James V. Kern Biography

A former lawyer, James V. Kern was briefly popular in the 1930s as a member of the Yacht Club Boys, a "nut" singing group best described as a WASP version of the Ritz Brothers. Changing career directions in 1939, Kern was signed as a scriptwriter at RKO Radio, where his first assignment was the Kay Kyser vehicle That's Right, You're Wrong (1939). His acute appreciation of bandleader Kyser's bucolic comedy style led to Kern's next screenplay, You'll Find Out (1940), a mediocre affair distinguished by its one-time-only teaming of master menaces Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Bela Lugosi. Moving to Warner Bros., Kern made his directorial debut with the all-star musical Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943). Ending his film career with the Howard Hughes-produced musical Two Tickets to Broadway (1952), James V. Kern turned to the world of television; he served as sole director for the fifth season of I Love Lucy, which included the classic "Trip to Europe" episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi