''Swingin' Along'' is a 1961 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Charles Barton. The film, which was released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, marked the final appearance of the comedy team of Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall. The film focuses on Noonan as a courier who dreams of becoming a songwriter and Marshall as a con artist who wants to enter Noonan’s original composition in a music competition. The film co-stars

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress and singer, who starred as the title character in the sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965–1970). Her other roles included Roslyn Pierce opposite Elvis Presley in ...

and features musical performances by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty- ...

and

Roger Williams Roger Williams (March 1683) was an English-born New England minister, theologian, author, and founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Pl ...

. According to Peter Marshall, the film was originally planned under the title ''Double Trouble'' and the screenplay was originally written for

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

and

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

.Marshall, Peter, ''Backstage with the Original Hollywood Square''. University of California Press 2002. , p. 7 It was later re-released with the ''Double Trouble'' title.

Plot

Freddy Merkle never finishes anything. He has a half-done painting, half a sculpture and a sonata he's been composing for quite a while. His aunt, Sophie, encourages him to finish something he starts, so he can marry his girlfriend. However Freddy, a delivery boy, can't find the inspiration. Inside a pool room, Freddy runs into Duke, a fast-talking operator. When Freddie mentions a songwriting contest with a $2,500 first prize Duke becomes his "manager." At the coaxing of Duke and Ginny, the song is finally finished, but the sheet music blows away in the wind. Freddy, forlorn as usual, decides to kill himself, but he can't even get that right. He's at the end of his rope when a kindly priest discovers the song, submits it to the contest and, sure enough, it becomes the winner.

Cast

* Tommy Noonan as Freddy * Peter Marshall as Duke *

as Carol *

Connie Gilchrist Rose Constance Gilchrist (July 17, 1895 – March 3, 1985) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Among her screen credits are roles in the Hollywood productions '' Cry 'Havoc (1943), '' A Letter to Three Wives'' (1949), ''L ...

as Aunt Sophie * Carol Christensen as Ginny * Mike Mazurki as Sam, the bookie *

Ted Knight Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923August 26, 1986) was an American actor known for playing the comedic roles of Ted Baxter in ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', Henry Rush in '' Too Close for Comfort'' and Judge Elihu Sm ...

as Priest *

as himself *

as himself

References

External links

* 1961 films American comedy films 20th Century Fox films Films directed by Charles Barton 1960s English-language films 1961 comedy films 1960s American films English-language comedy films {{1960s-US-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links