ALVINO
REY
Alvino Rey Talking Steel Guitar Puppet (Stringy) from gaejang guk on Vimeo.
ALVINO REY ORCHESTRA
ST. LOUIS BLUES
'TALKING UKULELE PUPPET!'
Vocal/clarinetist
Skeets Herfurt
Alvino Rey's 'Talking Steel Guitar' could actually talk, giving Rey's orchestra its distinctive sound (some of Rey's critics called it a 'gimmick'). Rey played with virtuosic skill, demonstrating his guitar's 'singing' quality by manipulating the tone and volume controls. 'Stringy' (the guitar's nickname) was able to sound as if 'HE' were saying words. Of course 'Stringy' wasn't, but Luise King, Rey's wife was. In something that describes like a sexual fetish, Luise stood backstage with a small plastic tube connected between her mouth and Rey's amplifier, forming words with her lips and throat muscles. Rey would make her make 'IT' say his name as he glided the steel bar along the strings of his steel guitar, all while playing, perfectly dressed in a perfect tuxedo.
Over the years Mr. Rey's bands employed a remarkable array of arrangers, including, Skeets Herfurt, who also played clarinet.
Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt
(born May 28, 1911 in Cincinnati, Ohio - died April 17, 1992 in New Orleans, Louisiana) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Herfurt was raised in Denver and played in bands while attending the University of Colorado. He did stints with Smith Ballew (1934), Jimmy/ Tommy Dorsey (together 1934-35, Jimmy 1935-37, and Tommy 1937-39), and Ray Noble. After moving to California, he worked with Alvino Rey, then served in the Army during 1944-45. Following this he did work as a studio musician in Hollywood in addition to time leading his own band as well as work with Benny Goodman in 1946-47. His studio credits, into the 1960s, include sessions with Billy May, Louis Armstrong, Georgie Auld, Jack Teagarden, and Stan Kenton. He worked with Goodman again in 1961 and 1964. Herfurt appeared as a saxophonist in the 1958 film The Nightmare, and plays clarinet on the soundtrack. He also performed on the soundtrack to the 1974 film The Fortune. He was a member of Lawrence Welk's orchestra and weekly television show from 1979 to 1982.
With the device, Rey and Luise were able to create eerie vocal sounds in four- or five-part harmony, which seemed to mysteriously emanate from the steel guitar.**INVENTION**
Alvin McBurney (ALVINO REY) was born in 1908, and grew up in Cleveland. His first instrument was a banjo, which he tinkered with, attaching electrical wiring to amplify its twang through a radio loudspeaker. In the Spring of 1935 Rey was hired by the Gibson Guitar Corporation to produce a prototype pickup with engineers at the Lyon & Healy company in Chicago, based on the one he had developed for his own banjo. The result was incorporated into Gibson's first electric guitar.
*SKEETS HERFURT*
Arthur 'Skeets' Herfurt, (clarinetist) moved to California to work with Alvino Rey in the early 1940s. Following his stint with Rey, he worked as a studio musician in Hollywood, in addition to work with Benny Goodman in 1946-47. His studio credits into the '60s, include: Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, and Stan Kenton. He worked with Goodman again in 1961 and 1964. Herfurt appeared in two of Rey's films, 'JAVA JIVE' and 'CIELITO LINDO,'he also appeared as a saxophonist in the 1958 film 'The Nightmare,'playing clarinet on the soundtrack. He was a member of Lawrence Welk's orchestra and weekly television show from 1979 to 1982.
THE PETE DRAKE /ALVINO REY CONNECTION
*Pete Drake's two most famous talking steel songs were 'Forever' and 'Lock, Stock and Teardrops'.
INTERVIEWER: How did your "Talking Guitar" come about?
PETE DRAKE: Well, everybody wanted this style of mine, but I sort of got tired of it. I'd say, "Hey, let me try and come up with something new," and they'd say, "I want you to do what you did on So-and-so's record." Now, I'd been trying to make something for people who couldn't talk, who'd lost their voice. I had some neighbors who were deaf and dumb, and I thought it would be nice if they could talk. So I saw this old Kay Kayser movie, and Alvino Rey was playing the 'talking guitar'--I thought, "Man, if he can make a guitar talk, surely I can make people talk." So I worked on it for about five years, and it was so simple that I went all around it, you know, like we usually do.
Alvino Rey died in Salt Lake City.He was 95.
