Around the World
Brief Synopsis
Kay Kyser and his Kollege of Musical Knowledge entertain the troops overseas.
Cast & Crew
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Allan Dwan
Director
Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
Mischa Auer
Mischa Auer
Joan Davis
Joan Davis
Marcy Mcguire
Marcy McGuire
Wally Brown
Pilot of the clipper
Film Details
Also Known As
Keep Em Singing
Genre
Musical
War
Release Date
Jan
1944
Premiere Information
Los Angeles opening: week of 20 Apr 1944
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Location
Lone Pine, California, United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 20m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,275ft
Synopsis
Kay Kyser and his band, accompanied by comic actor Mischa Auer and man-hungry Joan Davis, are entertaining American troops in Australia when young Marcy McGuire begs Kay to let her join the world tour until her father, who is training at an army camp in the United States, sends word for her. After Kay rejects her plea, claiming that she is too young, Marcy stows away onboard the band's plane. When Marcy is discovered, the pilot decides to turn her over to the American Consul in New Delhi, India, which is their next stop. On the flight to India, Kay and Mischa argue over who has collected the best relics on the trip and decide to award $5,000 in war bonds to whomever returns with the best collection. In New Delhi, Kay takes pity on Marcy when the American Consul rules that she must return to Australia, and he agrees to let her travel with the band. From India, the band travels to Chun King, where Marcy begs for a spot in the show. Also in Chun King, the plain-looking Joan snags the slow-witted Joe Gimpus after meeting him in the hotel lobby. Mischa, meanwhile, is directed to the Golden Eagle Club, where he meets the Countess, the owner of the rare ring of the Borgias. Claiming that the ring has placed a curse on her, the Countess offers it to Mischa on the condition that he wear it on the terrace of the Grand Hotel in Cairo. In his enthusiasm, Mischa accidentally spritzes a customer with seltzer water, and the man challenges him to a duel. Kay, in disguise, comes to the aid of his friend and electrifies Mischa's sword, after which Mischa zaps his opponent out of the competition with 20,000 volts. The band moves on to Egypt, where Marcy advises Joan that to attract a man, she should wear an engagement ring, thus appearing "hard to get." Taking Marcy's advice, Joan borrows Mischa's ring and attracts the attention of three men, who follow her from the hotel terrace to the bazaar. Joan is thrilled that Marcy's advice seems to be working until she meets Mischa in the bazaar. He reclaims the ring, after which three men hijack him for the map hidden in the ring's secret compartment. When the men, who are enemy agents, find the map missing, they release Mischa, who then meets Kay in the bazaar. Learning of his friend's peril, Kay throws away the ring and cancels the bet. The troupe travels to Libya, where Mischa plays the piano with grapefruits and Joan appears with Fred's Football Dogs act. In Monrovia, Marcy is called to army headquarters and is notified by the general that her father was killed in action but has been awarded the Purple Heart. Broken-hearted, Marcy vows never to sing again, even though Kay admonishes her that the show must go on. After running off stage, Marcy collides with the general and then returns to the show. Assuming her position on stage, she begins to sing.
Director
Allan Dwan
Director
Cast
Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
Mischa Auer
Mischa Auer
Joan Davis
Joan Davis
Marcy Mcguire
Marcy McGuire
Wally Brown
Pilot of the clipper
Alan Carney
Joe Gimpus
Kay Kyser's Band
Ish Kabibble
Ish Kabibble
Georgia Carroll
Georgia Carroll
Harry Babbitt
Harry Babbitt
Sully Mason
Sully Mason
Julie Conway
Julie Conway
Diane Pendleton
Diane Pendleton
Jack & Mac
Robert Armstrong
General
Buford Turner
Turner
Mary Halsey
Mary Jane
Joan Barclay
Barclay
Margie Stewart
Marjorie
Barbara Hale
Barbara
Rosemary Laplanche
Rosemary
Barbara Coleman
Barbara
Shirley O'hara
Shirley
Daun Kennedy
Daun
Sherry Hall
Clipper steward
Renny Mcevoy
Band man
Colin Kenny
Dock worker
Josh Milton
Officer
Drake Thorton
Officer
Jack Alfred
Officer
George Hoagland
Officer
John Albright
Officer
Bill Manning
Handsome sergeant
Charles Straight
Orderly
Peter Chong
Mr. Wong
Joan Valerie
Countess Olga
Frank Puglia
Native dealer
Duncan Renaldo
Dragoman
William Vaughn
German
Arno Frey
German
Walter Bonn
German
Norman Mayes
Orderly
Fred Essler
Teuton
Charles Latorre
Hotel porter
Lee Trent
Captain of the Flying Tigers
Bruce Wong
Elevator boy
Ivan Lebedeff
Menlo
Henry Guttman
Balso
Chester Conklin
Waiter
Gale Amber
Girl
John Piffle
Proprietor
Julius Cramer
Manager
Vic Delinsky
Mischa's waiter
Claire Carleton
Lt. Spencer
Selmer Jackson
Consul
Mel Merrihugh
Soldier
Clarence Peterson
Soldier
Carl Saxe
Soldier
Bernie Sell
Soldier
Gene Stone
Soldier
Bud Townsend
Soldier
Hansel Warner
Soldier
James Waters
Soldier
Billy Wilkerson
Soldier
Eugene Anderson Jr.
