Swing Banditry: A chaotic musical sprint

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school brass and don't mind a story that feels like it was scribbled on a napkin five minutes before filming, then sure. It's barely a movie, really. It’s more of a long, loud commercial for a band that wants to be on the radio. If you get bored by people shouting over saxophones, skip it.

The whole thing moves at this bizarre, frantic pace. It's like the director, Reginald LeBorg, was being chased by a debt collector while holding the camera. Everything is rushed. Nobody stops to explain anything, which is kind of refreshing, actually.

The band just wants a gig

The plot is basically: band needs radio time, band does crazy stuff to get radio time. That’s it. It reminds me of the manic energy you see in Half Shot at Sunrise, where characters just run around until the reel runs out. There’s no room for breathing.

Virginia Dale is in here, and she’s trying her best to ground things. But how do you ground a movie that’s basically 80% trumpet blasts? 🎺

The band, Georgie Stoll and His Orchestra, definitely knows how to play. I’ll give them that. But there’s a moment about halfway through where they’re trying to sneak into the studio, and it just… keeps going. The tension is supposed to be funny, but it mostly just makes you want to check your watch. I think I counted three separate times they almost get caught by a guy in a suit who looks remarkably bored.

I couldn't help but think about Pardon Us while watching the jailbreak-style antics here. It’s a completely different vibe, obviously, but the desperation is similar. Except here, the stakes are just a radio spot. No big deal, right?

Oddly specific things I noticed:

• The guy in the back of the band keeps looking at the camera. Like, really staring.
• The radio station set looks like it’s made out of wet cardboard.
• There is a lot of running. My knees hurt just watching it.

It’s not trying to be a cinematic masterpiece or anything. It’s just a musical short with a pulse. Sometimes that’s enough. Other times, you realize you're watching a bunch of people play instruments in a hallway for way too long. The editing is so jumpy it feels like a fever dream. 🥴

Is it great? No. Is it weirdly fun for a rainy Tuesday? Maybe. It’s definitely not as dry as Freedom of the Press, that's for sure. It has a messy, imperfect spirit that makes it feel human, even if it is a bit of a disaster.