KISS THEM FOR ME

US, 1957, 105 minutes, Colour.
Cary Grant, Jayne Mansfield, Suzy Parker, Ray Walston, Leif Erickson, Werner Klemperer.
Directed by Stanley Donen.

Kiss Them For Me is a rather lame forces comedy made in 1956 - and perhaps already out of date by then.

The screenplay was written by Julius Epstein, writer of such films as Casablanca and Reuben Reuben. It was based on a Luther Davis play and a Frederic Wakeman novel, 'Shore Leave'.

The film was directed by Stanley Donen - at the time that he was making The Pyjama Game, Damn Yankees and Funny Face. However, it is particularly tame in comedy style, rather forced and laboured.

The film was also a star vehicle for Cary Grant, not a particularly wise choice in view of the fact that at this time he made such films as An Affair to Remember with Deborah Kerr and Indiscreet with Ingrid Bergman (also directed by Donen). Cary Grant does this kind of suave comedy without any effort - although, at times, he is forced to be a little more rough and ready than his usual manner. There is good support from Ray Walston and Larry Blyden who were to move into television success in My Favourite Martian and Hogan's Heroes.

Jayne Mansfield gets top billing with Cary Grant - and she seems to give a particularly inept performance as an imitation Marilyn Monroe. Towards the end she has a chance to act more naturally but it is too late. The film also introduces model Suzy Parker who has a quiet presence compared with Mansfield. But they do not have the same presence as Grant.

The film is a bit of a flag-waver - in memory of the fliers in World War Too, the war effort, some satire at the expense of big businessmen, the main action is the fliers enjoying themselves at parties in San Francisco.

Interesting as a footnote to the careers of Stanley Donen and Cary Grant as well as a glimpse of Jayne Mansfield.