackluster numbers. All in all, the package remains little more than spotty wartime escape.
atlasmb
A lackluster plot surrounds some lukewarm musical entertainment in this mid-war production. The best parts of the film are the musical acts in the nightclub, but the producers do their best to sabotage them. As is typical, there are the obligatory salutes to the boys in uniform and a whole lot of hokum, everything from comic acts that are totally unfunny to juggling and faux magic tricks. The movie is called Swing Fever, so you might think the action is hot. It is for those few moments when the band or the swing dancers are allowed to go at it. but most of the "action" is like watching The Lawrence Welk Show, corn and all.Cameos are jammed in, as was the custom, but they are random and flat. Kay Kyser is his usual cornball self. And of course they include the usual nods to the wartime mythology of soldiers and sailors getting the beautiful canteen girl, who might be a star.Particularly painful are the "comic" stylings of the band member with bangs who recites "poetry" and otherwise annoys.The word swing in the title also refers to the boxing plot. A number of real boxers are in the film. We know what great actors they are.
marcslope
Columbia, RKO,and Republic, among others, turned out escapist wartime musicals by the dozens, and their lack of availability is probably a blessing; this one, from MGM, has sleeker production values but is similarly impoverished of imagination. It's a mishmash involving boxing, swing, hypnosis, Marilyn Maxwell twitching cutely, the unwatchable Ish Kabibble, Nat Pendleton still playing a punch-drunk heavyweight over a decade after "Horse Feathers," and lots of pulchritude to please the boys overseas. (Even Ava Gardner has an unbilled bit.) Kay Kyser could swing it, all right, but he was no actor, and it's almost painful to watch him go through these contrived paces. There's one good number -- no, check that, there's one not-very-good number made bearable by Lena Horne and some good production design -- among lots of trivial swing, and lots of camera trickery in the production numbers, presumably to disguise the paucity of invention. Tommy Dorsey and Harry James show up briefly; they look like they visited the set on lunch hour from other, better movies.
dafyddabhugh
For some reason, most of the commenters on IMDb are overly harsh and critical. Swing Fever isn't Gone With the Wind; it's not even the Marx Brothers. But for a light comedy with a fun plot, interesting characters, and a lot of great music, it's worth every penny of your video rental cost.Kyser is as sympathetic and fun to watch as ever... and sure, I would have loved to see more of the band, more Ish, more dancing, more singing, more plot. But come on, we don't have five hours! It never drags, I wasn't looking at my watch, nothing to make me cringe, no bad performances. Even the bad guy isn't a total heel; he just doesn't know any other way.I taped this off Turner, and it's definitely a keeper. I know I'm going to watch it several more times. You should see it at least once.
AD
