You'll Find Out

Despite the emphasis on music, via Kay Kyser & the College of Knowledge, this is a true Old Dark House film. There's a very large, spooky old mansion, a thunderstorm, secret passageways, comedy, mystery, attempts at murder, a butler (who, oddly enough, is never a suspect), creepy characters, etc. In the "creepy characters" category, they don't get any creepier than Boris, Bela, & Peter (in his first film in the horror genre). Boris plays, well, Boris, & he doesn't have quite enough to do here. But his presence alone adds weight to the film. Bela is quite creepy as a "Prince" who conducts seances. Peter (who looks very spooky here & is even thinner than in earlier movies) is very good as always; just watching him roll those big round eyes is worth the price of admission. For my taste, there's too much emphasis on Kay Kyser (who is the "star" of this film), who's good but becomes distracting after a while. Kyser fans will enjoy his role, as he gets to display all of his many talents here. Ginny Simms (a vocalist in the Kyser band) is lovely in a supporting role. This film is a real treat to Boris, Bela & Peter fans. I didn't know of its existence until very recently, & I was quite pleased to see these guys at this stage in their careers in a movie I had never seen before. I rate it 7/10.

Yeah, it's pretty corny and most people won't like it -- but it's my kind of film! OK! Kay Kyser and his band invited to perform in a spooky old mansion may not be a show stopper; but throw in Bela Logosi, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre -- play it for laughs, and you've got a surprisingly good film. Karloff, and especially Lorre, are a maniacal hoot! Had they been more screen time this would be a super Halloween film must. I'll give it a *7 1/2*. If others don't like it, well to bad! :)

This may seem like slight entertainment, and of course it is. But I am recommending it as must viewing until I find an earlier example with this structure.

The setup is simple enough: it is explicitly a self-aware movie. In fact Kyser comes on at the end and assures the audience that Lorre, Karloff and Lugosi aren't really murders. Within that are several performances of the band, performances I assume are similar to what they did in non-movie-land. Two performances.

Added to that in a clever way is a third. For this you need some background.

From about 1880 to 1910, many North Americans were spiritualists. Yes, about as many as today call themselves evangelists, the movement that displaced spiritualism. The rapidity of the change is breathtaking in a sociological context and interesting in itself. By the thirties, the "next" generation was making serious fun of spiritualism, usually in terms of uncovering a fake séance.

I've found several earlier fake séance movies, but they are all in the context of detective movies. That's another story all together. Superficially, they look like the fakery in this movie: a secret room, microphones, special effects, gullible participants holding hands.

But this is the first I think that references it as a performance. A lot flows from that tipping point on both sides: movies and the religious show.

Three layered performances, here.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

I've loved this movie since childhood! Even if you're not sure who the heck this "Kay Kayser" is, you will love the performances of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Peter Lorre (who steals every scene he's in). The musical numbers are catchy enough to insinuate themselves into your head when you least expect it, and the one-liners come fast and thick. Ish Kabbible just slays me every time I watch it; he does great deadpan with those Eddie Cantor eyes.... And the dog Prince provides yet more comedic antics!

All in all, this is a great movie that the whole family can enjoy. From quick repartee to visual slapstick, it delivers from beginning to end. A refreshing break from the heavy-handed comedy too often found today.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!

This movie is genuinely routine as those WWII comedies featuring popular band leaders & their comedic and/or horror foes.. But this one stands above most of the others in it's genre, mainly due to Horror Legends Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre...and Comedy relief from the one & only Ish Kabibble, Kay Kyser's one true maniac...(Check out Ish's haircut, seems like he influenced Jerry Lewis' Nutty Professor hairdo & Jim Carrey's Dumb & Dumber.) The plot is irritating at times, although the safest thing to do is to forget about the plot & enjoy these legends of horror change licks with Ish, Kay & the rest of the house full of guests. I recommend this movie to anyone not wanting to get lost in a story line from hell but to just sit back, with the family and enjoy a moment in time that only our parents or grandparents could remember, I truly enjoyed the innocence of a time lost watching this Comedy/Horror diamond in the rough. Ish Kabibble to all and to all an Ish Kabibble.