**ALVINO REY TRIVIA**
*He changed his name to Alvino Rey in 1929 to help fit in with a Latin music craze* The first electric guitar(Gibson Guitar's ES-150) prototype is kept in the Experience Music Project museum in Seattle* Alvino Rey claims to have been playing electric guitar before jazz guitar pioneer, Charlie Christian* One of the King girls married Rick Nelson* Rey became a Mormon on his marriage to Luise King in 1937* Rey recorded with crazed exotica bandleader Esquivel on RCA Victor* Rey was one of two ukulele players on the March, 1961 recording sessions for the Paramount movie "Blue Hawaii," backing Elvis Presley* Walt Disney eventually bought the rights to Sonovox and used in it cartoons for five years* Alvino used the unit for his band's opening theme, voicing the mantra, "Listen, Listen, Listen"* Sonovox dynamic throat units pre-dated plastic-tube, 'talking instrument' devices, still in use today* In the 1970's, Peter Frampton popularized the talkbox (Heil) on 'Frampton Comes Alive,' voicing a decidedly different sentiment*
IS THIS CLIP FROM 'JAVA JIVE' OR 'CIELITO LINDO'?
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE CREEPY UKULELE-PUPPET?
**THANKS TO YOUTUBERS, BOING BOING, WIKI, AND THE ORIGINAL POSTER FOR ALL RESOURCE MATERIAL.
NICHOPOULOOZA
JAVA JIVE
Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra, "Skeets" Herfurt, Dick Morgan September 6, 1943
Evenin' Folks! How Y'all?
YOU'LL FIND OUT
(1940 RKO)
Peter Lorre - Prof. Fenninger
Boris Karloff - Judge Mainwaring
Bela Lugosi - Prince Saliano
Helen Parrish - Janis Bellacrest
Dennis O'Keefe - Chuck Deems
Alma Kruger - Aunt Margo
Joseph Eggenton - Jurgen
Ginny Simms - Ginny Simms
Harry Babbitt - Harry Babbitt
Ish Kabibble - Himself
Sully Mason - Sully Mason
M.A. Bogue - Ish Kabibble
Louise Currie - Lead Society Girl
Kay Kyser
Leonard Mudie - The Real Fenninger
You'll Find Out (1940). Despite the insipidly dull title (and despite the comment of the Leonard Maltin guide and its many copycats) the film is an eighty minute black and white orgasm for fans of anything haunted house related. The plot consists of once massively popular bandleader Kay Kyser and his novelty orchestra (like Spike Jones and his City Slickers except nowhere near as funny) having motor trouble with their tour van and having to take refuge in a spooky house on a rainy night. Turns out the home is inhabited by a Boris Karloff butler, a chain-smoking Lorre, and Bela Lugosi sporting a swami's hat. Further elaboration would seemingly be unnecessary as this sounds pretty fantastic as is, but wait, there's more.
The film features what was at that time a new invention: The Sonovox. This device is first used by Bela Lugosi, secretly haunting the house from the depths of the basement. The Sonovox used a similar theory to that of the tool used by smokers who lose their voice and must talk through the use of amplifying the vibration of their throat. The Sonovox produces a nearly satanic sound when used by Lugosi producing the film's creepiest moments. Once all is said and done, and our heroes win out in the end,
Kyser's orchestra uses the Sonovox to create some swingingly eerie effects in the film's closing big band number.Harry Babbit: I'd Know You Anywhere"Helen Parrish:One Track Mind
In the 40's this effect was used most famously in a series of radio commercials for Lifebuoy brand soaps. The Sonovoxed voice in their ads would terrifyingly announce "BEEE-OHHHH!" As in, "Say friends, do you know someone who suffers from ... BEEE-OHHHH!" This campaign was so well known at the time that it was made fun of in both Bob Clampett cartoons and the routines of the aforementioned Spike Jones group.
1942's Who's Yehoodi?Kay Kyser joined by vocalist, Lane Truesdale
based on a running gag by radio comedian, Jerry Colona
People buy bootleg copies off EBAY all the time. But, a-ha! They're not restored copies. Kay and the band in a haunted house. Swing numbers one minute, Ish disappearing behind secret panels the next. The ONLY time (perk up, you experts) Karloff, Lugosi and Lorre appeared together in the same film. I love it, but Kay's a bit too over the top in first scene. Incredible songs! "Like The Fella Once Said", "You've Got Me This Way", "I'd Know You Anywhere", "One Track Mind", Ish's "Bad Humor Man (rumor has it that the song was to have been sung by the "3 Boogie Men"!! as print ads described them).
- The Umbrella Man - 1939
- Three Little Fishies - 1939
- (Lights Out) Til Reveille - 1941
- (There'll Be Bluebirds) Over the White Cliffs of Dover - 1941
- Who Wouldn't Love You - 1942
- Jingle, Jangle, Jingle - 1942
- He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings - 1942
- Strip Polka - 1942
- Praise the Lord and Pass the Amunition - 1942
- Old Buttermilk Sky - 1946
- Woody Woodpecker - 1946
As we all know, '39 was a banner year for film, but also for music. The body of these recordings featured songs that were sprightly, with the emphasis on fun, followed by effective ballads. Much has been made of the "singing song titles", a hallmark of all Kyser band recordings during this period (originating in '34 ).The band would play an instrumental chorus to start, with Harry (usually) singing the title, followed by a four (sometimes six) bar melody of the KK theme song, "Thinking of You". During this section, Kay would introduce the vocalist. The origin of this is listed in the KK TIMELINE, on the "About Kay" page.
