Kiss Them for Me is one of the more interesting Cary Grant movies because, like his best work with Hitchcock, Grant plays against type, as a naval officer on a four day leave whose only mission is to...well, enjoy the company of a woman. That he chooses the ravishing model Suzy Parker as his love target adds to the appeal of the movie, as does Grant's smooth but dogged pursuit of his goal. Throughout her scenes with Grant, Parker tries to get him to declare feelings other than carnal ones, but Grant's character never really wavers in his pursuit, and we witness a different type of Grant character, who unapologetically uses his considerable charm to accomplish something that is neither noble nor particularly gentlemanly. Even in Hitchcock films, Grant's more suspect character traits are redeemed in the end by noble purpose; however, in Kiss Them for Me, Grant is charming without being virtuous, although he is serious about his commitment to the navy and to his men. Some might find the Grant character unnecessarily misogynistic but his portrayal of the officer rings true for a man who has seen much fighting and war without the more civilizing company of women. This is a harder, edgier Grant, and it is a delight to watch his characterization. I've long thought it a loss that Grant did not do more edgy roles--for example, I think he would have a made a brilliant Phillip Marlow in The Big Sleep--but Kiss Them for Me gives us more than a taste of Grant's range as an actor and piques our curiosity about other more dangerous roles he might have played in his long and illustrious movie career.
36 Reviews
Officer Cary Grant and his band of men pursue romance on a four-day leave.
sartoris2223 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
A Curiously Imbalanced Film Of Interest
theowinthrop10 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
KISS THEM FOR ME is about three naval officers who are returned to the states during wartime on furlough. One, Ray Walston, is up for a Congressional seat in his district, and actually may be able to get out soon. The other two (Cary Grant and Larry Blyden) have earned the furlough for their heroism. But there is a slight chance they too can get excused from further war duty, if they are picked up for stateside war service. This brings up the how: Werner Klemperer (as a naval brass insider) can connect them to industrialists who need their expertise to present the companies goods for government contracts.
This aspect of the war (of all wars) is rarely recalled on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. Few movies deal with the issue - the best known one is ALL MY SONS, wherein Burt Lancaster discovers how his father, Edward G. Robinson, sacrificed the lives of seventeen fliers in the Pacific to maintain a contract with the Government using defective pistons. But that film was based on Arthur Miller's stage play. In SAVE ONE FOR ME we actually see the mechanism of the incipient military industrial complex in Klemperer's character. We also see the types who are looking for front men like Blyden and Grant to push their contracts. The first one Leif Ericson, is a totally unlikeable bully who really has little time for military people (Grant finally punches him in the nose, breaking off their possible business arrangement). The second, Richard Deacon, is a babbitt type who just keeps pushing his favorite subject - paper. He manufactures paper.
This is supposed to be a comedy, so the sexual business dealing with Grant, Blyden, Walston, Jayne Mansfield, Suzy Parker is for the audience's entertainment. But the irony of this arrangement is that the film is weakened.
"SPOILERS AHEAD" At the end Walston is elected to Congress, and Klemperer has succeeded in getting Blyden and Grant placed with Deacon. But just as it looks like they are out of it, they hear that their ship was sunk with all hands in a battle. Deacon, who is too innocuous to realize that silence is best at this moment, is told by Grant to shut up (thus ending that relationship) and he and Blyden decide they must go back to the Pacific to finish the job their lost comrades had started. Walston, holding back trying to convince them they are fools, realizes that if he stays he'll look like an opportunist and coward, so he joins them in returning.
As you can see, the film had's theme had more bite to it than a frothy sex romp (like the contemporary THE PERFECT FURLOUGH with Tony Curtis). If the sex bit had been handled differently (to accent what the three men were sacrificing - with their ill-fated comrades - by fighting for their country) it would have been a more memorable film. As it is it is entertaining, but it is ultimately unsatisfactory for it's imbalance.
This aspect of the war (of all wars) is rarely recalled on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. Few movies deal with the issue - the best known one is ALL MY SONS, wherein Burt Lancaster discovers how his father, Edward G. Robinson, sacrificed the lives of seventeen fliers in the Pacific to maintain a contract with the Government using defective pistons. But that film was based on Arthur Miller's stage play. In SAVE ONE FOR ME we actually see the mechanism of the incipient military industrial complex in Klemperer's character. We also see the types who are looking for front men like Blyden and Grant to push their contracts. The first one Leif Ericson, is a totally unlikeable bully who really has little time for military people (Grant finally punches him in the nose, breaking off their possible business arrangement). The second, Richard Deacon, is a babbitt type who just keeps pushing his favorite subject - paper. He manufactures paper.
This is supposed to be a comedy, so the sexual business dealing with Grant, Blyden, Walston, Jayne Mansfield, Suzy Parker is for the audience's entertainment. But the irony of this arrangement is that the film is weakened.
"SPOILERS AHEAD" At the end Walston is elected to Congress, and Klemperer has succeeded in getting Blyden and Grant placed with Deacon. But just as it looks like they are out of it, they hear that their ship was sunk with all hands in a battle. Deacon, who is too innocuous to realize that silence is best at this moment, is told by Grant to shut up (thus ending that relationship) and he and Blyden decide they must go back to the Pacific to finish the job their lost comrades had started. Walston, holding back trying to convince them they are fools, realizes that if he stays he'll look like an opportunist and coward, so he joins them in returning.
As you can see, the film had's theme had more bite to it than a frothy sex romp (like the contemporary THE PERFECT FURLOUGH with Tony Curtis). If the sex bit had been handled differently (to accent what the three men were sacrificing - with their ill-fated comrades - by fighting for their country) it would have been a more memorable film. As it is it is entertaining, but it is ultimately unsatisfactory for it's imbalance.
Cary Grant Saves the Day - Sort Of
wglenn11 February 2006
Kiss Them For Me has a lot to offer - Cary Grant, Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain, Charade) as director, and Julius Epstein (Casablanca, Arsenic & Old Lace) as screenwriter - but it never really lives up to its potential. There are some funny moments here and there, but the film is more of a drama with comic elements, and the balance doesn't always work well. Viewers expecting one of Cary Grant's great comedic romps will be disappointed. Still, it's not a bad film, just an uneven one.
The story is about three Navy fliers, each considered a "war hero," who embark on a four-day leave in San Francisco. They secure the "Ambassador's Suite" in a fine hotel and order up tons of liquor for their large, rowdy parties, where there are three women for every man. In the end, however, they don't get to relax and momentarily forget the war as much as they have to deal with the awkwardness between the civilian world and their own. They also have to confront the reality of life after the war. Grant, in particular, realizes that he's good at what he does (flying planes), and he's giving himself to a worthy cause that's bigger than himself, neither of which he may be able to do outside of the Pacific theatre. He's offered more than one chance to turn his reputation as a war hero into a cushy job, but he sees the emptiness and boredom that waits for him in the normal American lifestyle. Instead of talking with the powerful owner of a shipbuilding company who could help him with his financial future, he sits on the floor listening to jazz and flirting with the owner's fiancée.
Unfortunately, Donen and Epstein don't seem to trust these dramatic elements and inject a poorly developed romance into the film, which undoes some otherwise good writing and leads, finally, to a flat ending. Maybe if they'd found a suitable female lead to play off Grant, the romance would have worked better, but Suzy Parker is stiff and wooden on screen, and her character grows wearisome after a while. The best that can be said for her is that she provides a little relief from the grating presence of Jayne Mansfield, who is described in the original 1957 NY Times review of the film as, "grotesque, artificial, noisy, distasteful - and dull." And that pretty much sums it up. In the original play on Broadway, in 1945, these two women characters were evidently blended into one, played "with brilliance" by a young Judy Holliday. Oh, for a woman of her grace, wit and energy in this film version. (As a side note, Judy co-starred in the play with Richard Widmark, who played Crewson.)
In the end, though, there is still Cary Grant. He saves the film from being a total waste of time. And Epstein's script has some wonderful gems scattered here and there. Also, the camaraderie between Grant and his two Navy buddies, one of them played by Ray Walston, works well most of the time. For those interested in a 50's drama about Navy fliers, you're better off watching The Bridges at Toko-Ri, with William Holden and Grace Kelly. If you want a great Cary Grant comedy, try his much better effort with Julius Epstein - Arsenic & Old Lace. If you've seen just about everything else with Cary in it, and you want something different, this one will do in a fix.
The story is about three Navy fliers, each considered a "war hero," who embark on a four-day leave in San Francisco. They secure the "Ambassador's Suite" in a fine hotel and order up tons of liquor for their large, rowdy parties, where there are three women for every man. In the end, however, they don't get to relax and momentarily forget the war as much as they have to deal with the awkwardness between the civilian world and their own. They also have to confront the reality of life after the war. Grant, in particular, realizes that he's good at what he does (flying planes), and he's giving himself to a worthy cause that's bigger than himself, neither of which he may be able to do outside of the Pacific theatre. He's offered more than one chance to turn his reputation as a war hero into a cushy job, but he sees the emptiness and boredom that waits for him in the normal American lifestyle. Instead of talking with the powerful owner of a shipbuilding company who could help him with his financial future, he sits on the floor listening to jazz and flirting with the owner's fiancée.
Unfortunately, Donen and Epstein don't seem to trust these dramatic elements and inject a poorly developed romance into the film, which undoes some otherwise good writing and leads, finally, to a flat ending. Maybe if they'd found a suitable female lead to play off Grant, the romance would have worked better, but Suzy Parker is stiff and wooden on screen, and her character grows wearisome after a while. The best that can be said for her is that she provides a little relief from the grating presence of Jayne Mansfield, who is described in the original 1957 NY Times review of the film as, "grotesque, artificial, noisy, distasteful - and dull." And that pretty much sums it up. In the original play on Broadway, in 1945, these two women characters were evidently blended into one, played "with brilliance" by a young Judy Holliday. Oh, for a woman of her grace, wit and energy in this film version. (As a side note, Judy co-starred in the play with Richard Widmark, who played Crewson.)
In the end, though, there is still Cary Grant. He saves the film from being a total waste of time. And Epstein's script has some wonderful gems scattered here and there. Also, the camaraderie between Grant and his two Navy buddies, one of them played by Ray Walston, works well most of the time. For those interested in a 50's drama about Navy fliers, you're better off watching The Bridges at Toko-Ri, with William Holden and Grace Kelly. If you want a great Cary Grant comedy, try his much better effort with Julius Epstein - Arsenic & Old Lace. If you've seen just about everything else with Cary in it, and you want something different, this one will do in a fix.
Overall a silly mess, but with some terrific little parts, and a terrific Cary Grant
secondtake4 February 2013
Kiss Them for Me (1957)
"Funny how everybody picks him out first." Ah, they are talking about Cary Grant, still charming and handsome and far outclassing this funny, slightly simple comedy about G.I.s on leave in San Francisco.
Not that this is exactly dumb--the screenplay is even by one of the Epstein brothers (of "Casablanca" fame), and it has a few real dingers of jokes. I was laughing in stitches--sometimes. It's silly stuff but the acting is decent. The photography is by Milton Krasner, who had a long career in the black and white years and then took to widescreen color with classic taste, just finishing "An Affair to Remember" (with Grant) the same year. The credits go on, from makeup (Ben Nye) to music (Lionel Newman) to of course the director, Stanley Donen, who had a whole string of brightly colored 1950s hits, little things like "Singin' in the Rain" and "Charade."
What I mean by all this is that there is no reason this movie isn't terrific, except maybe a weak as licorice story idea. Maybe, just maybe, this had resonance in 1957 with the millions of ex-soldiers still going to the movies, but I have a feeling even they were wanting something more, over a decade after it had all ended. It also doesn't help that one leading female star is Jayne Mansfield playing an embarrassing Marilyn wannabe. "It's natural," says Mansfield in one moment. "Except for the color."
The other leading woman is quite the opposite in nature, a stately, restrained woman played by Suzy Parker. Parker has a short resume, mostly known as a model (with Avedon as her partner in crime), and her acting reveals more knowledge of photography than movie-making. That is, she looks good. (She was actually an accomplished photographer for awhile, too.)
So, why watch this movie? For a glimpse of the times, perhaps (a kind of 1957 version of 1944, I think), including lots of great sets and some shots of San Francisco. But mostly it's Cary Grant's show, even if you aren't a fan. He's actually really good as an actor, not just as a handsome fellow. He plays his part with surprising bite, too.
So what rescues this movie from its fault lines? For one, there's a steady, subtle anti-war thread that must have been relatively new to this kind of movie. There's no disrespect to soldiers or the country, but there's disdain for wallpapering over the truths of war, the use of slogans, the aggrandizing. It's refreshing still, and coming from Grant it has special bite. For another, there is a steady peppering of witty lines from all kinds of characters (not just Grant, though he leads). I'm guessing this is where Epstein shows. And then there is the love story, which isn't so convincing, but it's still a nice addition to the bright color and busy scenes that dominate the movie. In fact, as much as Parker is a weak actress, she and Grant alone together make for some of the best parts of the film.
Grant says, "True love almost always fades, but money stays green forever." And it's his sarcasm, his not believing the slogan, that is the theme of the movie.
"Funny how everybody picks him out first." Ah, they are talking about Cary Grant, still charming and handsome and far outclassing this funny, slightly simple comedy about G.I.s on leave in San Francisco.
Not that this is exactly dumb--the screenplay is even by one of the Epstein brothers (of "Casablanca" fame), and it has a few real dingers of jokes. I was laughing in stitches--sometimes. It's silly stuff but the acting is decent. The photography is by Milton Krasner, who had a long career in the black and white years and then took to widescreen color with classic taste, just finishing "An Affair to Remember" (with Grant) the same year. The credits go on, from makeup (Ben Nye) to music (Lionel Newman) to of course the director, Stanley Donen, who had a whole string of brightly colored 1950s hits, little things like "Singin' in the Rain" and "Charade."
What I mean by all this is that there is no reason this movie isn't terrific, except maybe a weak as licorice story idea. Maybe, just maybe, this had resonance in 1957 with the millions of ex-soldiers still going to the movies, but I have a feeling even they were wanting something more, over a decade after it had all ended. It also doesn't help that one leading female star is Jayne Mansfield playing an embarrassing Marilyn wannabe. "It's natural," says Mansfield in one moment. "Except for the color."
The other leading woman is quite the opposite in nature, a stately, restrained woman played by Suzy Parker. Parker has a short resume, mostly known as a model (with Avedon as her partner in crime), and her acting reveals more knowledge of photography than movie-making. That is, she looks good. (She was actually an accomplished photographer for awhile, too.)
