I saw this film once many years ago, also on a public domain DVD, and didn’t think much of it. Watching it again many years later, there definitely are more things to it I like, but also still things that I don’t.
Starting with the Stooges. They’re good in their scenes. Yes, Curly’s illness is kind of noticeable here as far as his voice goes, but for what he could do at that point, he does do it well. The basement stuff isn’t A PLUMBING WE WILL GO, but even if Curly had been well, I wouldn’t have expected it to be; the movie is clearly focused on being a variety musical, and the Stooges are just the comic relief. That’s fine, but I feel like it pales very much to TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM as a result. Not that TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM is a perfect movie, far from it. But at least the Stooges are incorporated as part of the variety plot, and when their time comes, they do actually get a really fun musical number near the end. It feels like they have an arc that’s built up and completed; here, they’re just there to be the comic relief and not much more (and no, I don’t count the musical number at the end since they do almost nothing). But, hey, they’re still the Stooges, and they do well as the comic relief...that is to say, for what few comic scenes they have. I like the waiter scenes, especially when Moe is fighting with the customer about roast beef versus turkey and, though it doesn’t compare to PLUMBING, I like some of the basement stuff, particularly Moe and Curly on the phone and seeing Edward Brophy fall into the water. Brophy plays a Healy type role here, and he does it so much better than Healy. I’ve been reading the Buster Keaton biography by James Curtis and he points out that Brophy was selected for his role in THE CAMERAMAN because he was of a similar size to Keaton, someone who got easily irritated but also wouldn’t want to pick a fight. I think this is partly the reason he works so much better here than Healy; not that Brophy is necessarily Stooge-like, but they seem like the only types he possibly could boss around, and he takes advantage of that in such an over-the-top way that makes it funny. When I see Healy bossing Moe around, it just feels bland; when I see Brophy do it, I find it absolutely hilarious.
As for the rest of the movie? I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t even realize Louis Jordan was in this. When I originally saw this, I didn’t know who he was. But, yes, his numbers here are great, especially “Caldonia” with those light up instruments and a super energetic performance. I also like the dance number between Gale Storm and Jack Boyle. Besides that, though, I’m not really a big fan of the musical numbers; especially near the end, the pacing of the musical numbers makes it drag. The main story is kind of bland, which is a shame since I liked Gale Storm in IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (which also features Brophy), although I do like the idea of the feud between Danny and his father being more caused by a misunderstanding; the whole point is Danny is trying to make something of himself and avoid living off his father, which his father fails to see. It’s a good idea, but Phil Regan is just so bland in the role that they don’t pull it off as well as they should. Mary Treen is pretty good in her supporting role as Marie, though.
I agree with Dr. Mabuse that this is definitely better than ROCKIN’ IN THE ROCKIES. At the same time, though, SWING PARADE OF 1946 does get tedious at times with its musical numbers and boring romance. It’s not necessarily a bad film, but it screams “formulaic”. It’s still worth watching for the Stooges and Jordan, though.