Kiss Them for Me

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Luther Davis' racy wartime comedy Kiss Them for Me was expurgated a bit for the 1957 film version. Cary Grant, Ray Walston and Larry Blyden portray three navy war heroes who've been booked on a morale-building "vacation" in San Francisco. Eluding their ulcerated public relations officer (Werner Klemperer), the trio arranges a wild party with plenty of pretty girls. Cary Grant is paired with knockout Suzy Parker, an icy socialite who eventually thaws under his charms. Also on hand is Jayne Mansfield, playing a "good time girl" whose profession was a bit more explicit in the original play; the role was originated by Judy Holliday, who brought a wistfulness to the character that Ms. Mansfield couldn't quite manage. TV sitcom fans will get a kick out of the supporting cast of Kiss Them For Me: Ray Walston, later star of My Favorite Martian plays a libertine navy officer; Werner Klemperer, shorn of the accent he'd use as Colonel Klink in Hogan's Heroes, is hilarious as the flustered p.r. man; and Richard Deacon (Leave It to Beaver, The Dick Van Dyke Show) pops up unbilled as a dour businessman who can't understand the war-hero mystique. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • cc
  • Theatrical trailers
  • Still gallery

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Cary Grant - Comm. Andy Crewson
       Suzy Parker - Gwinneth Livingston
       Jayne Mansfield - Alice Kratzner
       Leif Erickson - Eddie Turnbill
       Ray Walston - Lieutenant J.G. McCann
       Larry Blyden - Mississip
       Nathaniel Frey - C.P.O. Ruddle
       Werner Klemperer - Lieutenant Walter Wallace
       Jack Mullaney - Ensign Lewis
       Ben Wright - RAF Pilot
       Michael Ross - Gunner
       Harry Carey, Jr. - Roundtree
       Frank Nelson - Nielson, hotel manager
       Ann McCrea - Lucille
       Deborah Kerr - Gwinneth Livingston

• Director:

  Stanley Donen

• Producer:

  Jerry Wald

• Play Author:

  Luther Davis

• Screenwriter:

  Julius J. Epstein

• Book Author:

  Frederic Wakeman

• Cinematographer:

  Milton Krasner

• Composer (Music Score):

  Lionel Newman

• Songwriter:

  Lionel Newman, Carroll Coates

• Editor:

  Robert L. Simpson

• Art Director:

  Maurice Ransford, Lyle Wheeler

• Set Designer:

  Stuart A. Reiss, Walter Scott

• Costume Designer:

  Charles LeMaire

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Charles Peck

• Makeup:

  Ben Nye, Sr.

• Special Effects:

  L.B. Abbott

• First Assistant Director:

  David Hall

REVIEW:

• "Three sailors on leave" has been the basis of far too many movies to count, but Kiss Them for Me manages to take this well-worn situation and make it more than reasonably entertaining. While absolutely nothing more than a trifle -- despite some ill-conceived and equally ill-executed attempts to inject a "serious" message into the proceedings at times -- Kiss is smoothly directed by Stanley Donen, who keeps the film's pace going and skillfully diverts attention from the sometimes-sizeable gaps in the screenplay. He's aided enormously by Cary Grant (as would be any director in the same situation). Grant could easily have done this part with his eyes closed, relying solely on his considerable charm. But Grant doesn't simply coast; he treats the material with more respect than it deserves, thereby making it seem much fresher than it actually is. He gets solid support from the always lively Ray Walston, a very youthful Larry Blyden, and a tremendously amusing Werner Klemperer, as well as a large cast of familiar character actors of bit parts. Where Grant doesn't get such support is on the distaff side. Jayne Mansfield is always an acquired taste, so her fans will probably like her here and her detractors will probably find her ineffective. More damaging is Suzy Parker, whose beauty does not make up for her inadequate dramatic talents; even worse, she lacks the power to perform opposite Grant, whose star power simply overwhelms her. Fortunately, the film survives this miscasting to end up as a pleasant, often very amusing diversion. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi