Starring Kay Kyser, Ann Miller, Victor Moore, Jeff Donnell, Howard Freeman
Directed by Leigh Jason
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After returning home from a tiring tour entertaining servicemen, Kyser is convinced to postpone the band's vacation to perform a benefit for his hometown, while a new singer tries to get him to hire her.
The last feature film to star Kyser and his band, the picture teams them with the Columbia studio's musical star, Ann Miller, who sings, dances, and ends up a love interest for Kyser. The film interestingly casts her as a replacement for featured singer Georgia Carroll, explaining Carroll's retiring to marry a serviceman, when in reality she would marry Kyser. This is probably the slightest of the screen stories for Kyser and the band, rushing them from performance to performance, and the screenplay rather mean-spiritedly has Kyser pretend to be dying to get the band to rush to his side for another benefit. Much is tried to make comedy out of Victor Moore's appearance in the film, even having him appear as a variety of his character's relatives in a multiple composite sequence, but while he's always been an affable screen presence, he doesn't have the ability to really make this funny. The deadpan Ish Kabibble fares better, and is given the charming Miss Jeff Donnell as a girlfriend to play off of. The best part of the picture, the musical numbers, are great, and none better than a sequence staged on a replica of a Harlem street, featuring a crowd of black performers, fronted by the super-talented dancer Harold Nicholas.
Showing posts with label Kay Kyser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kay Kyser. Show all posts
Monday, December 10, 2018
Monday, January 16, 2017
My Favorite Spy (1942)
Starring Kay Kyser, Ellen Drew, Jane Wyman, Robert Armstrong, Helen Westley
Directed by Tay Garnett
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On the day of his wedding, bandleader Kay Kyser discovers he has been called up to service in the Army, but he's actually wanted by the government as an espionage agent.
An atypical film for Kyser and his band, who are only featured in a couple of songs, while the bulk of the picture finds him evading enemy spies and trying to hide his covert activities from Drew as his new wife. Kyser is underrated as a comedian, but it just seems odd to shift so much of the film's focus away from the band and their music, which was probably the selling point for the movie to begin with. The spy story seems more grim than funny, covering ground we've seen executed far better in other pictures. However, it is fun to spot all the character actors in the cast, including future Oscar-winner Wyman, King Kong's Robert Armstrong, My Three Sons' William Demarest, and James Whale's favorite screamer, Una O'Connor.
Directed by Tay Garnett
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On the day of his wedding, bandleader Kay Kyser discovers he has been called up to service in the Army, but he's actually wanted by the government as an espionage agent.
An atypical film for Kyser and his band, who are only featured in a couple of songs, while the bulk of the picture finds him evading enemy spies and trying to hide his covert activities from Drew as his new wife. Kyser is underrated as a comedian, but it just seems odd to shift so much of the film's focus away from the band and their music, which was probably the selling point for the movie to begin with. The spy story seems more grim than funny, covering ground we've seen executed far better in other pictures. However, it is fun to spot all the character actors in the cast, including future Oscar-winner Wyman, King Kong's Robert Armstrong, My Three Sons' William Demarest, and James Whale's favorite screamer, Una O'Connor.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
That's Right - You're Wrong (1939)
Starring Kay Kyser, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Lucille Ball, Dennis O'Keefe
Directed by David Butler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A struggling movie studio tries to reverse their misfortunes by signing Kay Kyser and his popular band to a contract, but have problems creating a story for the comical bandleader.
The first feature film to showcase Kyser and his band oddly doesn't feature more of their better-known standards, and is probably more successful in staging film recreations of their radio show, than launching them in an engaging adventure. Nevertheless it's still charming and Kyser's "screen test" with Lucille Ball, long before her television success, is pretty amusing. Fans of the band will have fun, and others may enjoy spotting some real-life Tinseltown journalists playing themselves.
Directed by David Butler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A struggling movie studio tries to reverse their misfortunes by signing Kay Kyser and his popular band to a contract, but have problems creating a story for the comical bandleader.
The first feature film to showcase Kyser and his band oddly doesn't feature more of their better-known standards, and is probably more successful in staging film recreations of their radio show, than launching them in an engaging adventure. Nevertheless it's still charming and Kyser's "screen test" with Lucille Ball, long before her television success, is pretty amusing. Fans of the band will have fun, and others may enjoy spotting some real-life Tinseltown journalists playing themselves.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
You'll Find Out (1940)
Starring Kay Kyser, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Helen Parrish
Directed by David Butler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Kay Kyser and his band entertain at a birthday party for a young woman who's been targeted for death by a trio of fearsome villains.
I'm very fond of this picture, an entertaining combination of the fun big-band numbers of Kay Kyser and his orchestra as well as the only teaming of horror icons Karloff, Lugosi, and Lorre. Although the horror angle gives this a darker tone than most of Kyser's other films, there's nothing to be taken too seriously, and everyone seems to be having a grand time, as did I. Although many big bands were featured in films of this era, none seemed to bring as much humor into the act as Kyser's, led by his shucksy Southern gentleman persona.
Directed by David Butler
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Kay Kyser and his band entertain at a birthday party for a young woman who's been targeted for death by a trio of fearsome villains.
I'm very fond of this picture, an entertaining combination of the fun big-band numbers of Kay Kyser and his orchestra as well as the only teaming of horror icons Karloff, Lugosi, and Lorre. Although the horror angle gives this a darker tone than most of Kyser's other films, there's nothing to be taken too seriously, and everyone seems to be having a grand time, as did I. Although many big bands were featured in films of this era, none seemed to bring as much humor into the act as Kyser's, led by his shucksy Southern gentleman persona.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)