Some of the lesser known (and borderline bizarre) titles are my favorites, such as "Honest John" and "Monstro the Whale", both from the Disney film, Pinocchio. After '42, the band updated its music to a more generic, harder swing style. After '45, most of the "fun stuff", as I call it, ceased to exist. There were still occasional novelties, but as Harry Babbitt told me, "After the war I came back to the band, but it wasn't fun anymore. The spontanaiety was gone." Which is not to say there weren't some great recordings left, such as "On a Slow Boat to China", but one could feel Kay's presence fading. Many of the earlier recordings are hard to find, but well worth it. There are some interesting stories behind some of the hits, but they're too long to tell here. Email me!
Kay Kyser, born James Kern Kyser in Rocky Mount, N.C. on June 18, 1905. He became UNC’s bandleader in 1926-27 when current band leader Hal Kemp convinced him to take over for him; Kemp had decided to leave to seek his own career. It was at this time that Kyser adopted the name Kay Kyser because he thought it sounded snappy.After graduating Chapel Hill in 1928, Kyser and the band go on the road achieving minor success until 1934 when Hal Kemp again steps in to help his old buddy by recommending the Kay Kyser Orchestra to the manager of The Blackhawk club in Chicago. With a steady gig, the band can afford to hire Ginny Simms as lead female singer and the bands popularity starts takes off eventually landing a recording contract with Brunswick in 1935.The band produced 11 number one hits between 1939 and 1946 and charted 35 more top ten hits.
Unlike other bands of the era which centered on the bandleader, many members of Kyser’s band went on to become stars in their own right.
Some of the most notable members included: Harry Babbitt, Bruce King, comedic cornet player Ish Kabibble, Ginny Simms, Mike Douglas (years before he became a popular TV talk show host), and Georgia Carroll who in 1945 married Kyser.
What Kyser is best known for is his musical quiz show, “Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge,” with Kyser playing the role of the “The Ol’ Perfessor.” The show was an instant hit developing an audience of 20 million listeners and was broadcast in 1938 on the Mutual radio network moving to the NBC radio network where it was on the top ten from 1939 to 1949. “Diplomas” were mailed to listeners who sent in quiz questions to be used on-air.
There’s more I can say about Kay but I’ll end here. Enjoy one of my favorites “Ole Buttermilk Sky” which went number one in 1946.
Here’s a bonus for you a clip of Kay and his “Kollege of Musical Knowledge”
A clip from the 1939 movie, "That's Right, You're Wrong!", starring Kay Kyser and his orchestra. This clip re-creates his Wednesday night radio show, "The Kollege Of Musical Knowledge".
Second half of simulation of Kollege Of Musical Knowledge broadcast from the 1939 movie, "That's Right, You're Wrong!".
KAY KYSER: "A Rookie And His Rhythm" left to right-Jack Martin, Julie Conway, Harry Babbitt, Trudy Erwin, Max Williams, Sully Mason lead vocal (Harry singing the bridge)Ish Kabibble (19 January 1908 – 5 June1994) was a comedian and cornet player. Born Merwyn Bogue in North East, Pennsylvania, his family returned to Erie, Pennsylvania a few months after his birth.He studied law at West Virginia University, but his comedy antics soon found an audience. He performed with Kay Kyser on the television quiz show Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge in 1949 and 1950. He also appeared in ten movies between 1939 and 1950. In Thousands Cheer (1943), he is the band member who tells Kyser the joke about his friend receiving $250,000, and he sings "I Dug a Ditch" in that film. He's also a vocalist in That's Right — You're Wrong (1939), You'll Find Out (1940), and Playmates (1941).In his 1989 autobiography, Bogue explained his stage name, which he took from the lyrics of one of his comedic songs, "Isch ga-bibble." The song derived from a boy named Ben, who thought the word was cool. "Ishkabibble?", which was purported to mean "I should worry?", prompted a curious (and perhaps not coincidental) association of the comedian with the "What, me worry?" motto of Mad's mascot, Alfred E. Neuman. While this derivation has been widely quoted on the Internet and elsewhere, the expression "ische ga bibble" is not Yiddish, and, in fact, contains no Yiddish words at all.Although Bogue's stage persona was that of a dimwitted person, he was a notable cornet player and was also business manager for the Kay Kyser Orchestra from 1931 to 1951. With the decline of the big bands, Bogue found a new career in real estate. He died in 1994 in Palm Springs, California.Kabibble's distinctive black hair in a bowl cut, similar to that used by Three StoogesMoe Howard, is said to have been an inspiration for the hairstyle worn by Jim Carrey's character in Dumb and Dumber.