So, why watch this movie? For a glimpse of the times, perhaps (a kind of 1957 version of 1944, I think), including lots of great sets and some shots of San Francisco. But mostly it's Cary Grant's show, even if you aren't a fan. He's actually really good as an actor, not just as a handsome fellow. He plays his part with surprising bite, too.
So what rescues this movie from its fault lines? For one, there's a steady, subtle anti-war thread that must have been relatively new to this kind of movie. There's no disrespect to soldiers or the country, but there's disdain for wallpapering over the truths of war, the use of slogans, the aggrandizing. It's refreshing still, and coming from Grant it has special bite. For another, there is a steady peppering of witty lines from all kinds of characters (not just Grant, though he leads). I'm guessing this is where Epstein shows. And then there is the love story, which isn't so convincing, but it's still a nice addition to the bright color and busy scenes that dominate the movie. In fact, as much as Parker is a weak actress, she and Grant alone together make for some of the best parts of the film.
Grant says, "True love almost always fades, but money stays green forever." And it's his sarcasm, his not believing the slogan, that is the theme of the movie.
capable wartime romance-drama that holds due to Grant
Maestro-1529 May 2000
This film is interesting for only one reason - Cary Grant - he is the star and he stands head and shoulders above everyone in this film - even if you dont believe him in the character he is portraying here. As for the story - it focuses on what it must have like to be on shore leave in San Fransisco during World War II. This was based on a popular play in its day - but 20th Century Fox needed something to do with their new sex symbol - Jayne Mansfield - so they dumped her in these party scenes showing off her figure.(not bad) but it seems misplaced. The big tragedy of this film is gorgeous Suzy Parker - who wasn't that bad in this but didn't have much of a career after this apparently. Thats a tragedy.
Boys Just Want To Have Fun.
rmax30482313 January 2018
Three heroic naval aviators, led by LCDR Cary Grant, wangle four days leave in crowded wartime San Francisco. They are very happy, having spent several years in the Pacific shooting down enemy planes, being wounded, and contracting malaria. Their only goal is "to get drunk and chase girls." Their warder in the city is Werner Klemperer -- also known as Colonel Klink and as the son of famed conductor Otto Klemperer -- who wangles them all sorts of perquisites including a suite at the Fairmont, where loud parties are often in progress.
It's fun. All of us like to see those we approve of having fun. But one irritating obstacle after another threatens to trip them on the hedonistic treadmill. First, there is Suzie Parker, model, who insinuates herself into Grant's affections. Then there is the manager of the Fairmont, whose objections grow more emphatic and who winds up locked in the closet. Then there is the Shore Patrol, regularly nattering them for being in summer kakhis instead of blues. There are solemn encounters with old friends now dying in hospital. Finally, there is poor Lief Erickson, owner of a ship yard, who tries to persuade the trio to tour his plants and make pep speeches to the employees to boost morale, meanwhile removing them from combat duty and seeing that they're properly rewarded. "I know how much money you boys make," bringing a sour expression to Grant's face.
The pace is pretty fast. Episodes and gags follow one another pretty quickly except for some lugubrious dialog involving Suzie Parker, her lost love, and her gradual yielding to the advances of Grant. When you get right down to it, Suzie Parker looks the part of a model out of Vogue or the New York Times Magazine but as an actress she's not convincing. Jayne Mansfield and the bust that precedes her by a quarter of a mile brings more life to the party.
There's something a little troublesome about Grant's character too. As an extremely accomplished and brave pilot he is given a good deal of moral authority and he sometimes misuses it to politely and ironically humiliate those who pay some tribute -- minor or otherwise -- to his status. In a bar he spills a civilian's drink and the victim compliments him on his uniform. "My, civilians are so sensitive these days," says Grant. An intelligent and honest reporter for the Chronicle tries to get a few words from him and Grant treats him with disdain. The blustering and ever importuning Lief Erickson gets a belt in the chops for his trouble. The viewer is always on Grant's side, but still ---
It's fun. All of us like to see those we approve of having fun. But one irritating obstacle after another threatens to trip them on the hedonistic treadmill. First, there is Suzie Parker, model, who insinuates herself into Grant's affections. Then there is the manager of the Fairmont, whose objections grow more emphatic and who winds up locked in the closet. Then there is the Shore Patrol, regularly nattering them for being in summer kakhis instead of blues. There are solemn encounters with old friends now dying in hospital. Finally, there is poor Lief Erickson, owner of a ship yard, who tries to persuade the trio to tour his plants and make pep speeches to the employees to boost morale, meanwhile removing them from combat duty and seeing that they're properly rewarded. "I know how much money you boys make," bringing a sour expression to Grant's face.
The pace is pretty fast. Episodes and gags follow one another pretty quickly except for some lugubrious dialog involving Suzie Parker, her lost love, and her gradual yielding to the advances of Grant. When you get right down to it, Suzie Parker looks the part of a model out of Vogue or the New York Times Magazine but as an actress she's not convincing. Jayne Mansfield and the bust that precedes her by a quarter of a mile brings more life to the party.
There's something a little troublesome about Grant's character too. As an extremely accomplished and brave pilot he is given a good deal of moral authority and he sometimes misuses it to politely and ironically humiliate those who pay some tribute -- minor or otherwise -- to his status. In a bar he spills a civilian's drink and the victim compliments him on his uniform. "My, civilians are so sensitive these days," says Grant. An intelligent and honest reporter for the Chronicle tries to get a few words from him and Grant treats him with disdain. The blustering and ever importuning Lief Erickson gets a belt in the chops for his trouble. The viewer is always on Grant's side, but still ---
Where it all went wrong...
gnb12 January 2008
Oh dear, oh dear...
For JM fans, this was the nail in the coffin as far as her A-list Hollywood career was concerned. After solid turns in Girl Can't Help It, Wayward Bus, The Burglar and Rock Hunter it seemed Jayne was well on the way to becoming one of Tinsel Town's hottest stars. However, an obsession with racy publicity and an appearance in this clunker relegated Mansfield to the sidelines, namely cheap Euro loan-outs until Fox could drop her contract at the earliest opportunity.
This movie really is a diabolical waste of everyone's time with the exception of Suzy Parker who is the only thing in this movie bad enough for the material. Many people blame poor Jayne and her grating performance for this film's poor returns at the box office and while she is a pain in this film, she can only do her best with the material. After all, Cary hardly sets the screen on fire does he? After a handful of very good dramatic and comedy turns Jayne takes 10 steps back in her pursuit as a serious actress by agreeing (simply for the sake of appearing with Grant) to portray this squealing, idiotic menace. Her character of Alice is a complete cartoon bimbo and although she looks good enough to eat in a boiler suit, her every appearance in the film jangles your nerves. We all know Jayne could do so much better than this dross and yet here she is parading around like a prize pudding. A real shame.
Steer clear of this so-called comedy. It's more depressing than funny.
For JM fans, this was the nail in the coffin as far as her A-list Hollywood career was concerned. After solid turns in Girl Can't Help It, Wayward Bus, The Burglar and Rock Hunter it seemed Jayne was well on the way to becoming one of Tinsel Town's hottest stars. However, an obsession with racy publicity and an appearance in this clunker relegated Mansfield to the sidelines, namely cheap Euro loan-outs until Fox could drop her contract at the earliest opportunity.
