Kiss Them for Me (1957)

Story? Three Navy WW II Combat Fliers go on a 4-day leave in San Francisco and find romance and comedy. But its an extremely dull farce. Or, I think it was supposed to be a farce.  Anyway there are several problems with the movie.

The casting 

Evidently, after getting Cary Grant and Jayne Mansfield the producers ran low on $$. So, the rest of the cast is unknowns and "B" actors. We end up with the following cast (or should I say miscast):

• Cary Grant, - age 52 - too old to be a Navy Aviator
• Ray Walston - age 43 -  too old and odd to be a Navy Aviator
• Larry Blyden - age 32 - but a nobody with zero charisma.
• Suzy Parker - a former model who can't act
• Werner Klemperer - dull and unbelivable as a Navy PR guy 
• Jayne Mansfield  -  given little to do - a live cartoon.

Second Problem

The film has a glossy  look and Director Donen keeps things moving, but its still nothing a filmed play that never leaves the Fairmont Hotel.  There's a lot of talk and not much action.  It needs better jokes.

Third problem

We're supposed to laugh at the fliers cynical attitude toward women & wartime heroism and cheer when they call out the phony civilians, but it all seems tired and forced. We've seen it done before and done better.  In fact, audiences in 1957 thought the same thing - Kiss them for Me  bombed at the boxoffice.  Given the film was based a best seller  there was a good story in there somewhere. But the whole thing is badly executed. 

Summary:  Widely regarded as one of Cary Grant's worst movies.  Casting is key in Comedy. And  this mediocre script needed a much better one. Maybe if you'd had Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Billy Wilder involved. Hey, that sounds like a pretty good cast, wonder if they ever got together and made a movie? Rating *