Soldier
Ed Astran
Soldier
Richard Clarke
Soldier
James Courtney
Soldier
Kenneth Cutler
Soldier
George Ford
Soldier
George Golden
Soldier
Charles Heard
Soldier
Don Kemp
Soldier
Harold Knight
Soldier
Nils Althin
Soldier
Don Bryan
Soldier
John Jenkins
Soldier
Joe Roach
Soldier
Marcel De La Brosse
Soldier
Cliff Storey
Soldier
Bill Dyer
Soldier
Mike Kilian
Tough soldier
Terry Ray
Tough soldier
Leroy Strine
First lieutenant
Faith Kruger
Singer
Roland Cot
Rickshaw driver
Paul Kaye
Army captain
Arnold Stanford
Orderly
John Dilson
Colonel
Ralph Littlefield
Bald soldier
Ray Spiker
M.P.
Louise Currie
WAAC
Mary Maclaren
Nurse captain
Lee Moore
Dancing marine
Georges Renavent
French captain
Richard Columbo
Private
Louis Mercier
Private
Dick Scott
Tough M.P.
Bruce Cameron
Tough M.P.
Carl Neubert
German flyer
Rolf Lindau
German flyer
Stanley Logan
Commanding officer
Crane Whitely
American captain
Leyland Hodgson
British major
Edmund Glover
Captain
James Westerfield
Bashful marine
Esther Brodelet
Nurse
Gertrude Bank
WAAC captain
Fred Cavens
Instructor
Philip Ahn
Foo
Allen Jung
Ring
Lucienne & Ashour
Specialty
Jadine Wong
Specialty
Li Sun
Specialty
Al Norman
Specialty
Little Fred's Football Dogs
Specialty
Danny Dowling
Crew
Harold Adamson
Composer
C. Bakaleinikoff
Music Director
Claude Carpenter
Set Decoration
Nick Castle
Music numbers created and staged by
Marie Cowan
Composer
Albert S. D'agostino
Art Director
Harry D'arcy
2nd Unit Director
George Duning
Music and vocal Arrangements
Allan Dwan
Producer
Al Herman
Art Director
Carl Herzinger
Special material
Jimmy Mchugh
Composer
Russell Metty
Director of Photography
A. B. Paterson
Composer
Renie
Gowns
Harry Scott
Assistant Director
Darrell Silvera
Set Decoration
Jean L. Speak
Recording
Ralph Spence
Original story and Screenplay
James G. Stewart
Re-Recording
Vernon L. Walker
Special Effects
Theron Warth
Editing
Theron Warth
Director of retakes
Film Details
Also Known As
Keep Em Singing
Genre
Musical
War
Release Date
Jan
1944
Premiere Information
Los Angeles opening: week of 20 Apr 1944
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Location
Lone Pine, California, United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 20m
Sound
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,275ft
Articles
Around the World
Kay Kyser and his Kollege of Musical Knowledge entertain the troops overseas.
Around the World
Kay Kyser and his Kollege of Musical Knowledge entertain the troops overseas.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Keep Em Singing. The opening credits include the following prologue: "To every battle front where men and women of the United Nations fight-civilians from all walks of life are contributing their honest efforts to the struggle. Among these, the brightest stars of Hollywood and Broadway do their bit-we welcome you to come along on this tour of the global conflict. So stand by! Here we are...Australia!" According to pre-production news items in Hollywood Reporter, Edgar Bergen was originally to star in this picture with Kay Kyser but decided to bow out so that he could devote more time to his radio show and camp appearances. Other items in Hollywood Reporter note that the Tunisian sequences were filmed in Lone Pine, CA and that additional scenes were filmed by Theron Warth, the film's editor. Hollywood Reporter dubbed actress Marcy McGuire as RKO's "Mickey Rooney" and added that the studio was trying to build her to stardom in this film. The Variety review incorrectly credits Douglas Travers with special effects.
