Kay Kyser

Bandleader

About

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Also Known As

James Kern Kyser

Birth Place

Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA

Born

June 18, 1897

Died

July 23, 1985

Biography

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Kay Kyser was an actor who graced the silver screen many times throughout his Hollywood career. Early in his acting career, Kyser appeared in big screen comedies like the Kay Kyser film "You'll Find Out" (1940), "Playmates" (1941) and "My Favorite Spy" (1942) starring Kay Kyser. He continued to work steadily in film throughout the forties and the eighties, appearing in "Carolina Blues...

Filmography

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Entertaining the Troops (1989)

Thousands Cheer (1944)

Around the World (1944)

Swing Fever (1944)

Lowell Blackford

Carolina Blues (1944)

Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Photos & Videos

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Swing Fever (1943) -- (Movie Clip) You're So Indifferent

You'll Find Out (1940) -- (Movie Clip) College Of Musical Knowledge

Family & Companions

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Georgia Carroll

Wife

Biography

Kay Kyser was an actor who graced the silver screen many times throughout his Hollywood career. Early in his acting career, Kyser appeared in big screen comedies like the Kay Kyser film "You'll Find Out" (1940), "Playmates" (1941) and "My Favorite Spy" (1942) starring Kay Kyser. He continued to work steadily in film throughout the forties and the eighties, appearing in "Carolina Blues" (1944), "Swing Fever" (1944) and the Gene Kelly musical "Thousands Cheer" (1944). Kyser also created music for the horror feature "Communion" (1978) with Linda Miller. Kyser was most recently credited in the documentary "Entertaining the Troops" (1988) with Bob Hope. Kyser was married to Georgia Carroll. Kyser passed away in July 1985 at the age of 88.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Entertaining the Troops (1989)

Thousands Cheer (1944)

Around the World (1944)

Swing Fever (1944)

Lowell Blackford

Carolina Blues (1944)

Stage Door Canteen (1943)

My Favorite Spy (1942)

Playmates (1941)

You'll Find Out (1940)

That's Right--You're Wrong (1939)

Music (Feature Film)

Alice, Sweet Alice (1977)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Entertaining the Troops (1989)

Life Events

Photo Collections

Swing Fever - Movie Poster

Here is an original release Movie Poster for Swing Fever (1943), starring bandleader Kay Kyser.

Videos

Swing Fever (1943) -- (Movie Clip) You're So Indifferent Kay Kyser introduces the song, Lena Horne as herself, with You're So Indifferent, by Sammy Fain and Mitchell Parish, edited so that it could be removed by theater owners in the South, as was MGM's regular practice at the time, in Swing Fever, 1943.

You'll Find Out (1940) -- (Movie Clip) College Of Musical Knowledge Introductory schtick after a couple of staged scenes with radio listeners, RKO contract players Jeff Corey and Eleanor Lawson are the contestants as bandleader Kay Kyser does his bit based on the NBC radio hit, in the comedy-musical-horror-hybrid vehicle You'll Find Out, 1940, with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Peter Lorre.

You'll Find Out (1940) -- (Movie Clip) The Spirits Are Strongly Displeased Horror cameos and lingerie, Bela Lugosi with no prologue appears in the guest room of band leader and star Kay Kyser, then Peter Lorre lurks as New York society hostess Janis (Helen Parrish) and singer Ginny Simms take turns being disrobed, in the musical-horror-comedy You’ll Find Out, 1940.

You'll Find Out (1940) -- (Movie Clip) You Made The Society Page The bus carries Kay Kyser and the band to the high society home of Janis (Helen Parrish), girlfriend of manager Chuck (Dennis O’Keefe) and Aunt Margo (Alma Kruger), singers Sully Mason, Ginny Simms and Harry Babbitt and kook Ish Kabibble (M.A. Bogue) commenting, in the RKO comic-variety-horror spoof You’ll Find Out, 1940.

You'll Find Out (1940) -- (Movie Clip) Mysterious Struggle Between Light And Shadow On a stormy evening after Kay Kyser’s gig at the pre-wedding party, singer Ginny Simms, manager/groom Chuck (Dennis O’Keefe) and his girlfriend, the hostess Janis (Helen Parrish) get a surprise from heretofore benevolent family friend judge Mainwaring (Boris Karloff) and unexpected professor Fenninger (Peter Lorre), in the horror-comedy You’ll Find Out, 1940.

My Favorite Spy (1942) -- (Movie Clip) Kay Kyser's In The Army Late for his wedding, bandleader Kay Kyser overhears a routine on a park bench (George Cleveland, Hobart Cavanaugh) then crosses paths with trumpeter-comic Ish Kabibble, but not with betrothed Terry (Ellen Drew), opening My Favorite Spy, 1942.

Swing Fever (1943) -- (Movie Clip) That Symphonietta Guy Kay Kyser is the bumbling Southerner in a New York composing house whose sheet music has been snatched, appealing to the secretary (Pamela Blake) with a weird trick until the camera gets stopped by 21-year old MGM contract player, Ava Gardner, in a bit part, in Swing Fever, 1943.

Swing Fever (1943) -- (Movie Clip) I Never Knew Kay Kayser has just played the bumpkin entering a New York music publishing house when he discovers his real-life band, kicking off his singer Marilyn Maxwell on one of their radio hits (by Raymond Egan, Roy Marsh, Ted Fio Rito and Thomas Pitts), Clyde Fillmore the big-wig, early in MGM’s Swing Fever, 1943.

Carolina Blues (1944) -- (Movie Clip) Pucker Up Opening schtick, band leader Kay Kyser as himself, sax-player sidekick Sully Mason, Jeff Donnell as publicist "Charlotte," comic Ish Kabibble, Victor Moore as industrialist "Carver," and singer Georgia Carroll, who had just become Mrs. Kyser, in Columbia's Carolina Blues, 1944.

Carolina Blues (1944) -- (Movie Clip) Mr. Beebe Band leader Kay Kyser's intro, surprised to see Ann Miller replacing his usual vocalist, song by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, named for the columnist and bon vivant Lucius Beebe, dancer Harold Nicholas stealing it, with singing Layson Brothers and hoofing Four Steps, in Carolina Blues, 1944.

Carolina Blues (1944) -- (Movie Clip) Thanks A Lot At the wartime Carver shipyard Julie (Ann Miller), daughter of the boss, can't get the fake Kay Kyser (Doodles Weaver) on stage, resorts to doing her own bit first, song by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, not recognizing the real Kyser when he shows up, the first number in Carolina Blues, 1944.

My Favorite Spy (1942) -- (Movie Clip) How Does Your Garden Grow? Kay Kyser, entering a waterfront bar on his first spy mission, meets Speedy (Barbara Pepper), then the alluring Connie (Jane Wyman), his real contact, in My Favorite Spy, 1942, produced by Harold Lloyd.

Companions

Georgia Carroll

Wife

Bibliography

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