This movie really is a diabolical waste of everyone's time with the exception of Suzy Parker who is the only thing in this movie bad enough for the material. Many people blame poor Jayne and her grating performance for this film's poor returns at the box office and while she is a pain in this film, she can only do her best with the material. After all, Cary hardly sets the screen on fire does he? After a handful of very good dramatic and comedy turns Jayne takes 10 steps back in her pursuit as a serious actress by agreeing (simply for the sake of appearing with Grant) to portray this squealing, idiotic menace. Her character of Alice is a complete cartoon bimbo and although she looks good enough to eat in a boiler suit, her every appearance in the film jangles your nerves. We all know Jayne could do so much better than this dross and yet here she is parading around like a prize pudding. A real shame.
Steer clear of this so-called comedy. It's more depressing than funny.
Not So Funny Comedy
atlasmb15 April 2014
This film about three naval airmen on leave in San Francisco lacks a few things. Either it should have been more madcap to celebrate their enjoyment of leave. Or it should have dealt more with the demands and drama of warfare. As it is, "Kiss Them for Me" lands squarely in the middle of these two alternatives like a dud.
When Cary Grant meets Suzy Parker (whose voice was dubbed), there does seem to be chemistry--fueled by her striking looks and her cool demeanor. But she is no Bacall. As the film develops and more demands are placed on her performance, the cracks begin to show. Finally, it is revealed that she is little more than a mannequin.
The film is adapted from a play. I have a feeling that the play was more madcap. That tone just doesn't happen with the film. The ending of the film is not fulfilling or funny.
It was good to see Ray Walston in his first picture, but the film offers little else. Jayne Mansfield is over the top to the point of being silly, not sexy. Too bad.
When Cary Grant meets Suzy Parker (whose voice was dubbed), there does seem to be chemistry--fueled by her striking looks and her cool demeanor. But she is no Bacall. As the film develops and more demands are placed on her performance, the cracks begin to show. Finally, it is revealed that she is little more than a mannequin.
The film is adapted from a play. I have a feeling that the play was more madcap. That tone just doesn't happen with the film. The ending of the film is not fulfilling or funny.
It was good to see Ray Walston in his first picture, but the film offers little else. Jayne Mansfield is over the top to the point of being silly, not sexy. Too bad.
a rather forced, meandering comedy
donwc199615 September 2007
This film was a critical and box-office fiasco back in 1957. It was based on a novel which was later turned into a play--which flopped on Broadway. The story is about some navy officers on leave in San Francisco during WWII. They have 4 day's leave which they spend at the Mark Hopkins hotel. The film meanders a lot and none of the characters seem very real. Cary Grant is generally brilliant in comedy and drama--but here he plays a sort of wheeler dealer and he doesn't really pull it off. Tony Curtis or James Garner would have been better choices. Audrey Hepburn was initially set to play opposite Grant, but had other commitments--so Suzy parker stepped in. She had never acted before, but was America's top photographic model at the time. I think that she did a good job, considering all the pressure that she was under. Grant's pairing with Jayne Mansfield in a few brief scenes--did not really work. The Studio was trying to give her some class by acting with Grant--but the character had no substance at all.
Mansfield Sparkles in Otherwise Routine Comedy
dglink20 February 2009
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.
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.
A Monumental Disappointment and a Waste of Fine Talent
k_t_t200130 May 2008
There is a level of high expectation when you sit down to watch a comedy with a cast headed by Cary Grant, Jayne Mansfield, Ray Walston and Werner Klemperer. Those expectations are buoyed further when the film is directed by Stanley Donen, whose comic touch was so evident in, among others, DAMN YANKEES!, BEDAZZLED and CHARADE. For the first five minutes, or so, it seems that those expectations might be met and then
. Nothing. What is supposed to be a light comedy, plunges into leaden, heavy handed melodrama, with nary a chuckle to be had.
Relative newcomer Suzy Parker has often been criticized for her performance, or lack of one, in this film, but in a movie in which even the great Cary Grant frequently appears flat and wooden, attacking Parker seems unfair. Not even as bright a light as an Audrey Hepburn or Doris Day could have changed the fortunes of this meandering, dreary and wholly pointless script, which drags itself lamely along and drags the viewer's interest and patience down with it.
The rest of the cast, especially Ray Walston, keep trying to breath some life into the proceedings, but the horrible script is beyond resuscitation. The desperate, inane effort to drag a half hearted laugh from the numbed audience in the film's final moments only serves to add insult to injury.
This film is nothing but a major disappointment on all levels.
Relative newcomer Suzy Parker has often been criticized for her performance, or lack of one, in this film, but in a movie in which even the great Cary Grant frequently appears flat and wooden, attacking Parker seems unfair. Not even as bright a light as an Audrey Hepburn or Doris Day could have changed the fortunes of this meandering, dreary and wholly pointless script, which drags itself lamely along and drags the viewer's interest and patience down with it.
The rest of the cast, especially Ray Walston, keep trying to breath some life into the proceedings, but the horrible script is beyond resuscitation. The desperate, inane effort to drag a half hearted laugh from the numbed audience in the film's final moments only serves to add insult to injury.
This film is nothing but a major disappointment on all levels.
Donen does "Mister Roberts" and "Captain Newman MD"
ZBigRedDogZ9 November 2008
Stanley Donen usually does very enjoyable, smart comedies. This isn't his best, but it's far from his worst. It's very similar to "Mister Roberts" and "Captain Newman MD" in that it's a military comedy that has a very dark shadow cast over it by the war and the obviously frail psyche of the soldiers involved.
Anyhow, in this one, Cary Grant takes a few of his men on a well-deserved break to San Francisco, after several years of war. Of course, it was probably a fluke that they got the leave anyway (I wasn't totally clear on why they got it, but I got the impression it was a mistake), and they spend half the movie trying to avoid getting new orders and the other half trying to avoid people who want them to use their heroic status to help their businesses. Because their businesses are all part of the war effort, you understand. Of course, all they want to do is get drunk and get women.
And a lot of women show up, due to their trickery, of course. Jayne Mansfield plays the neighborhood...I hesitate to call her a slut, she sees herself more as a reward for soldiers who have done a good job, and I'm not sure how promiscuous she'd be otherwise, but yes, let's just say an enthusiastic companion of our wayward heroes. Suzy Parker plays another love interest. I found her very charming and attractive.
There's a very strange scene in this movie where you finally understand what Donen is going for. A shipbuilder wants the men to go and give speeches so his men won't call in sick instead of partying, and he threatens to call influential friends to force them to, and declares how important he and his efforts are to the war. Grant tells him off in the worst possible way. It's a glorious moment, but the indignation he displays is really almost unsettling. You get the picture: this is a comedy, but it's also a tragedy.
But, just to make sure the whole comedy aspect still works, before the movie is over, Grant steals his girl.
Anyhow, in this one, Cary Grant takes a few of his men on a well-deserved break to San Francisco, after several years of war. Of course, it was probably a fluke that they got the leave anyway (I wasn't totally clear on why they got it, but I got the impression it was a mistake), and they spend half the movie trying to avoid getting new orders and the other half trying to avoid people who want them to use their heroic status to help their businesses. Because their businesses are all part of the war effort, you understand. Of course, all they want to do is get drunk and get women.
And a lot of women show up, due to their trickery, of course. Jayne Mansfield plays the neighborhood...I hesitate to call her a slut, she sees herself more as a reward for soldiers who have done a good job, and I'm not sure how promiscuous she'd be otherwise, but yes, let's just say an enthusiastic companion of our wayward heroes. Suzy Parker plays another love interest. I found her very charming and attractive.
