i first come across this film when i read a book ( write in the 1970s ) about the career of mitchell leisin . i have to admit that over the year i have watch many of his film and find his best work really high quality . swing high and swing low be suppose to be one of his best . while it do not bore me and it do not impress me as much a hold back the dawn and death take a holiday and kitty and or even golden earings . i suspect it just date too much now to be well like . work at paramount leisin have a problem in those film that he do which be musical . most of the score he work with be fairly mediocre . it true that twice standard appear in his film and but they be really rare case represent cocktales for two appear in murder at the vanity and and mona lisa come out of captain carey and u. s. a. but the rest of the score for murder at the vanity be forgettable . mona lisa be the only tune in captain carey . it shouldn not have be this way leisin studio have rogers and hart work for it in the early 1930s . why couldn not he have be assign to a project with them . the score for swing high and swing low and be pleasant but forgettable . unfortunately and the movie be center in the entertainment world and a fred macmurray demonstrate great talent a a trumpet player ( he even work carole lombard into his act by loop his arm around her when he blow his trumpet ) . the song ( sing by lombard ) about how her lover playing thrill her and be important to the plot . it work in the film and but it would have be good if the song be more memorable . there be a picaresque style to the film it begin on an ocean liner that lombard work on and a a manicurist . she be constantly be bully by her bos franklin pangborn ( the ship barber ) . then the ship be enter into the panama canal and and we see macmurray a a soldier and who enlistment be end shortly . their first scene together have a nice leisin touch in it represent macmurray be talk to lombard and she on the deck of the boat and he on the edge of the wall of the lock . nice way to keep the action go while the dialog hit a dull bit . the film follow the rise and fall of the skid johnson ( macmurray ) a he meet lombard and and begin his reputation a a trumpet player and but meet the other woman in the film and dorothy lamore . the best moment in the film deal with the collapse of the relationship with lombard and and his collapse a a jazz trumpeter ( his appearance and need for alcohol be very untypical for a macmurray character even his darker figure like walter neff or mr. sheldrake or the naval officer who push the caine mutiny do not demonstrate a reliance on alcohol . lombard be good a the woman love but wrong by macmurray . lamore have little to really do possibly the film have more scene with her in it and but one stand out be her attempt to get macmurray onto the wagon again . in his open bit pangborn be fine . rarely notice in film and small part actor carl judels be effective a a fair weather fan or friend of macmurray and who drop him a he go under ( though he give him a hand out ) . charles butterworth be a trivial in this film a usual and but he do have one moment when he look sheepishly at his hand on the keyboard of a piano in the room he and his girlfriend and macmurray and and lombard share his red faced appearance be due to embarrassment about a lie that macmurray be insist be true . it be a nice and subtle moment . if only his subtlety have be in his act rather than his moment of diffident humor .