Around the World

Around the World is a 1943 American musical comedy film produced and directed by Allan Dwan from an original screenplay by Ralph Spence. RKO Radio Pictures premiered the film at the Globe Theater in New York on November 24, 1943. The film has a large cast, and stars Kay Kyser and his band, Mischa Auer, Joan Davis, Marcy McGuire, Wally Brown, and Alan Carney. The picture follows Kyser and his troupe on a tour of U.S. military bases around the world. The film is full of one-liners, sight-gags, double-talk, running gags, and the kind of antic humor that made Kyser's band—actually a large, versatile orchestra—famous. Plot The film opens with this text: “To every battlefront men and women of the United Nations fight—Civilians from all walks of life are contributing their honest efforts to the struggle. Among these, the brightest stars of Hollywood and Broadway do their bit—We welcome you to come along on this tour of the global conflict. So, stand by! Here we are… Australia!” Cut to the group concluding a performance with Waltzing Matilda. The troops join in. Kyser introduces members of his troupe, including Mischa Auer, Joan Davis and Georgia Carroll, who blows the boys a kiss. They all sing “Roodle-ee-doo” and start “Great News is in the Making”, their signature farewell. Kyser hands out the visas for India as they load the plane, and he is approached by a stranded American teen-ager, Marcy McGuire, who pleads with Kyser for him to take her with them. Kyser refuses, but this does not deter Marcy, who stows away on the Clipper. When she is discovered, the American authorities in New Delhi insist she be returned to Australia, but Kyser offers to take responsibility for her. Meanwhile, Kyser and Auer have become obsessed with obtaining historical relics from the places they visit. They make a bet on who can get the best collection. On the plane to Chongqing, the troupe sings Roodle-ee-doo. Auer procures a ring that supposedly belonged to the Borgias, not realizing that it contains a secret Nazi document. At the performance that night, a romantic duet is followed by Marcy and the brass section jiving to “The Moke from Shomoken”. Everyone joins in to begin “Great News is in the Making” as planes flown by Chinese and American pilots fill the sky overhead.