Some maintain that Jerry Lewis lifted his comedic persona and look from Ish Kabibble, making an otherwise identical character more manic than Ish Kabibble's earlier presentation.*
The Alvino Rey Orchestra and the King Sisters began broadcasting their performances on KHJ, in Los Angeles. RCA Victor Records promptly signed them to a seven-year recording contract. According to Luise (King) Rey, they had been brought to the label's attention by a talented young studio drummer named Spike Jones.
"We had cut one record for Bluebird, which was 'In The Mood,' says Donna. "We were the first to record a vocal version of the Glenn Miller hit, with words added. Shortly after that, we were booked into the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, which had these weekly dances that a lot of high school and college kids went to. We were shocked to see about 4000 kids show up! That's when we realized just how many people were listening to our KHJ broadcasts. The kids requested 'In The Mood' over and over again, so we sang that song again and again! We hadn't realized how popular we were becoming, because they didn't have anything like Neilsen ratings for radio shows at that time. We were absolutely floored at the response!"
The Alvino Rey Orchestra brought together a lot of young, eager and talented players and arrangers. Over the band's career these included (among many others), saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, drummer Davey Tough, alto sax and clarinetist Skeets Herfurt, (who had been recruited from Tommy Dorsey's band), rhythm guitarist Dick Morgan (who later became an important player and singer in Spike Jones' City Slickers), trombonist and arranger Johnny Mandel, arrangers Jerry Fielding, Billy May, Frank Devol, Neal Hefti, Nelson Riddle and Ray Conniff. The centerpiece of the all the instrumentalists was Alvino Rey, himself, on electric guitar (which he claims to have been playing long before jazz guitar pioneer Charlie Christian.) It was, however, his electric steel guitar that gave the Rey organization it's distinctive sound, and although some of the band's critics called it a 'gimmick', Rey played it with virtuoso skill.
One of the bands' early hits was an instrumental called 'Mama Blues', in which Reydemonstrated his 'singing' steel guitar, which he nicknamed 'Stringy'. By manipulating the tone and volume controls on the instrument while he played, Rey was able to make the guitar sound as if it were saying simple words. Later, the effect was greatly improved when his wife, Luise King, stood out of sight backstage with a small plastic tube that connected to Rey's amplifier. With the tube in her mouth, she then formed words with her lips as Alvino Rey played chords, the sounds of which were picked up by a microphone. With the device, Rey and King were able to create eerie vocal sounds in four or five part harmony, seemingly coming from his steel guitar. In the 1970's, guitarist and singer Peter Frampton popularized the device on his album, Frampton Comes Alive. Few rock and rollers knew, however, that Alvino Rey, who had always been something of an amateur electronics enthusiast, had invented and used the device some thirty-five years earlier, during the big band era. The Rey band and the Kings were booked into the Biltmore Hotel in New York City, familiar territory since they had performed there for a long stint with Horace Heidt. The manager of the Biltmore thought of the Rey band as Horace Heidt alumnus, and expected the same kind of music. He insisted that the band keep the volume down, much to the band's disappointment. Their reception at The Biltmore was the total opposite from what they had just gotten in California. "The hotel was used mainly by older businessmen and retired people," continues Donna. "They were used to a more sedate kind of music. Hardly anyone was there, and the manager insisted that we only play quiet numbers. The boys had to mute their trumpets. We couldn't play any of the really good, hot swing numbers that we specialized in. Here we had this high-energy band with lots of personality and we were dying there! We were so depressed. The only good thing about it was that after our shows, we could go down the street and hear Tommy Dorsey or Woody Herman or one of the other really great bands. We were so envious of their young audiences, who were all these young college kids!"
The girls had leased a house in Yonkers during the Biltmore engagement, anticipating a long run there. Homesick for their parents, the girls convinced their parents to drive back East with their two youngest children to spend the summer at the house with them, reuniting as a family. Eighteen year-old Yvonne King and Rey pianist, Buddy Cole, had become an item and with her parent's hesitant blessings, the young couple was soon married. Buddy Cole had gotten his start in vaudeville playing piano behind another sister act, The Gumm Sisters. The youngest Gumm sister, Francis, later changed her name to the more recognizable Judy Garland.
"One night, while we were playing at the Biltmore, " says Donna, "this young kid named Stuart Woodruff came in, who had heard some of our radio broadcasts and knew we could really swing. We were delighted to see someone come into the club who was actually from our own generation! He bounced straight up to the bandstand and demanded that we play 'Tiger Rag', which was one of our hottest numbers. Alvino was so bored and frustrated with the music we'd been forced to play, that he thought for a few seconds, then turned to the band and said 'okay, let's play it!' Out came the mutes from the trumpets and band went into it, loud and fast and wild!"
