Radio sensation Kay Kyser and his band are lured to Hollywood to make a movie, but the screenwriters assigned to the project have difficulty tailoring a script to Kyser's persona.Radio sensation Kay Kyser and his band are lured to Hollywood to make a movie, but the screenwriters assigned to the project have difficulty tailoring a script to Kyser's persona.Radio sensation Kay Kyser and his band are lured to Hollywood to make a movie, but the screenwriters assigned to the project have difficulty tailoring a script to Kyser's persona.
Kay Kyser Band
- Kay Kyser's Band
- (as Kay Kyser's Band)
M.A. Bogue
- Ish Kabibble
- (as Ish Kabibble)
Kathryn Adams
- Mrs. Elizabeth Ralston
- (uncredited)
Mary Bayless
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
Ernani Bernardi
- Clarinetist
- (uncredited)
Harrison Carroll
- Harrison Carroll
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis movie provides a rare opportunity to see three of the most influential Hollywood columnists active at the time. Sheilah Graham, Hedda Hopper and Jimmy Starr all appear as themselves in the press conference / party scene at the house.
- GoofsThe title card for Kyser's screen test lists him as age 32. The movie was released in 1939, when Kyser turned 34 (b. 1905).
- Crazy creditsListed in the acting credits were "The College of Musical Knowledge", but that referred to Kay Kyser's audience at the radio program, which he called "students."
- ConnectionsReferenced in Africa Squeaks (1940)
- SoundtracksThe Little Red Fox (N'Ya N'Ya You Can't Catch Me)
(1939)
Music by Lew Porter
Lyrics by James V. Kern, Hy Heath, Johnny Lange
Played by the Kay Kyser Band (uncredited) and sung by Ginny Simms (uncredited), Harry Babbitt (uncredited), Sully Mason (uncredited), M.A. Bogue (uncredited) and Kay Kyser (uncredited) at the studio
Reprised on the radio show at the end
Featured review
The head of a big Hollywood studio is tired of making movies which are artistic successes but commercial flops, so he comes up with the idea of filming the nation's hottest live act - Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge. One of his producers just happens to have 2 writers working on a script about a bandleader, so Kay Kyser and band are brought to Hollywood to become movie stars. Unfortunately, the script calls for the bandleader to be a romantic lead, which Kay Kyser obviously isn't. After a few humorous twists and turns, Kyser and band are back on the radio where they belong.
The movie within the movie which never gets made is actually the movie you're watching, and it is obviously little more than an excuse to get Kay Kyser's act on film. The highlight, however, is Kyser's screen test in which he's a romantic gondolier playing opposite studio star Sandra Sand (Lucille Ball). You have to be familiar with his stage personality to appreciate the absurdity of it, and you will be by the time this comic gem of a scene appears. There are some other good comic moments, but the production is otherwise pretty weak. The musical act itself is dated and not likely to appeal to a modern audience unless they happen to have nostalgic yearnings for pre-television radio shows. Nevertheless, Kay Kyser and his movie have a good-natured attitude and whimsical touch which can certainly lift your spirits if you give them the chance.
The movie within the movie which never gets made is actually the movie you're watching, and it is obviously little more than an excuse to get Kay Kyser's act on film. The highlight, however, is Kyser's screen test in which he's a romantic gondolier playing opposite studio star Sandra Sand (Lucille Ball). You have to be familiar with his stage personality to appreciate the absurdity of it, and you will be by the time this comic gem of a scene appears. There are some other good comic moments, but the production is otherwise pretty weak. The musical act itself is dated and not likely to appeal to a modern audience unless they happen to have nostalgic yearnings for pre-television radio shows. Nevertheless, Kay Kyser and his movie have a good-natured attitude and whimsical touch which can certainly lift your spirits if you give them the chance.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $271,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was That's Right - You're Wrong (1939) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer