Shoes

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Gender

Male

Birthday

1905-06-18

Place of Birth

Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA

Kay Kyser

Biography

James Kern Kyser (June 18, 1905 – July 23, 1985), known as Kay Kyser, was a popular radio personality and bandleader in the 1930's and 40's. Kyser's most popular show was Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge, which combined popular music with a quiz show format. It aired on Mutual Radio in 1938 and then moved to NBC Radio from 1939 to 1949. Kyser led the band as “The Ol’ Perfessor,” spouting signature catch phrases like, “That’s right—you’re wrong,” “Evenin’ folks, how y’all?” and “C'mon, chillun! Le's dance!” Kyser was also known for having his singers sing the song titles, a device copied by Sammy Kaye and Blue Barron. When the song began, one of the band's lead singers (usually Harry Babbitt) sang the title phrase, and then the first verse or two of the song was performed instrumentally before the lyrics resumed.

Known for

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

The Movie Orgy

The Movie Orgy

Clips from assorted television programs, B-movies, commercials, music performances, newsreels, bloopers, satirical short films and promotional and government films of the 1950s and 1960s are intercut together to tell a single story of various creatures and societal ills attacking American cities.

Swing Fever

Swing Fever

Comedy about a bandleader with hypnotic powers.

Africa Squeaks

Africa Squeaks

Porky Pig goes on a safari in Africa, and runs into an assortment of crazy animals, wacky natives and Kay Kyser giving dance lessons in the middle of the jungle.

Showbiz Goes to War

Showbiz Goes to War

While a few Hollywood celebrities such as James Stewart and Clark Gable saw combat during World War II, the majority used their talents to rally the American public through bond sales, morale-boosting USO tours, patriotic war dramas and escapist film fare. Comedian David Steinberg plays host for this star-studded, 90-minute documentary, which looks at the way Tinseltown helped the United States' war effort.

Stage Door Canteen

Stage Door Canteen

A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous stars of theatre and film appear and host a recreational center for servicemen during the war. The soldier meets a pretty young hostess and they enjoy the many entertainers and a growing romance.

Show-Business at War

Show-Business at War

A multi-studio effort to show the newsreel audience the progress of the Hollywood war effort.

My Favorite Spy

My Favorite Spy

The Army takes a bandleader (Kay Kyser) away from his bride (Ellen Drew) and sends him on a spy mission with a woman (Jane Wyman).

You'll Find Out

You'll Find Out

The manager of Kay Kyser’s band books them for a birthday party bash for an heiress at a spooky mansion, where sinister forces try to kill her.

Thousands Cheer

Thousands Cheer

Acrobat Eddie Marsh is in the army now. His first act is to become friendly with Kathryn Jones, the colonel's pretty daughter. Their romance hits a few snags, including disapproval from her father. Eddie's also plagued by fear of having an accident during his family's trapeze act in the army variety show, which also features a gallery of MGM stars.

That's Right – You're Wrong

That's Right – You're Wrong

J. D. Forbes, head of the almost-bankrupt Four Star Studios in Hollywood contacts band leader Kay Kyser, who puts on a radio and-live theatre program called "The Kollege of Musical Knowledge," to appear in films. When manager Chuck Deems gets the studio offer, he and band members Ginny Simms, Sully Mason, Ish Kabiddle, Harry Babbitt and the others are all fired up at the prospect of going to Hollywood and working in the movies, but band-leader Kay is all against it and says his old grandmother has told him to stay in his own back yard, but he relents. Once there, Stacey Delmore, a Four Star associate producer left in charge of the studio while Forbes is out of town, discovers that the screenplay writers have prepared a script that has Kay Kyser playing a glamorous lover in an exotic European setting.

If I Forget You

If I Forget You

Judy Garland sings the title song, a tribute to Will Rogers.

Television: The First Fifty Years

Television: The First Fifty Years

Trace the history of television and its impact on American culture with clips, newsreels, and exclusive interviews from television greats like Walter Cronkite, Carol Burnett, and Jay Leno.

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2

Hedda Hopper plays hostess at a party for her (grown) son William (DeWolfe Jr.). Hopper, attends the dedication of the Motion Picture Relief Fund's country home and goes to the Mocambo. There is also a sequence dedicated to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin world premiere of the first short in this series attended by more that a few film stars.

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1

Hedda Hopper guides us through some of Hollywood's sights; the home of William S. Hart and a Kay Kyser recording-session being among them.