Earlier in the evening, the manager had retired to his room, where he was getting ready for bed when he heard this huge, powerful, blasting music from the Biltmore Roof. He rushed upstairs, still in his bathrobe, to where the band was just finishing the number, and angrily marched up to Rey. After a short, animated conversation with Rey at the side of the room, he promptly fired the band. No two-week notice was given, and the band was left high and dry in New York City with no money and no immediate prospects for work. Under the circumstances, the band was delighted to be leaving the dreary engagement.
After some scuffling around New York City, they ended up at the Rustic Cabin, a cozy nightclub and restaurant in Englewood, New Jersey, where a skinny Italian kid named Frank Sinatra had been discovered just a few months earlier. The Kings and the Rey band rented a large gangster-owned house near the Rustic Cabin that they communally shared and affectionately nicknamed 'Chateau D'Crock.' "It belonged to some bootleg king', said Alvino Rey in a 1967 interview. "The guys in the band were making only thirty-five dollars a week, and the Sisters and I were getting only thirty, so to save the commuting money to New York, most of us lived there." The band stayed at the Rustic Cabin for nine months, and it was during their stay there in 1939 that Alyce and Donna met their future husbands, Syd De Azevedo and Jim Conkling, respectively. (After De Azevedo passed away unexpectedly, Alyce's second marriage was to Robert Clarke, whose work as a film director, writer and actor has produced such sci-fi cult classics as She-Monster and Beyond The Time Barrier.)
Although the band was making next to nothing, money-wise, ("We were paid in spaghetti at one place we played!," Donna King recalls,) the public exposure they received from their WGN broadcasts from the Rustic Cabin was invaluable. It was the perfect place for the band to develop, because unlike the Biltmore, the management at the Rustic Cabin left the band alone. They were able to play what they wanted, and the kids who packed the place went crazy for both the Alvino Rey Orchestra and the King Sisters. The band agreed to be on stand-by, so that they could gain valuable air-time in case any of the ballgames usually broadcast over the station were rained out.
Together, Rey and the King Sisters decided to leave Heidt in late 1938."Left him in the late '30s and then we went to California and I became the staff orchestra for Mutual Broadcasting in Los Angeles,"Lobby card from "FOLLOW THE BAND" - Universal Pictures © 1943 (Dana Countryman Collection)
The King Sisters usually were presented as a specialty act in their movies, playing themselves rather than fictional characters. Their songs and the names of the sisters are listed when known.
All films are feature-length, theatrical releases unless otherwise noted.
NOBODY'S FOOL (Universal) released June 1936
CAST: Edward Everett Horton, Glenda Farrell, Cesar Romero, Alyce King.
The Hollywood Reporter (March 18, 1936) announced Alyce's casting in the film, then titled UNCONSCIOUS. Shot in March 1936, directly before CRASH DONOVAN, we have pictorial proof that Alyce played a singer, however we don't know what she sang. The American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40 credits Alyce in the small role of Peggy. She is unbilled.
CRASH DONOVAN (Universal) released August 1936
CAST: Jack Holt, John King, Nan Grey, Eddie Acuff, Ward Bond, the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie).
The movie was filmed March 30, 1936 through May 7, 1936, with retakes beginning June 8, 1936. The King Sisters are unbilled. The American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40 lists "Alyce King and Sisters" as "Quartette." The songs are "Devoted to You," "Wake Up and Sing," "Polly Wolly Doodle," and "Hail to the Highway Patrol," though we don't know which, if any, were performed by the King Sisters. The film is in the Library of Congress collection, but there is no viewing copy available.
KING OF BURLESQUE (Fox) released 1936
CAST: Alice Faye, Jack Oakie. According to the UCLA Film and Television Archives, the King Sisters are in this film. Other sources disagree. This may be a computer search error involving the words "King" and "Sisters."
COMMUNITY SING NO. 1 (Columbia) released 1939
CAST: The King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Gene Markey (m.c./pianist).
In the ten-minute short, the King Sisters sing "One, Two, Button My Shoe," "Pennies from Heaven," "Love in Bloom," "I'm an Old Cow Hand," and "Blue Hawaii." The short was rereleased for television and distributed by Official Films under the title CROSBY FAVORITES.
COMMUNITY SING NO. 7 (Columbia) released circa April 1939
CAST: The King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Danny Webb (m.c.).
In the ten-minute short, the King Sisters sing "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?," "Yes, We Have No Bananas," "The Object of My Affection," "Tipi Tipi Tin," "A-Tisket A-Tasket," and "The Music Goes 'Round and 'Round."
COMMUNITY SING NO. 10 (Columbia) released circa June 1939
CAST: The King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Danny Webb (m.c.).
In the nine-minute "Songs of Romance" short, the King Sisters sing "All I Do Is Dream of You," "Among My Souvenirs," "I'll See You in My Dreams," "Thanks for the Memory," and "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder."
