Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-16
KayKyser
GSucceSS
in Movies
BY CHARLES GENTRY

BY ChAhLES GENTRY
WE DIDN'T know that "the
College of Musical knowledge"
had any courses in histrionics, but
lii looks like Professor" Kay
Kyser has been doing all right I'M
the dramatic department of his
own Alma Mater.
Kyser's latest picture, MY Fa-
vorite Spy" Is due to appear on
the Fox Theater screen Friday
and will be his fourth. which Is
certainly proof that his radio and
dance fans want to see him on the
screen as well.
This is remarkable In that he
Is one of the very few orchestral
leaders to ever make the grade as
a screen entertainer. Many Of
the baton boys have tried and left
Hollywood with bitterness in their
hearts and their faces turned to
the cutting room wall.
II is generally true that musi-
clans don't make good actors and
that an orchestra leader suffers
much worse fate on the screen
when he can't even hold saxo-
phone in front of his face.
All the big shots, Tommy Dor
sey. Jimmy Dorsey and Glenn
Miller have tried it but failed TO
prove photogenic enough to follow
the Height trail.
FOR AIRING PURPOSES
Artie Shaw, perhaps. came as
close as any, but his success In
films can't touch that OF Kyser.
RKO was, for that reason, leery
OF Kyser at first. When they
signed him to make That's Right,
You're Wrong" it was chiefly TO
cater to the ether set, who follow
him religiously on the air waves.
That Kyser would become a
comedian. they never dreamed, and
he was kept in the fairly incon-
spicuous background, except for a
few scenes.
A UNIQUE TWIST
These scenes, however, proved
the highlights OF the picture,
which. as you may recall. actually
dealt with a band leader they were
trying 10 turn into a movie star,
with hilariously disastrous results.
This was a smart idea on which
to base a band picture, but no
one guessed that Kyser would
garner fan mail from folk who
had never heard him on the air!
Next they tried another kid
der" this one as the murder
mystery TO end all murder
mysteries. Karloff. Lugosi and
LORE were all hired to become
horror stooges for Kyser. with the
result that they are still making
both horror and Kyser pictures.
You'll Find Out" was the title OF
that one and the maestro found
himself occupying much more
screen space.
DISTINGUISHED CO-STAR
In the third. "Playmates." he
took up almost as much celluloid
as his distinguished co-star. John
Barrymore, who. incidentally,
made his final screen appearance
with Kyser.
Now the studio realizes that
their band leader has accomplished
the almost-impossible. He has be-
come a screen star. So much so
that Harold Lloyd. the former
who produced My,
Favorite Spy" picked Kyser. him
self 10 play the role in this film
which Lloyd had bought himself
for his own comeback.
Kyser is being spoken of around
the sets. as the new Harold
Lloyd" The be-spectacled maestro
looks like Lloyd did in his hey
day. He is the same type OF con-
fused young man. who gets him.
self into terrible scrapes. In fact.
NE literally fits into the picture.
THE NEW LLOYD
Now Lloyd, who Is bent solely
on producing. Is grooming Kyser
TO take his place in re-makes Of
some of the more famous OF early
Lloyd comedies.
In MY Favorite Spy" Kyser
has Ellen Drew and Jane Wyman
for feminine interest with a fair
share OF music provided by his
band, for Kyser wants to have his
band in every picture. no matter
what direction his screen career,
now an established fact. takes him.
incidentally. Kyser and his or
ganization, are due here in person
at the very same theater, the Fox,
some time in July. though no def
mite date has yet been set.