Um Mundo de Ritmos

The review below by 'PTB-8' of AROUND THE WORLD is off the mark- Not because of his overuse of adjectives, but by mistakes. Joan BENNETT is not even in this film. I will assume he's talking about Joan Davis (BIG difference!), who is delightfully silly and cornball, which was the comedy style of the day. It costars the Kyser gang of excellent performers- Harry Babbitt, Georgia Carroll, Ish Kabibble and Sully Mason. AROUND THE WORLD is an amusing wartime musical with a somber ending- a first and only for the Kyser films. Kyser was a very big radio personality of the late 30s/early 40s,not Sir John Gielgud, but his acting seems very natural to me. Perhaps it's because I'm from the South, too. Rest assured AROUND THE WORLD's worth watching.

Fun wartime comedy with Kay Kyser and his band traveling the world entertaining the troops and engaging in hijinks. Great support from the always reliable Joan Davis. Mischa Auer is a standout as an exaggerated parody of himself. His sword fight scene is the film's highlight. The musical numbers are all solid. No classics but no duds either. For his part Kyser is fine. He was usually outshined by his costars and that's the case here too. The Marcy McGuire stuff is probably the weakest part of the movie. Look it's not a picture trying to reinvent comedic cinema. It's just a fun way to pass the time and what more do you really need than that?

Kay Kyser and his band travel around the world to entertain the troops with other entertainers. Marcy McGuire is an eager teen desperate to join the group.

Other than Kay Kyser, I don't recognize anybody else. One or two actors may be vaguely familiar. I'm not taken with the comedy especially without knowing the comedian's act. It's an old time USO group doing their thing. Maybe they show this to isolated troops with no access to entertainment. I don't know about the story wrapped around the music. None of it is that compelling. I don't particularly like the music or the humor. It's old timey.

Goofball radio show musical transposed onto the screen intact with twisted grin loudmouth band leader Kay Kyser and his gang of musical misfits. It starts on a world tour in what is supposed to be (a tin shed) in Australia. Well roodle-e-doo if we don't get a great swing number straight off! From there it is a whirlwind tour of the allies all over the planet, including China. Kyser is as obnoxious as he is funny, clearly a candidate for what we all now know is attention deficit syndrome. Marcie does her bug eyed swing stuff like she did in HIGHER AND HIGHER and Joan.. er... Davis is doing Eve Arden via Mary Wickes. It is quite funny but the music is the standout, as it should be in a wartime morale booster. Am I also the only one besides the Farrelly Brothers who has spotted the "dumb and dumber" look of Ish kabibble?..of course the other way around........hmmmmmmmmmm.

AROUND THE WORLD is a fine, entertaining RKO film. Kay Kyser was a hugely popular MALE bandleader when HE made this in '43. Appearances by Mischa Auer, comedy team CARNEY AND BROWN, Marcy McGuire and Joan Davis round out an entertaining cast. Good swing numbers-check out Roodle-EE-doo! Worth seeing if you're a fan of wartime comedy/musicals.