There's a very strange scene in this movie where you finally understand what Donen is going for. A shipbuilder wants the men to go and give speeches so his men won't call in sick instead of partying, and he threatens to call influential friends to force them to, and declares how important he and his efforts are to the war. Grant tells him off in the worst possible way. It's a glorious moment, but the indignation he displays is really almost unsettling. You get the picture: this is a comedy, but it's also a tragedy.
But, just to make sure the whole comedy aspect still works, before the movie is over, Grant steals his girl.
Enjoy!
EdgarST9 December 2012
A much better comedy than what I had read about it, "Kiss Them for Me" begins much in the vein of "The Honeymoon Machine (three military fellows and two girls in a hotel), but it turns into an antiwar product (predating the Vietnam war demonstrations), partially ruined by its propaganda resolution (who would go back to war like the three main characters do?) after its frequent condemnation of war horror, its male lead's cynic view of patriotism, and the general consensus of making love instead of war. But then it is asking too much from this motion picture, before the days of "Alice's Restaurant". Instead you have Jayne Mansfield, who although receiving top credit, plays a character that has little to do with the core of the story. Her Alice is above anything else comic relief, a titillating sex joke, and she is very funny when interplaying with Nathaniel Frey or Ray Walston. The story is more inclined to "respectability", as it concentrates in the development of the friendship between Cary Grant (as a pilot hero) and Suzy Parker (as a resourceful socialite), even if both do not have the formulaic profile of most so-called «sophisticated comedies». Grant is good as usual, and Parker is fine in her first starring role, although I read that she was dubbed, so sometimes her delivery sounds rather flat or too distant. Stanley Donen almost never disappoints in this kind of product, so watch "Kiss Them for Me", and enjoy it for what it is.
Delightful service comedy
funkyfry27 November 2002
A good cast (with one major exception) pushes its way through Epstein's smart light satire. Mansfield was never better, or funnier, than she is here paired with Walston, who's a veteran who's determined to become a congressman to get out of the war. He and his buddies -- including suave con-artist Grant -- head to San Francisco on leave and start the city's swinginest party while conniving to escape the service altogether through industrial speaking tours. The only thing about this movie that's not delightful is Suzy Parker's one-note performance as Grant's love interest, which takes up too much of the film's time and slows down the pace in the second half. Walston and Mansfield have good chemistry; the gimmick is that she's set on making love to every serviceman (to do her duty for the war effort, of course) but he's a married man who, nonetheless, loves his wife. They steal the movie with little trouble from Grant (who's amusing here in the first part of the film, when not paired with his non-actor co-star.
A much better and more touching movie than critics ever suggested.
Marvin Harold19 November 2001
I would like to second the opinion of that stalwart minority who appreciate the beautiful and vastly underrated performance of Suzy Parker. The majority opinion is that she was stiff, wooden, unapproachable, or simply incompetent as an actress. But one must consider the character she was playing: a beautiful, almost aristocratic young woman who suddenly finds herself carried away by a world-weary, war-weary, bitter, yet still idealistic Cary Grant. What would one expect her do in this situation: instantly fall into Grant's arms? Anyone watching this movie with an open mind and an open heart will see Ms. Parker slowly getting used to Grant's poignant style, and slowly readjusting her view of life just enough to fall in love with him. Parker eventually leaves her fiance in the movie because Grant is everything her fiance is not, and because he is willing to live his navy life as fully and as idealistically as he can; Parker's beautiful face reflects, even without words, the total impact that Grant's personality is having on her. Hers is a wonderful performance, one that was, alas, scarcely appreciated by the critics.
Sorry, no kisses from me!
JohnHowardReid14 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Copyright 1957 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 8 November 1957. U.S. release: 10 December 1957. U.K. release: 10 March 1958. Australian release: 19 December 1957. Sydney opening at the Mayfair. 9,213 feet. 102 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Three flown-out Naval combat flyers, Lieutenant Commander Crewson (Cary Grant), Lieutenant McCann (Ray Walston) and Mississip (Larry Blyden), fly into San Francisco from their Pacific war assignments for a brief leave. All highly decorated combat heroes who have been almost constantly in action, they have but one sole object: women, liquor and laughs. Upon arrival in San Francisco, they head for a swank hotel where, with the assistance of a Navy public relations officer, Lieutenant Wallace (Werner Klemperer), they secure the Ambassadorial Suite.
Immediately, Crewson orders cocktails, music, and invites a huge crowd of girls and assorted service men to the suite for a party. Alice Krachner (Jayne Mansfield) shows up at the party and attaches herself to Crewson until he meets Gwenneth Livingston (Suzy Parker), the fiancée of wealthy industrialist Eddie Turnbill (Leif Erickson). Crewson and Gwenneth are immediately drawn to one another and Alice transfers her rather free affections to McCann.
NOTES: Film debut for Suzy Parker.
The stage play opened on Broadway at the Belasco on 20 March 1945 (sic). Running a moderately successful 110 performances, the play featured Judy Holliday in her Broadway debut in the part played by Jayne Mansfield in the movie. Richard Widmark had the Cary Grant role, whilst Dennis King Jr and Richard Davis made up the combat trio. Herman Shumlin directed for producers John Moses and Mark Hanna.
Despite extremely negative reviews, the film performed positively at the box-office, particularly in Australia where it became one of Fox's top money-spinners of 1958.
COMMENT: An atrocious title tune warbled by the McGuire Sisters (whoever they might be) sets the stage for a corny slather of old- fashioned platitudes, leavened by the occasional witty cynicism. A photographed stage play, dully directed by Stanley Donen (an obvious Mr. Nice Guy whom Grant chose to direct his next film, "Indiscreet", as well as "The Grass is Greener" and "Charade") and dully photographed in early grainy DeLuxe color, the film is chiefly memorable for the atrocious parody or caricature of a performance giggled by an inane Jayne Mansfield, which must be one of the most inept pieces of screen-craft ever attempted and even manages to upstage the inexperienced Suzy Parker.
The other players manage to shoot off their lines with professional ease, though considering the triteness of a lot of what they have to say, maybe it would have made a more interesting movie if they had thrown in the sponge.
Despite a brief bit of location filming and lots of extra players milling about, it all looks stage-cramped and small-budget.
SYNOPSIS: Three flown-out Naval combat flyers, Lieutenant Commander Crewson (Cary Grant), Lieutenant McCann (Ray Walston) and Mississip (Larry Blyden), fly into San Francisco from their Pacific war assignments for a brief leave. All highly decorated combat heroes who have been almost constantly in action, they have but one sole object: women, liquor and laughs. Upon arrival in San Francisco, they head for a swank hotel where, with the assistance of a Navy public relations officer, Lieutenant Wallace (Werner Klemperer), they secure the Ambassadorial Suite.
Immediately, Crewson orders cocktails, music, and invites a huge crowd of girls and assorted service men to the suite for a party. Alice Krachner (Jayne Mansfield) shows up at the party and attaches herself to Crewson until he meets Gwenneth Livingston (Suzy Parker), the fiancée of wealthy industrialist Eddie Turnbill (Leif Erickson). Crewson and Gwenneth are immediately drawn to one another and Alice transfers her rather free affections to McCann.
NOTES: Film debut for Suzy Parker.
