You'll Find Out (1940)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

David Butler

Writers:

David Butler (story) and
James V. Kern (story) ...

Release Date:

22 November 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Musical | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

A Cold-Shiver MYSTERY With Hot-Rhythm MUSIC!

Plot:

Kay Kyser and his orchestra are hired to entertain at the birthday party of a young heiress at a creepy old mansion...

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Mansion | Birthday Party | Will | Occult

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Kay Kyser	...	Kay Kyser
Peter Lorre	...	Professor Karl Fenninger
Boris Karloff	...	Judge Spencer Mainwaring
Bela Lugosi	...	Prince Saliano
Helen Parrish	...	Janis Bellacrest
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Chuck Deems
Alma Kruger	...	Aunt Margo Bellacrest
Joseph Eggenton	...	Jurgen - Butler
Kay Kyser Band	...	Themselves (as Kay Kyser's Band)
Harry Babbitt	...	Harry Babbitt
Ginny Simms	...	Ginny Simms
M.A. Bogue	...	Ish Kabibble (as Ish Kabibble)
Sully Mason	...	Sully Mason

Also Known As:

Here Come the Boogie Men

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6580) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Spain:13

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Debut of 'Jeff Corey'.

Quotes:

Prince Saliano: Presently I shall assume a state of trance, in which the outer mind merges with the astral portion of the human ego... the Spirit of Evil is trying to enter this room, but have no fear, the fires of death will guard us.

Movie Connections:

References Gulliver's Travels (1939)

Soundtrack:

Don't Think This Ain't Been Charming

Three Performances

This may seem like slight entertainment, and of course it is. But I am recommending it as must viewing until I find an earlier example with this structure.

The setup is simple enough: it is explicitly a self-aware movie. In fact Kyser comes on at the end and assures the audience that Lorre, Karloff and Lugosi aren't really murders. Within that are several performances of the band, performances I assume are similar to what they did in non-movie-land. Two performances.

Added to that in a clever way is a third. For this you need some background.

From about 1880 to 1910, many North Americans were spiritualists. Yes, about as many as today call themselves evangelists, the movement that displaced spiritualism. The rapidity of the change is breathtaking in a sociological context and interesting in itself. By the thirties, the "next" generation was making serious fun of spiritualism, usually in terms of uncovering a fake séance.

I've found several earlier fake séance movies, but they are all in the context of detective movies. That's another story all together. Superficially, they look like the fakery in this movie: a secret room, microphones, special effects, gullible participants holding hands.

But this is the first I think that references it as a performance. A lot flows from that tipping point on both sides: movies and the religious show.

Three layered performances, here.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.