Jon Dodson(1907-1963)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jon Dodson's association with The King's Men
quartet was his primary profession, beginning in 1930. From 1934 to
1937 The King's Men ('Ken Darby', Arranger & Bass;
Rad Robinson, Baritone; Jon Dodson, Lead
Tenor; Bud Linn, Top Tenor) were a feature of
the Paul Whiteman Orchestra on RCA
records and the Kraft Music Hall. They subsequently appeared with many
other orchestra leaders, including Rudy Vallee. They were heard, and
sometimes seen, in many feature films, including
Grande chérie (1929) (My Sweeter than Sweet),
Hollywood Party (1934) (Feelin'
High), Let's Go Native (1930)
(title song),
Ce n'est pas un péché (1934)
(Troubled Waters),
La folle parade (1938),
Rythmes d'amour (1934),
(Lovely One) and notably
Le Magicien d'Oz (1939), in
which they are the off screen voices for the Lollipop Guild. On screen
they were remembered as the singing cowboys of the Hopalong Cassidy
films. In the costume party scene of the film
Honolulu (1939) the King's Men play the
Marx Brothers (Dodson plays Chico). For a few years they were
associated with the Music Department at Disney Studios, and are heard
in La Boîte à musique (1946) and
Pinocchio (1940). The quartet was a
regular featured on the long-running radio show "Fibber McGee & Molly."
The King's Men group was the basis for the Ken Darby Singers, featured
on John Charles Thomas'
"Westinghouse Broadcasts" and on many Decca phonograph records, such as
Bing Crosby's original recording of "White Christmas."