The stage play opened on Broadway at the Belasco on 20 March 1945 (sic). Running a moderately successful 110 performances, the play featured Judy Holliday in her Broadway debut in the part played by Jayne Mansfield in the movie. Richard Widmark had the Cary Grant role, whilst Dennis King Jr and Richard Davis made up the combat trio. Herman Shumlin directed for producers John Moses and Mark Hanna.
Despite extremely negative reviews, the film performed positively at the box-office, particularly in Australia where it became one of Fox's top money-spinners of 1958.
COMMENT: An atrocious title tune warbled by the McGuire Sisters (whoever they might be) sets the stage for a corny slather of old- fashioned platitudes, leavened by the occasional witty cynicism. A photographed stage play, dully directed by Stanley Donen (an obvious Mr. Nice Guy whom Grant chose to direct his next film, "Indiscreet", as well as "The Grass is Greener" and "Charade") and dully photographed in early grainy DeLuxe color, the film is chiefly memorable for the atrocious parody or caricature of a performance giggled by an inane Jayne Mansfield, which must be one of the most inept pieces of screen-craft ever attempted and even manages to upstage the inexperienced Suzy Parker.
The other players manage to shoot off their lines with professional ease, though considering the triteness of a lot of what they have to say, maybe it would have made a more interesting movie if they had thrown in the sponge.
Despite a brief bit of location filming and lots of extra players milling about, it all looks stage-cramped and small-budget.
A Strange Film To Make In 1957
misterspeed14 April 2019
The other reviewers do a good job of covering many of the pros and cons of this film; I'll leave that to them. But what always struck me as odd was that it was made twelve years after the war ended. Filled with references to wartime concerns such as rationing, the black market, housing shortages - I wonder how relevant these topics were to 1957 audiences? And the clear war-weariness and near-cynicism of the principals, their disdain for bureaucracy and the never-served profiteers, is hard to carry more than a decade after the fact. It may have had a better reception had it been made in 1945 when the sacrifices of the fighting men were fresh in people's minds.
Cary Grant and Jayne Mansfield--together?!
planktonrules14 February 2006
While I recently gave OPERATION PETTICOAT a positive review, I really didn't like this film even though it had so many similarities. Both were made just a few years apart, both starred Cary Grant and both were WWII comedies. However, the overall tone and style of the films were quite different. KISS HER FOR ME, overall, just seemed like a cheaper film--with poor writing, little energy and some VERY broad performances--even when compared to OPERATION PETTICOAT. I think that at least much of the blame for this lies in casting Jayne Mansfield. The combination of her ample talents and limited acting ability really made this A-budget film look like it came from a 3rd rate studio. Plus, there wasn't much chemistry or energy in pairing her with Cary Grant--an actor generally loved for his grace and class. It's sort of like pairing Sir Lawrence Olivier with Marjorie Main.
By the way, if you do watch, look for Werner Klemperer in an unusual roles as US Navy officer. Not exactly Colonel Klink!
By the way, if you do watch, look for Werner Klemperer in an unusual roles as US Navy officer. Not exactly Colonel Klink!
Fun in the midst of tragedy
BandSAboutMovies15 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Stanley Donen has one hell of a directorial resume: On the Town, Singin' In the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Damn Yankees and so many more. Here, he's working from a 1945 Luther Davis play that was in turn based on the Frederic Wakeman Sr. novel Shore Leave.
Wakeman had worked in advertising until the war and as he healed up in a hospital, he wrote his first novel about a fellow crew member but called him Andy Crewson instead of his true name. Critics tore this movie apart and the studio punished its stars. Actually, it mainly punished Jayne Mansfield.
It's all about three Navy pilots -- Lieutenant McCann (Ray Walston, in his film debut), Mississip (Larry Blyden, a Broadway star who would become a game show host) and Commander Andy Crewson (Grant), who is a master grifter -- who are enjoying the spoils of war while trying to adjust to what the world will be afterward.
A ship company owner named Eddie Turnbill (Leif Erickson) wants the men to give speeches to his workers to keep them on the job, but they're all burnt out, despite the fact that Turnbill offers to set them up for life.
While all the men are on the make, Crewson only has eyes for Turnbill's fiancee (Suzy Parker, who is in the Twilight Zone episode "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" and married Bradford Dillman later in her life), which makes sense when you see the scene where she removes her nylons. Actually, it's a wonder anyone can look at any other woman in this film when Mansfield is firing on all cylinders, delivering sly comedy while making her way through nearly every male member of the cast.
Look for Werner Klemperer (Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes) as Lieutenant Walter Wallace, Kathleen Freeman (Mother Mary Stigmata!), Harry Carey, Jr. and Frank Nelson, who starred in The Malibu Bikini Shop right before he died.
Siouxie and the Banshees recorded the song "Kiss Them for Me" in 1991, not only referencing the way she said "divoon" but also discussing her heart-shaped swimming pool and the tragic way she died. To wit:
"It's divoon, oh, it's serene In the fountain's pink champagne. Someone carving their devotion In the heart-shaped pool of fame, oh."
Wakeman had worked in advertising until the war and as he healed up in a hospital, he wrote his first novel about a fellow crew member but called him Andy Crewson instead of his true name. Critics tore this movie apart and the studio punished its stars. Actually, it mainly punished Jayne Mansfield.
It's all about three Navy pilots -- Lieutenant McCann (Ray Walston, in his film debut), Mississip (Larry Blyden, a Broadway star who would become a game show host) and Commander Andy Crewson (Grant), who is a master grifter -- who are enjoying the spoils of war while trying to adjust to what the world will be afterward.
A ship company owner named Eddie Turnbill (Leif Erickson) wants the men to give speeches to his workers to keep them on the job, but they're all burnt out, despite the fact that Turnbill offers to set them up for life.
While all the men are on the make, Crewson only has eyes for Turnbill's fiancee (Suzy Parker, who is in the Twilight Zone episode "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" and married Bradford Dillman later in her life), which makes sense when you see the scene where she removes her nylons. Actually, it's a wonder anyone can look at any other woman in this film when Mansfield is firing on all cylinders, delivering sly comedy while making her way through nearly every male member of the cast.
Look for Werner Klemperer (Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes) as Lieutenant Walter Wallace, Kathleen Freeman (Mother Mary Stigmata!), Harry Carey, Jr. and Frank Nelson, who starred in The Malibu Bikini Shop right before he died.
Siouxie and the Banshees recorded the song "Kiss Them for Me" in 1991, not only referencing the way she said "divoon" but also discussing her heart-shaped swimming pool and the tragic way she died. To wit:
"It's divoon, oh, it's serene In the fountain's pink champagne. Someone carving their devotion In the heart-shaped pool of fame, oh."
All These Three Wanted to do was chill out
bkoganbing23 March 2006
Three Pacific war heroes Cary Grant, Larry Blyden, and Ray Walston, are flown to San Francisco for a furlough with the implicit understanding that they will do some public appearances for the war effort. Implicit to us the viewer, but our three naval fliers have something else in mind.
Despite being terribly miscast, Cary Grant does the best he can with the material given. This is the kind of role that Kirk Douglas should have had, he'd have played the role effortlessly. When the dapper Mr. Grant finally has had enough of blowhard industrialist Leif Erickson and hauls off and belts him, you just don't quite believe it.
I like very much what another reviewer wrote in saying we can see the beginning of the military industrial complex. Werner Klemperer as the Navy publicity ensign is trying first to curry favor with Erickson and later with the less obnoxious, but still annoying Richard Deacon. It's a world that Grant and Blyden don't feel a part of.