SECOND FIDDLE (20th Century-Fox) released July 1939
CAST: Sonja Henie, Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee, Mary Healy, Edna May Oliver, Lyle Talbot, the Brian Sisters, Alan Dinehart, Minna Gombell, Stewart Reburn, Spencer Charters, the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie). The King Sisters sing a chorus of "I'm Sorry for Myself" with Mary Healy and others. They are unbilled.
SNOW FOLLIES (Universal) released December 1939
CAST: The Franchonettes, Lillian Roth, Bruce Holden, the Morrell Sisters and Billy, the King Sisters (presumably Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Lola Jensen.
Specialty acts are featured in vaudeville numbers in this twenty-minute featurette directed by Larry Ceballos. The musical director is Charles Previn. It is not known what the King Sisters sing.
SWINGIN' IN THE BARN (Universal) released May 1940
CAST: Tex Jim Lewis and His Band, the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Fred Scott, Vernon and Draper, Lucille Walker, Chester Gunnels, the Hill-Billyettes.
The King Sisters sing "I Like Mountain Music" and "Good Old Mountain Music Makes You Swing" in this twenty-minute short. It is directed by Larry Ceballos and the musical director is Charles Previn. The short was retitled FARMYARD FOLLIES when rereleased by Castle in 1948. During the 1940s, Castle bought the rights to many Universal shorts and films made by Universal Studios and the Soundies Distributing Corporation. Castle edited the films and sold them for home projectors. It is not known if anything is cut in the Castle version.
SING YOUR WORRIES AWAY (RKO) released in 1942
CAST: Bert Lahr, June Havoc, Sam Levene, Buddy Ebsen, Dorothy Lovett, Patsy Kelly, Margaret Dumont, the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.
The King Sisters sing "Sing Your Worries Away," "Cindy Lou McWilliams," "Tiger Rag," and "How Do You Fall in Love?" A copy is in the Library of Congress, but there is no viewing copy.
FOLLOW THE BAND (Universal) released April 1943
CAST: Frances Langford, The King's Men, Skinnay Ennis, the Groove Boys, Ray Eberle, Hilo Hattie, the Bombardiers, Eddie Quillan, Mary Beth Hughes, Anne Rooney, Leon Errol, The King Sisters (Luise, Donna, Vonnie, Peggy Brosen), Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.
The King Sisters sing "My Devotion" and "Rosie the Riveter." Peggy Brosen replaced Alyce during her pregnancy.
LARCENY WITH MUSIC (Universal) released September 1943
CAST: Allan Jones, Kitty Carlisle, Leo Carillo, Lee Patrick, William Frawley, Gus Schilling, Samuel S. Hinds, Sig Arno, the King Sisters (Luise, Donna, Vonnie, Peggy Brosen). Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.The King Sisters sing "They Died with Their Boots Laced" (with Alvino's Orchestra), "When You Wore a Tulip" (with Alvino's Orchestra and Allan Jones), "For the Want of You" (with Allan Jones and Kitty Carlisle), and "Keep Smiling" (with Alvino's Orchestra). They also appear in a patriotic finale with Carlisle, Jones, and soldiers, which includes "Fighting Alone Together," "Wild Blue Yonder," "Anchors Away" (King Sisters), and "From the Halls of Montezuma." Peggy Brosen replaced Alyce during her pregnancy. (Before this film was released, it was had a working title of CROSS YOUR FINGERS.)
MEET THE PEOPLE (MGM) released September 1944
CAST: Lucille Ball, Dick Powell, Bert Lahr, Virginia O'Brien, June Allyson, Rags Ragland, Steve Geray, Howard Freeman, Paul Regan, Betty Jaynes, Mata and Hari, Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra, the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Spike Jones and His City Slickers.
The King Sisters appear briefly in the all-star number "I Want to Recognize the Tune" with June Allyson, Virginia O'Brien, Vaughn Monroe, Ziggy Talent, and three other women (an unbilled sister act?). Despite their speciality status in previous movies, the King Sisters are unbilled.
THRILL OF A ROMANCE (MGM) released September 1944
CAST: Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Lauritz Melchior, Robert Allen, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra, the King Sisters.
Although the King Sisters are credited in many books' cast lists, appear on song sheets, and the sisters themselves have talked about it, they were cut out before the film's release, presumably after their agent messed up their deal with MGM. Footage of the excised "Please Don't Say No" has appeared on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). It is not known if the King Sisters recorded any other numbers for the film.
ON STAGE EVERYBODY (Universal) released July 1945
CAST: Jack Oakie, Peggy Ryan, the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Johnny Coy, Julie London, Otto Kruger, Esther Dale, Wallace Ford, Milburn Stone, Stephen Wayne, Jimmy Clark. The King Sisters sing "Stuff Like That There."
