Knights of Swing

This fictional look at the big band era could have been a 1940s version of "The Commitments," but instead went down the "Glee" path.

One would think that a film like "Knights of Swing" about a big band with over a dozen musicians (plus music director and piano-playing school principal), would cover a lot of territory in its two and a half hour run. Every musician would get the cinematic version of a solo aka screen time. We get to know the individuals so one could root stronger for the band as a whole.

KoS highlights a few of its players like singer/horn player Gifford (Curran Barker) and African-American trombonist Conrad White (Jeremy Lee Staple). The film sadly is stuck with a storyline that fits in the Hallmark world.

"Knights of Swing" also has the problem of not sweating the small details. A film about the power of music and how creativity wins out over racial bigotry plays some off notes when it comes to certain plot details or character arcs that go too fast.

It is currently available to watch on Tubi and Vimeo on Demand.

It's Los Angeles 1947 and a group of six boys (one African-American, the rest white) from Castle High School have a jazz band called The Jammin' Pajama Men. The energy of the boys meeting up in an old garage (including the bassist, who gets a ride in the back of his dad's pick-up where he can hold his stand-up bass safely) and jamming to some original material gave me flashbacks to "That Thing You Do!" and "The Commitments." They work on their song "Schoolroom Blues," which doesn't wear out its welcome by film's end nor do the other band originals.

Yes, the band members can name-drop Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Glenn Miller, but the film can't afford the music rights.

Within a span of two minutes, the group decides to form a big band. Instead of asking the music teacher, they approach Mr. Miller (Richard Neil) who teaches science and math. The boys say he is way-cooler than the music teacher and that he has some musician connections. Miller tell the band he will think about it. That night, Miller is drinking, listening to music and looks at photos of his younger brother Glenn (Yes, THAT Glenn Miller).

This plot point will be brought up an hour later in the film, when Mr. Miller gives Conrad his brother's horn after his old horn was destroyed by a high school brute trying to have his way with one of the female backup singers (there's a lot of pop-up plot points here). Conrad is shocked and surprised at the gift and its former owner. The kids at school, especially the music-driven band members had no clue of their music director's famous brother? He's cooler than the school's own music teacher, what gives?

The next day, Mr. Miller turns the boys down. After they leave, he listens to half a jazz song on the radio, runs after the boys and immediately changes his mind. The ghosts of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland both told this film to slow its roll. The school's principal calls himself King Arthur (Emilio Palame, one of the film's writers and co-director) and peppers his school announcements with piano riffs and 1940s hip lingo. He also becomes a staunch supporter of the band who will now call themselves the title of the film.

Soon, there are tryouts for a female singer. At the tryouts why is there a table with three new characters who will assist in the singer selection, like it's 1947 Los Angeles Got Talent? Apparently because of the support of King Arthur, this has become an official school band?

The overly-confident, tone deaf and pampered Carol Barlutski (Sarah Zeema) throws a Veruca Salt-level fit when not asked to join the band. The three remaining auditioning singers who all sound better pitch to the band to have three singers and be The 3 Bs. We never see Carol again, but Original Karen Mrs. Barlutski (Amanda Lamberti) threatens to take the band down.

Not only because they didn't ask her daughter to join the band, but because the band is also integrated and is wasting school tax dollars and resources on letting the band practice on school grounds. She'll gather a small group of one-dimensional cinema racists to help further her cause, including Mr. Tanner (Michael Irwin), a school administrator with a required southern accent...in California. 

Her husband Mr. Barlutski (Jon Briddell) is not only a school board member, but favors the band's actions. Late into the film, husband finally confronts wife on her day-drinking, and laser-focused racial hatred towards KoS. Not to give too much away, but it involves their oldest son, World War II and the skin color of the soldier who delivers the bad news. The next scene has an unearned 180-degree change of heart. The same goes to an egocentric horn player who quite the band twice and plays for the defending champs of Battle of the Bands.

The band's only gigs are the school dances which will lead them up to the annual Battle of the Bands where a trio of judges (not the ones from the girl singer tryouts) will see if KoS are worthy to be selected for the competition, which of course is the film's climax.

OK, sidetrack tangent. This film would have been just fine back when they were The Jammin' Pajama Men. An integrated sextet of teenagers (played by actors too old for college...maybe grad school) debating on turning into a big band or not. Trying to find gigs around town. Seeking out west coast jazz staples at the time like Charlie Parker, Woody Herman, Dexter Gordon, Teddy Edwards and Charles Mingus.

Also, by the late 1940s, big band music was going out of style. Bands were getting smaller and the rise of bebop was starting to bubble up with players like Parker and Gordon and later Dave Brubeck. In 1944, the federal government forced a major excise tax on dance clubs. Bring it up once in the film, and the school dances and the Battle of the Bands would fell more justified. Like a musician who watches actors playing music on screen to see if they're actually doing it or not, a music radio host (and Film Yapper) and lover of jazz just couldn't go with the lack of research when doing a period piece.

There are tiny subplots such as the widower Mr. Miller and the sassy cafe waitress, who will also overhear a nefarious plot against the band later in the film. The PTSD of the Gifford's older brother, who also hates the band. Same older brother and a female classmate with polio (because Tennessee Williams didn't already cover this).

Will there be hearts-a-fluttering between a male and female band member? Will KoS be selected for The Battle of the Bands? Don't worry, the last half-hour (with full songs performed by two bands) won't disappoint. The music moments are fine, especially if you're a swing fan. It's the script problems that make KoS look at times like kids playing hepcat dress-up.

"Knight of Swing" could have been a 1940s version of "The Commitments," but instead went down the "Glee" path.

Matthew Socey is host of Film Soceyology for WFYI 90.1 FM.