Though he's with them in spirit, Ray Walston's carving his own career out by running for Congress. Some did that in World War II and in previous USA wars, most prominently in the Civil War. Two American presidents, Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield won seats in Congress while both were on active duty. Garfield left the army, but Hayes stayed and didn't take his seat until Appomatox.
When this film was out Larry Blyden was appearing on Broadway in Flower Drum Song. No doubt that helped the film's popularity for Blyden got excellent reviews.
And of course the pulchritudinous presence of Jayne Mansfield also helped a great deal.
Even with a miscast Cary Grant, Kiss Them For Me is still enjoyable.
Despite being terribly miscast, Cary Grant does the best he can with the material given. This is the kind of role that Kirk Douglas should have had, he'd have played the role effortlessly. When the dapper Mr. Grant finally has had enough of blowhard industrialist Leif Erickson and hauls off and belts him, you just don't quite believe it.
I like very much what another reviewer wrote in saying we can see the beginning of the military industrial complex. Werner Klemperer as the Navy publicity ensign is trying first to curry favor with Erickson and later with the less obnoxious, but still annoying Richard Deacon. It's a world that Grant and Blyden don't feel a part of.
Though he's with them in spirit, Ray Walston's carving his own career out by running for Congress. Some did that in World War II and in previous USA wars, most prominently in the Civil War. Two American presidents, Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield won seats in Congress while both were on active duty. Garfield left the army, but Hayes stayed and didn't take his seat until Appomatox.
When this film was out Larry Blyden was appearing on Broadway in Flower Drum Song. No doubt that helped the film's popularity for Blyden got excellent reviews.
And of course the pulchritudinous presence of Jayne Mansfield also helped a great deal.
Even with a miscast Cary Grant, Kiss Them For Me is still enjoyable.
Not Terribly Interesting
gavin694225 August 2015
Three decorated Navy pilots finagle a four day leave in San Francisco. They procure a posh suite at the hotel and Commander Andy Crewson (Cary Grant), a master of procurement, arranges to populate it with party people.
When released in late 1957, "Kiss Them for Me" was greeted with negative reviews. Critics called the film "vapid" and "ill-advised"; not to mention "no good". When the film didn't regain its production costs, Twentieth Century-Fox appeared to punish cast members, especially Jayne Mansfield, whose career was tossed on the back burner by the studio.
Indeed, this is a very forgettable film. Despite some great talent involved -- including director Stanley Donen -- there are few scenes that really stand out as interesting. Maybe something more could have been done with the malaria subplot? Who knows?
When released in late 1957, "Kiss Them for Me" was greeted with negative reviews. Critics called the film "vapid" and "ill-advised"; not to mention "no good". When the film didn't regain its production costs, Twentieth Century-Fox appeared to punish cast members, especially Jayne Mansfield, whose career was tossed on the back burner by the studio.
Indeed, this is a very forgettable film. Despite some great talent involved -- including director Stanley Donen -- there are few scenes that really stand out as interesting. Maybe something more could have been done with the malaria subplot? Who knows?
A weak story with even weaker acting
Retro-1131 May 2000
As an avid fan of Cary Grant, I expected to watch this movie and howl with laughter, as AMC billed it as a comedy. I have never been more disappointed with a film! Cary's usual charm and effortless comedy are AWOL from this entire movie; he comes across as strained, bored, and just not himself. Mississip's character ranks among one of the worst stereotypes I have ever witnessed - his accent is terribly exaggerated (and incorrect, according to which part of Mississippi he claims to hail from), and whenever he does deliver a line, it's several decibels higher than any other cast member. Mississip tried to make himself stand out in the film as a lovable, country-bumpkin goofball, but in the end, he manages only to detract from the already weak plot. Mansfield looks more like an obscene blow-up doll than a Hollywood sex kitten, and while she was never known in Hollywood for her acting ability, this film screams that she never had that ability to begin with. Ray Walston's character was sugary and ultimately contrived. For four men on shore leave, it was the tamest leave I've ever seen. I watched this nightmare until its very end, and while I won't spoil that for anyone, I will tell you that it's the most absurd you'll ever see. The film tries to spark patriotism and a sense of debt to the fighting men, but the film misses that point totally because of its weak plot line and weak cast. Sorry, Cary!
Pretty Good Movie
SipteaHighTea17 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I thought the movie was good for several reasons:
1) The movie show how people (even in 2008) running for office will use their military service and combat experience as a means to justify their reasons why they should be elected to office. Ray Walston's character felled on the floor and hurt himself. He stated that if this was combat, he could have gotten the Purple Heart and look good on his war record. In the movie Alvarez Kelly, Kelly told Major Steadman, that Steadman would profit from the war because after the war, the major would use his rank and war record to advance his lawyer career even though Steadman was a believer in the Union cause.
2) Cary Grant's character was great in that he was suffering from combat fatigue and just want to be left alone and have fun on his R&R. Most soldiers usually go about drinking and trying to hook up with ladies after being pulled out of combat. One of his fellow pilots was having nightmares about him being shot down in flames. At the end, of the movie, when Grant and his boys go back to the war, we have no idea of whether the third Navy pilot will be shot down or not.
3) The movie shows a hidden cost of war because there was a navy pilot from one of Grant's unit who was confined to a wheelchair due to serious wounds incurred in combat. The Navy Warrant Officer who accompany the wounded man inform Grant that the man was slowly dying and would succumb to his wounds in a short time.
4) Some of the reviewers stated that Grant was too old and look too old to play a World War II pilot. I read a book about U.S. Navy aviation where the Navy due to expansion of the war first raise the qualification age to fly at 27 and later, they raise it to age 35. I have seen 1940s pictures of General Albert Wedemeyer, and he look like he was in his 50s when actually he was in his 40s during World War II. Grant either had his hair dye black or his hair was still black before it started to turn gray. You also have to remember that before World War II, many military guys in their late 20s, 30s and 40s were still lieutenants, captains, or majors. In the enlisted ranks, you had to wait four years to become private first class and to become a three stripe sergeant rank you had to do 12 to 18 years of military service. Pomotions were slow back in those days, and you usually got promoted (as an officer) based on seniority. There was no up or out policy if you did not get promotion in a timely fashion in the military. The up and out policy slowly started after World War II and is now the norm in today's military even among the sergeant ranks.
5) When the leading lady in the movie asked Grant what job he did have before the war, Grant stated he did a little bit of everything. That's not surprisingly considering the fact that America and the rest of the world went through a Great Depression starting in 1929. People had to take what ever jobs they could find (which were far and few) to survive. In addition, the American workforce had no job security protection in terms of better labor laws until Franklin Roosevelt came into office.
1) The movie show how people (even in 2008) running for office will use their military service and combat experience as a means to justify their reasons why they should be elected to office. Ray Walston's character felled on the floor and hurt himself. He stated that if this was combat, he could have gotten the Purple Heart and look good on his war record. In the movie Alvarez Kelly, Kelly told Major Steadman, that Steadman would profit from the war because after the war, the major would use his rank and war record to advance his lawyer career even though Steadman was a believer in the Union cause.