SWINGIN' DOWN THE SCALE (Universal) released May 1946
CAST: Alvino Rey and His Orchestra, the King Sisters (Alyce, Donna, Vonnie, Marilyn).
The sixteen-minute short, performed at the Sham Sham Club, includes "Serenade over the Rainbow," "Whispering Bow," "Farrewell Blues," and "Isle of Capri." It is not known which were performed by the King Sisters. The short is directed by Will Cowan, who directed shorts with Alvino Rey 91948) and Del Courtney (1949). Marilyn, not yet fifteen, replaced a pregnant Luise.
CUBAN PETE (Universal) released June 1946
CAST: Desi Arnaz, Joan Fulton, Jacqueline De Wit, Ethel Smith, the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Don Porter, Pedro de Cordoba, Beverly Simmons, Igor de Navrotzki, Yvette von Koris.The King Sisters sing "El Cumbanchero" (with Desi Arnaz), "Dreamer's Lullaby," "Cielito Lindo," and an introduction to Arnaz's "Cuban Pete." The King Sisters play a Cuban quartet, the Rey Sisters, who eventually Americanize their name to King. Brother Bill Driggs wrote "Dreamer's Lullaby." Watch for a brunette Vonnie as Consuelo, the only sister 's character who has a name.
THE GREAT MORGAN (MGM) released 1946
CAST: Frank Morgan, Eleanor Powell,
The King Sisters sing "Thank You, Columbus." This film primarily is made up of outtakes left over from other films, with Frank Morgan and Leon Ames appearing in the bridging segments. It is assumed this song was cut from MEET THE PEOPLE, since it is in black and white and the song was written by Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg, who wrote some of the film's score. Despite its "overseas only" release, it has been shown repeatedly on TCM.
Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Pete Smith, Carlos Ramirez, Lucille Norman, Virginia O'Brien, Leon Ames.STRICTLY INFORMAL (Universal) 1955
CAST: The Gaylords, the Four King Sisters (presumably Luise, Alyce, Vonnie,
Marilyn), Larry Finley, the Harmonicats, and Fay DeWitt. This 16-minute short is produced and directed by Will Cowan and edited by Tom Conlon, Jr.
BRIGHT AND BREEZY (Universal) filmed late April 1956
CAST: Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra, the Sportsmen, Romo Vincent, the King Sisters (presumably Luise, Alyce, Vonnie, Marilyn).
The featurette is directed by Will Cowan and mentioned in a Downbeat column May 16, 1956.
GOLDEN LADDER (Universal) copyrighted January 5, 1957
CAST: Gogi Grant, Rod McKuen, Buddy Bregman, the King Sisters (Marilyn, Luise, Alyce, and Vonnie). Black and white two-reel musical short (15 mins.) The King Sisters perform "Imagination" and "In Hamburg," as well as assist the other performers with background vocals.
THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON (Pacific International) filmed early 1958; released 1959
CAST: Bob Clarke, Donna King Conkling, Pearl Mortensen Driggs, Xan Conkling, Nan Peterson. Although the King Sisters do not appear as a group, the film includes several members of the family. Alyce's husband, Bob Clarke, produces, directs, and stars in the movie.
Among the actors are Donna, her daughter Xan, and the King Sisters' mother Pearl. Marilyn does not appear in the film, but wrote the song featured in the film: "Strange Pursuit" and dubs the voice of Nan Peterson singing it. A 16mm print is in the Library of Congress, #FCA 8657-8658.
IT CAME FROM HOLLYWOOD (Paramount) released 1982
Marilyn King's song from THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON is included in this comic documentary that shows clips of many campy monster movies. In his autobiography, Bob Clarke complained that Marilyn was paid more than he was for the use of her song in a scene that featured him as an actor. Narrators include SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE alums Dan Ackroyd and Gilda Radner. A 35mm print is in the Library of Congress, #FGE 3194-3198.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (20th Century-Fox) released 1965
CAST: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Peggy Wood, Eleanor Parker. Marilyn King allegedly dubbed someone's voice (one of the nun's?) and still receives a royalty check. She is uncredited. A 35mm print is in the Library of Congress, #FGC 845-856.
Soundies were three-minute juke box movies popular during the 1940s. Some were musical numbers extracted from feature films, while others were made expressly for the machines, which were found in restaurants, taverns, and depots. Like music videos, the performers often acted out a story or theme mentioned in the lyrics. The date indicates the copyright. Presumably, they were released around that date as well. Those found in the Library of Congress are noted. Billed as "Four King Sisters," it is assumed they were always Luise, Alyce, Donna, and Vonnie.
THE IRISH WASHERWOMAN copyrighted March 16, 1941
CAST: Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra, "Skeets" Herfurt, Dick Morgan.
Library of Congress #: VAC 9096 or VAC 9104.
TYING APPLES ON A LILAC TREE (aka PERSPICACITY) copyrighted April 7, 1941
CAST: Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra. A Minoco Production.
