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IMDbPro

Carolina Blues

  • 1944
  • U
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
220
YOUR RATING
Harry Babbitt, M.A. Bogue, Kay Kyser, Sully Mason, Ann Miller, Victor Moore, and Kay Kyser Band in Carolina Blues (1944)
ComedyMusical

Band Leader Kay Kyser wants to take a holiday, but his publicist Charlotte has promised that he'll give a concert for defense plant workers. Due to the fact that his vocalist has quit to get... Read allBand Leader Kay Kyser wants to take a holiday, but his publicist Charlotte has promised that he'll give a concert for defense plant workers. Due to the fact that his vocalist has quit to get married, the plant owner's daughter Julie sings instead. But Kay dislikes her idea of joi... Read allBand Leader Kay Kyser wants to take a holiday, but his publicist Charlotte has promised that he'll give a concert for defense plant workers. Due to the fact that his vocalist has quit to get married, the plant owner's daughter Julie sings instead. But Kay dislikes her idea of joining the band.

  • Director
    • Leigh Jason
  • Writers
    • Joseph Hoffman
    • Al Martin
    • M.M. Musselman
  • Stars
    • Kay Kyser
    • Ann Miller
    • Victor Moore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    220
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Leigh Jason
    • Writers
      • Joseph Hoffman
      • Al Martin
      • M.M. Musselman
    • Stars
      • Kay Kyser
      • Ann Miller
      • Victor Moore
    • 10User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

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    Top cast49

    Edit
    Kay Kyser
    Kay Kyser
    • Kay Kyser
    Ann Miller
    Ann Miller
    • Julie Carver
    Victor Moore
    Victor Moore
    • Phineas…
    Jeff Donnell
    Jeff Donnell
    • Charlotte Barton
    Howard Freeman
    Howard Freeman
    • Tom Gordon
    Georgia Carroll
    Georgia Carroll
    • Band Singer
    M.A. Bogue
    M.A. Bogue
    • Ish Kabibble
    • (as Ish Kabibble)
    Harry Babbitt
    Harry Babbitt
    • Band Member
    Sully Mason
    Sully Mason
    • Band Member
    Harold Nicholas
    Harold Nicholas
    • Dance Specialty
    The Cristiani Family
    The Cristiani Family
    • Acrobatic Specialty
    • (as The Christianis)
    The Layson Brothers
    • Specialty
    The Four Step Brothers
    The Four Step Brothers
    • Tap Dance Specialty Quartette
    Kay Kyser Band
    Kay Kyser Band
    • Kay Kyser Band
    • (as Kay Kyser's Band)
    Eddie Acuff
    Eddie Acuff
    • Eddie
    • (uncredited)
    Elvia Allman
    Elvia Allman
    • Loud Kyser Fan
    • (uncredited)
    Lennie Bluett
    • Dancer in 'Mr. Beebe'
    • (uncredited)
    Mildred Boyd
    • Dancer in 'Mr. Beebe'
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Leigh Jason
    • Writers
      • Joseph Hoffman
      • Al Martin
      • M.M. Musselman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    5.8220
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    Featured reviews

    3t1z2f

    One or two redeeming numbers

    I like neither Kyser's screen persona nor his bland style of swing, so wouldn't ever recommend going to a film to see him. But he sometimes had a talent for pepping up his films with good specialty acts.

    The show-stopper in this film is the "Mr. Beebe" number, featuring Harold Nicholas (without brother Fayard), supported by a number of other top black singers and dancers including The Four Step Brothers, Marie Bryant, June Richmond, and others I can't identify. Kyser's band with Ann Miller singing briefly introduce the number, then leave the set - typical for the era, the scene was clearly designed so that the black performers could be edited out when the film was shown in the south.

    The disappointment is that all that talent, including Ann Miller, is given very little footage to show their stuff. Miller's only tap number is hacked by some dialog. Harold Nicholas is brilliant, but the other singers and dancers in the number only get to do quick cameos.

