Dear Ken: I seem to remember that big band leader Kay Kyser made a few movies. Would you know their titles?

Born James Kern Kyser in Rocky Mount, N.C., the music man was at his peak in the 1930s and 1940s. He was probably most famous for his 1939-1949 radio show “Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge” that was a blend of quizzes and music. Calling himself “The Ol’ Perfessor,” he created such catchphrases as “Evenin’ folks, how y’all?”, “C’mon, chillun! Le’s dance!” and “That’s right—you’re wrong.” He made seven films between 1939 and 1944: “That’s Right—You’re Wrong,” “You’ll Find Out,” “Playmates,” “My Favorite Spy,” “Swing Fever,” “Around the World” and Carolina Blues.” Kyser died in 1985 of a heart attack at 80.

Dear Ken: What’s going on in the career of country music singer Janie Fricke?

Fricke, 64, a native of South Whitley, Ind., recently released a new album, “Country Side of Bluegrass,” on which she takes many of her hits from the 1980s (“He’s a Heartache,” “Down to My Last Broken Heart,” “Tell Me a Lie,” “It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Easy,” “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby”) and puts a bluegrass spin on them. She is touring with the 2011 Inspirational Country Music Inspirational Bluegrass Artist of the Year, The Roys. “This is an amazingly fun journey, redoing my country hits bluegrass-style, and the response is great!” said Fricke. For a list of her tour dates, go on the Internet to janiefricke.com.

Dear Ken: Where else have I seen Nathan Fillion, who stars as Richard Castle in the TV series “Castle”?

Fillion, who turns 41 on March 27, has been all over the place on the small tube. The native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and son of two retired English teachers, was a regular or recurring cast member in the TV series “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Miss Match,” “Drive,” “One Life To Live” and “Desperate Housewives.” But his breakout show was as Capt. Malcolm Reynolds in the sci-fi series “Firefly.” Fillion also appeared in the movies “Saving Private Ryan,” “Blast From the Past” and “Slither.”

Dear Ken: Is it true they are going to remake the movie “The Crow,” which starred the late Brandon Lee?

It appears a new version will fly. The do-over of that 1994 film, based on the James O’Barr comic book series, had been in a legal battle between two production companies but has been settled privately. Lee fans, of course, remember that Brandon, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, was accidentally shot while making “The Crow” and subsequently died in a Wilmington, N.C. hospital. He was 28.

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it