Library of Congress #: VAC 9095.
ST. LOUIS BLUES copyrighted May 5, 1941
CAST: Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra. A Minoco Production.
THE CALL OF THE CANYON copyrighted May 26, 1941
CAST: Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.
CHOP FOOEY copyrighted July 7, 1941
CAST: Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.
JAVA JIVE copyrighted July 21, 1941
CAST: Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra, "Skeets" Herfurt, Dick Morgan. A Minoco Production.
Library of Congress #: VAC 9106, dated September 6, 1943.
CIELITO LINDO copyrighted October 13, 1941
CAST: Four King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra, "Skeets" Herfurt, Dick Morgan.
Library of Congress #: VAC 9106.
TELESCRIPTIONS
Telescriptions were made between 1950 and 1953, primarily by two companies: Snader (1950-52) and Studio (1952-53). Like soundies, they were precursors to today's music videos.However, instead of being made for video juke boxes, they were produced for television, to air as filler between sporting events or movies. According to Downbeat (December 1, 1950), the King Sisters came out of retirement to make a series of video shorts for Snader Telescriptions. They picture Luise, Alyce, Donna, and Vonnie in costume for "Some Days There Just Ain't No Fish." It is assumed that some of these songs were filmed at the same time. The participating King Sisters are listed when known.
DREAMER'S LULLABY (Snader Telescriptions) #301
CAST: the King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.LIFE BEGINS AT FOURTEEN (Snader Telescriptions) #302
CAST: the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.KEEP SMILING (Snader Telescriptions) #303
CAST: the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.DIVORCE ME C.O.D. (Snader Telescriptions) #304
CAST: the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Alvino Rey and His Orchestra. Library of Congress #: VAC 9119.SOME DAYS THERE JUST AIN'T NO FISH (Snader Telescriptions) #305
CAST: the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Donna, Vonnie), Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.IDAHO (Snader Telescriptions) #306
CAST: the King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.ROUTE 66 (Snader Telescriptions) #307
CAST: the King Sisters (Luise, Alyce, Vonnie, Marilyn), Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.PENTHOUSE SERENADE (Snader Telescriptions) #308
CAST: the King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.DIPSY DOODLE (Snader Telescriptions) #309
CAST: the King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER (Snader Telescriptions) #310
CAST: the King Sisters, Alvino Rey and His Orchestra.Related:STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER (Snader Telescriptions) #204
CAST: Alvino Rey and His Orchestra, the Blue Reys (featuring Marilyn King).
TRIVIApseudonym: "Ira Ironstrings."One of the King girls married Rick Nelson. egistered
He bacame a Mormon on his marriage to Luise King in 1937. Alvino introduced the 'talking steel guitar' around 1940, using an electonic device called a SONOVOX, invented by Gilbert Wright for use with all musical instruments. It was perfect for steel guitar.
The device consisted of two units that were strapped to the throat of someone off stage who would do the talking and, electonically, the person's voice was mingled with the sound of the instrment being played - so Alvino had to select chords and bar movements that would blend with the spoken words.(Walt Disney eventually bought the rights to Solovox and used in it cartoons for five years).
*In 1975, Montreal magician Bob Shelley began using the word "ishkabibble" (one word) as his "magic word" when performing children's shows. Shelley recalled his mother telling him of Vaudeville comedienne Fanny Brice's using the word on stage whenever she made a mistake; she did this in lieu of cursing, so as not to offend her audiences. Since Shelley's onstage persona was that of a magician who failed comically (allowing the children to make the magic happen), the word "ishkabibble" seemed perfect. Children began to refer to Shelley by the magic word he had chosen, and he soon took the word as his stage name. He later licensed the name "Ishkabibble" and his signature magic word "ishkabibble" and continues to perform throughout the United States and Canada. Shelley also uses the word "ishkabibble" as his magic incantation when performing his spoof of a 19th Century Medicine Show, in which he goes by the name Professor Marvel.
Alvino continued to use the unit on his band's opening theme. The words were 'Listen, listen, listen, Alvino Rey and his singing guitar.' .SoNovox dynamic throat units pre-dated, and were quite different to, the plastic tubes type 'talking instrument' devices that are still in use.He also recorded with singer Jo Stafford on Columbia, with exotica bandleader Esquivel on RCA Victor, and even was one of two ukulele players on the March 1961 recording sessions for the Paramount movie "Blue Hawaii," backing singer Elvis Presley.
1908
Bandleader. Leader of the Alvino Rey Orchestra, he was a pedal steel guitarist who originated the singing sound of the electrified instrument. He was married to Luise King and was long known for his association with the Four King Sisters both on his recordings and their TV show, scoring several top 10 hits in the 1940s. In 1978, he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in St. Louis as "the father of the steel guitar," and continued to accept work for another 15 or so years, though at a reduced pace.
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