    The Kyser personnel do get to do a couple of other cute numbers. Significantly, these occur informally, when Kyser isn't directing or arranging them.
    6timothymcclenaghan

    Typical Kyser Fare With Added Bonus of Ann Miller

    Kay Kyser had many top-selling recordings, but his Kollege of Musical Knowledge show, both live and on the radio, was more of a floor show than the performances of other swing bands and orchestras. His show is, of course, incorporated into this film. So in that respect, the film bears resemblance to other films in which Kyser appeared.

    The extra bonus is the addition of sweet and lovely Ann Miller to the cast. Unfortunately, her one and only dance performance is butchered by cutaway shots and editing, so that about half is gone. You can only faintly hear the singing and tapping in the background.

    What's left, however, is still pure Miller magic. Nobody else was such a machine-gun on feet.
    6utgard14

    Worth a look

    Decent Kay Kyser vehicle with some fun performances. As is usually the case with Kyser films, he's not the most appealing part of the picture. Here we have a young Ann Miller with Victor Moore as her dad offering good support, an extremely talented group of black performers who put on a show-stealing number in the middle of the film, and the criminally underrated Jeff Donnell who is so full of personality in all her scenes I kept wishing she was the star. Also in the mix is Kyser's usual cast of characters - Ish Kabibble and the rest. They're ok. Several big positives for this one. What keeps it from being more highly rated is that the story is very old hat and it goes on about ten minutes too long. Still, worth a gander for fans of the period.
    yessdanc

    Not Kyser's Best

    Out of the 7 feature films starring Big Bandleader Kay Kyser, i rate this one dead last. I hate to say it, as I've commented on other Kyser films, and am a BIG Kyser enthusiast, but this, his one film for Columbia, and as it turned out, his last feature, is just embarrassing. It wasn't his fault. It was that Columbia had NO idea what to do with him. Kyser started w/ RKO in '39, did 5 features there, and was very successful. Then one for MGM, SWING FEVER, which was not very good, but better than this. But i digress...I don't know if it's just my 16mm transfer to vhs, but the production values seem cheap, as in dark lighting. The great band doesn't get enough to do, and though Ann Miller is good, comic relief Victor Moore practically chews the scenery. In a scene in a taxi, you can see Kyser mouth the other actor's line as he delivers it. The first 3 Kyser films are priceless in my book, as the freshness and heart are so very apparent. But this really drags. Thank God Ish Kabibble (Merwyn Bogue)is in fine, dumb-as-a-brick form.
    5SnoopyStyle

    needed the wasted time

    Band Leader Kay Kyser and his big band return to America after a long stint playing for the troupes. He wants to take a break but his publicist convinces him to do another show for plant workers. His regular singer needs time to get married. He reluctantly accepts Julie Carver (Ann Miller), the plant owner's daughter, as her replacement.

    It's a bit of song and dance during the war years. The writing isn't much. The acting is fine. There isn't much of anything other than the musical breaks. It may as well be a concert show. It's a waste of an hour although that was needed back then. People just needed a break and that's what this is.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Contrary to a previous comment, Ann Miller does not dance with Harold Nicholas in the "Mr. Beebe" number. In keeping with the times, the number is all-Black (the better for Southern censors to delete), and all the dancing girls in the number are light-skinned "colored" ladies. This is apparent on DVD.
    • Quotes

      Band Singer: Why don't you grab her?

      Kay Kyser: Well, she's just not what I'm looking for.

      Band Singer: Now, I'm warning you, Kay, you better grab somebody fast - and I mean fast!

    • Connections
      Featured in The Movie Orgy (1968)
    • Soundtracks
      Mr. Beebe
      Written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn and Dudley Brooks

      Performed by Harold Nicholas

      Also sung by Ann Miller, June Richmond and a vocal quartet

      Also danced by The Four Step Brothers, Marie Bryant and several others

      Later played jug-band style by members of the Kay Kyser Band

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    FAQ13

    • How long is Carolina Blues?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 20, 1944 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Battleship Blues
    • Filming locations
      • Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 21 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Harry Babbitt, M.A. Bogue, Kay Kyser, Sully Mason, Ann Miller, Victor Moore, and Kay Kyser Band in Carolina Blues (1944)
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