Kiss Them for Me (1957)

Truly Dreadful Film

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This really isn't a very good movie. It's a curiosity due to Cary Grant appearing in the same movie as Jayne Mansfield. She looks good but that's it for her. Cary tries very hard but it's all just so terribly uninteresting. As a drama it has too much forced comedy and as a comedy it's too dramatic. I also tend to find Ray Walston annoying and this movie doesn't change that. I do like his work later in his career when he was an old man, though. There were quite a few of these naval comedies in the '50s and, of course, on television in the '60s. Not sure why but I would guess it's the usual Hollywood M.O. of copying something that was successful. After Mister Roberts it seems these things just started popping up every year.This movie is just a reminder of why, from the late '50s to the late '60s, Hollywood seemed to be in the dark ages. There are some great films made during that time, particularly from Hitchcock, but there are far more that were just completely forgettable. The studio system was pretty much dead and most of the talent from the '30s & '40s was either gone or past their primes. You could count the quality stars who came about in the '50s on one hand. So the period this move was made in was, in my opinion, the worst period for Hollywood movie-making and is only rivaled by maybe the early '90s.

A comedy with some serious overtones best describes 1957's "Kiss Them for Me."It's basically the story of 4 naval guys on leave in San Francisco. They've about had it with flying and are ready to get out of service. This includes Ray Walston running for a congressional seat in a special election.You would think it would be about their escapades in S.F. during those days, but the film turns into one or two parties at a posh hotel and then the serious stuff comes across.They're reminded of the serious stuff when they encounter one of their guys who is terminally ill and at the film's end, when their ship is blown to bits. It's time for them to reevaluate their situation and face the music.Even Jayne Mansfield, who really provides the comic relief here, has one serious moment in the film.Cary Grant, the movie stalwart, was beginning to show his age here in the same year he costarred with Deborah Kerr in "An Affair to Remember."The picture is wholesome and reminds us of our patriotic duty.

I was quite pleased to find this movie in the local video library - Cary Grant in a comedy set in the services, director Stanley Donen, so far what's not to like? It's the sort of film that has me wondering two things - when did all involved (including some well-known names) realize they had a turkey on their hands, and what's the worst thing about it among a number of contending aspects? Still pondering the first, but my vote for the latter goes to the meandering storyline, ahead of the wordy sometimes pretentious script, the uncertain tone, the lack of consistent and well-developed characterization, and the lack of rapport between the characters. You have to add very uneven acting to the criticism but it's understandable that the actors were struggling with this stuff and in addition seem under-rehearsed. Quite often they can hardly get their lines out quick enough. Cary Grant tries to portray his usual charming and urbane persona but at times seems uneasy and staccato in his delivery. I have to say however that I was relieved when the initial suggestions his character will be paired with the unspeakably vulgar Jayne Mansfield go away with the appearance of Suzy Parker. What's to like about the film? - for me chiefly the beauty of Parker who also acts with restraint and a Grace Kelly-like dignity. Generally speaking the film is nice to look at. The naval characters are very smart in their uniforms - however you truly have to wonder at the ghastly black Fu Manchu tunics they don in their luxury hotel suite. Even Grant can't look elegant in his. Back to the credit side, Ray Walston does a commendable job with his character and for me there was an interest in hearing a pre-Hogan's Heroes Werner Klemperer speak without an assumed German accent!

The mildly amusing World War II romantic comedy, "Kiss Them for Me," has little that will linger in memory beyond the closing credits. Three navy officers stop a taxiing plane on the runway and hitch a ride for an unofficial leave in San Francisco, where they spend four days in a luxury hotel suite chasing women, drinking booze, and making fools out of the shore patrol. Credibility is not among the film's assets. Cary Grant is always smooth and likable in these breezy parts, although his age and British accent remain unexplained. However, Cary gets away with these anomalies, and he is under the sure direction of Stanley Donen, who keeps things light. This director/star team went on to make two more memorable films together, "The Grass is Greener" and the classic "Charade." Beyond the preposterous plot, another credibility gap surfaces when Grant and Suzy Parker fall for each other. Parker is leaden as Grant's love interest. The supposedly romantic couple has zero chemistry, and Grant and Parker do their best to avoid locking lips or showing mutual warmth. Such are the mysteries of true love in the 1950's. However, Jayne Mansfield is a delight as the not-too-bright Alice Kratzner, whose hair is natural, except for the color. Mansfield lights up the film, and she is missed, both physically and comically, when off screen. Larry Blyden and Ray Walston play Grant's sidekicks, and both are fine, although subtlety is not a hallmark of anyone's performance. Donen keeps his performers moving and maintains a lively pace, although the film's stage origins are evident.Despite the romantic black hole of the Grant-Parker romance, "Kiss them for Me" is a frothy couple of hours, although, with the exception of a new respect for Jayne Mansfield, the film's ephemeral charms will dissipate before "The End" has faded from the screen.