2) Cary Grant's character was great in that he was suffering from combat fatigue and just want to be left alone and have fun on his R&R. Most soldiers usually go about drinking and trying to hook up with ladies after being pulled out of combat. One of his fellow pilots was having nightmares about him being shot down in flames. At the end, of the movie, when Grant and his boys go back to the war, we have no idea of whether the third Navy pilot will be shot down or not.
3) The movie shows a hidden cost of war because there was a navy pilot from one of Grant's unit who was confined to a wheelchair due to serious wounds incurred in combat. The Navy Warrant Officer who accompany the wounded man inform Grant that the man was slowly dying and would succumb to his wounds in a short time.
4) Some of the reviewers stated that Grant was too old and look too old to play a World War II pilot. I read a book about U.S. Navy aviation where the Navy due to expansion of the war first raise the qualification age to fly at 27 and later, they raise it to age 35. I have seen 1940s pictures of General Albert Wedemeyer, and he look like he was in his 50s when actually he was in his 40s during World War II. Grant either had his hair dye black or his hair was still black before it started to turn gray. You also have to remember that before World War II, many military guys in their late 20s, 30s and 40s were still lieutenants, captains, or majors. In the enlisted ranks, you had to wait four years to become private first class and to become a three stripe sergeant rank you had to do 12 to 18 years of military service. Pomotions were slow back in those days, and you usually got promoted (as an officer) based on seniority. There was no up or out policy if you did not get promotion in a timely fashion in the military. The up and out policy slowly started after World War II and is now the norm in today's military even among the sergeant ranks.
5) When the leading lady in the movie asked Grant what job he did have before the war, Grant stated he did a little bit of everything. That's not surprisingly considering the fact that America and the rest of the world went through a Great Depression starting in 1929. People had to take what ever jobs they could find (which were far and few) to survive. In addition, the American workforce had no job security protection in terms of better labor laws until Franklin Roosevelt came into office.
Hmm, just about sails out on to safe enough waters.
hitchcockthelegend24 January 2009
Three Navy pilots earn themselves a four day break in San Francisco and rent a swanky suite in a hotel. Commander Crewson (Cary Grant) promptly arranges for the suite to be a party venue for like minded adults, but stumbling blocks come thick and fast, the pilots are requested to make speeches to rally the home front at shipyard magnate Eddie Turnbill's yards, but the boys don't want to do it, they wish to forget the war. Crewson also starts to fall for Turnbill's lady, Gwinneth Livingston, while scatter brained but demur blonde, Alice Kratzner is stirring the passions of all she comes across, most notably Lieutenant McCann.
Directed by the very talented Stanley Donen, and adapted by Julius J. Epstein from Luther Davis' less than successful play, Kiss Them For Me is something of an oddity. It's an uncomfortable splice of comedy and drama and never fully satisfies in either department, with the cast being a very mixed bunch that has divided opinions right across the board. Its satire heart is fine, and to a degree it works, nobody in their right mind could fail to not emphasise with members of the armed forces being fed up with the grind of war, especially since the guys here are not bluffers who haven't done their bit for the war effort. The film also has a bit to promote as regards self promoting tactics of business men not engaged in the forces themselves, but these little proposed edgy slants are asked to sit side by side with sexy comedy and the inevitable romantic plot strands, thus the film almost sinks within its attempt at genre fusion.
After reading a number of reviews as regards the cast, I too find myself having a very different view of things, but the one thing i'm adamant about is that Cary Grant most certainly isn't miscast here, he's actually the films one true saving grace, some of his delivery of the barbed wired dialogue is first class. Suzy Parker (Livingstone) appears to get the most stick that is flailing around, but she really isn't that bad, no trees being pulled up but she is tidy enough working off Grant, looks fantastic (definitely giving Jean Simmons a run for her money in the gorgeous bone structured face department), and crucially she's far better than the annoyingly dull Jayne Mansfield (Alice Kratzner). Mansfield has her marker in cinema history, her shtick has worked in a couple of decent movies (The Girl Can't Help It & Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?), but it doesn't here, and it's one of the main reasons the film doesn't quite make it as a rewarding watch. Too much effort is made to shoehorn Mansfield's mugging into the equation, almost usurping the decent efforts of Ray Walston as McCann. So the film to me is pretty much a mismatched effort all round, some good moments are offset by meandering dull ones, the play failed, and really the film is just about watchable fare without being recommended as a marker for all involved. 5/10
Directed by the very talented Stanley Donen, and adapted by Julius J. Epstein from Luther Davis' less than successful play, Kiss Them For Me is something of an oddity. It's an uncomfortable splice of comedy and drama and never fully satisfies in either department, with the cast being a very mixed bunch that has divided opinions right across the board. Its satire heart is fine, and to a degree it works, nobody in their right mind could fail to not emphasise with members of the armed forces being fed up with the grind of war, especially since the guys here are not bluffers who haven't done their bit for the war effort. The film also has a bit to promote as regards self promoting tactics of business men not engaged in the forces themselves, but these little proposed edgy slants are asked to sit side by side with sexy comedy and the inevitable romantic plot strands, thus the film almost sinks within its attempt at genre fusion.
After reading a number of reviews as regards the cast, I too find myself having a very different view of things, but the one thing i'm adamant about is that Cary Grant most certainly isn't miscast here, he's actually the films one true saving grace, some of his delivery of the barbed wired dialogue is first class. Suzy Parker (Livingstone) appears to get the most stick that is flailing around, but she really isn't that bad, no trees being pulled up but she is tidy enough working off Grant, looks fantastic (definitely giving Jean Simmons a run for her money in the gorgeous bone structured face department), and crucially she's far better than the annoyingly dull Jayne Mansfield (Alice Kratzner). Mansfield has her marker in cinema history, her shtick has worked in a couple of decent movies (The Girl Can't Help It & Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?), but it doesn't here, and it's one of the main reasons the film doesn't quite make it as a rewarding watch. Too much effort is made to shoehorn Mansfield's mugging into the equation, almost usurping the decent efforts of Ray Walston as McCann. So the film to me is pretty much a mismatched effort all round, some good moments are offset by meandering dull ones, the play failed, and really the film is just about watchable fare without being recommended as a marker for all involved. 5/10
a weak effort, but not a total waste of time...
swain-217 January 2000
This movie comes off as a half-baked Jane Mansfield / Cary Grant vehicle, but there are some reasons not to immediately turn it off. The plot meanders and the chemistry between the characters is practically non-existent, particularly between Grant's Crewson and Suzy Parker's Gwinneth. It feels as if even the 'war buddies' had just met when shooting began (the movie, not the war). If you've ever wondered why Jane Mansfield was considered the poor-man's Monroe, this film says it all. She has not half of the charm, comedic instinct, or for that matter sexual magnetism of Marilyn.
Having said all that, I found myself actually chuckling out loud at some of Cary Grant's slick lines. Would that we were all as quick-witted and smooth. For younger viewers, it's fun to see Ray Walston (Mr. Hand from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"...aloha!) in his very first big-screen role. And it is my understanding that Suzy Parker was universally panned for this performance; call me unsophisticated, but I didn't think she was that bad (although her voice was later dubbed out). What do you think?
Having said all that, I found myself actually chuckling out loud at some of Cary Grant's slick lines. Would that we were all as quick-witted and smooth. For younger viewers, it's fun to see Ray Walston (Mr. Hand from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"...aloha!) in his very first big-screen role. And it is my understanding that Suzy Parker was universally panned for this performance; call me unsophisticated, but I didn't think she was that bad (although her voice was later dubbed out). What do you think?
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