Kansas City Kitty (1944)

Polly, an amiable wisecracking piano teacher, becomes involved with some shady music publishers. She also happens to be infatuated with her music loving dentist Henry--who is not quite as ... See full summary »

Director:

Del Lord

Writers:

Manuel Seff (original screenplay), Monte Brice (additional dialogue)

Stars:

Joan Davis, Bob Crosby, Jane Frazee

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Davis	...	Polly Jasper
Bob Crosby	...	Jimmy
Jane Frazee	...	Eileen Hasbrook
Erik Rolf	...	Dr. Henry Talbot
Tim Ryan	...	Dave Clark
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Joe Lathim
The Williams Brothers	...	Williams Brothers - Speciality Performers

Storyline

Polly, an amiable wisecracking piano teacher, becomes involved with some shady music publishers. She also happens to be infatuated with her music loving dentist Henry--who is not quite as romantically inclined as she. Polly manages to ensnare her room mate Eileen, Eileen's fiance Jimmy, and Henry in some shenanigans involving the rights to the song "Kansas City Kitty". The comedy is mixed with several up-tempo novelty tunes from the big band era.

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Plot Keywords:

song | minnesota | piano teacher | piano | piano lesson | 

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Taglines:

SCREAM WITH THE QUEEN OF SCREEN AND RADIO COMEDY!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 August 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Afinal de Quem é a Kitty?

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The line in which Jimmy ('Bob Crosby') says he's had trouble saving money because of "some family trouble with horses" is an in-joke reference to Bob's brother, Bing Crosby, who owned a stable of racing horses that almost never did well.

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Soundtracks

"KANSAS CITY KITTY"
Muisc by Walter Donaldson
Lyrics by Edgar Leslie
Performed by Erik Rolf

User Reviews

Pleasant Programmer

Bouncy little programmer thanks to a lively turn from comedienne Joan Davis (Polly). She's a piano teacher turned music publisher with a mad crush on her dentist, of all people. Of course, complications ensue of the romantic and even the business kind. But whenever the pace slows, Davis kicks in with a bit of funny business. Catch her mad meal with the ditzy Oscar (Willis) that puts a whole new slant on chicken pot pie. In fact, her rubbery face and physical grace suggest a distaff version of slapsticker Red Skelton whose film career was also taking off. Nice support from Jane Frazee handling the glamour department; plus, a novelty appearance by Les Gotcher (later of the Pied Pipers) as the singing swami. Nothing special here, just an amusingly tuneful 70-minutes, courtesy Columbia Pictures.