Review of Swing High

There's jealousy amongst the lovely trapeze ladies in this circus musical melodrama which is very similar in nature to the same year's "Dangerous Curves", starring Clara Bow, Richard Arlen and Kay Francis. Romantic duets and Negro spirituals (as they were called back then) interrupt the drama every five minutes in this story of the vixen (Dorothy Burgess) who threatens to come between circus sweethearts Helen Twelvetrees and Fred Scott, as well as the mystery of who has been embezzling from the coffers. While the romantic duets may threaten your ability to stay awake, a production number (with the black servants putting together the circus tent while singing) is spectacularly staged. I found Stepin Fetchit's slow drawl difficult to understand at times (and slightly off-putting) but other character performers were rich in characterization. The finale where the villain is confronted is spectacularly suspenseful and makes up for the slow spots. But for a low budget film this early in the sound era, it is surprisingly lavish and overstocked with extras in the key circus scenes.