Kiss Them for Me

Because of on-screen presence of the fabulous Jayne Mansfield, this film is a camp classic! But let's face it... this is a pretty bad movie. It's horribly dated, and corny beyond belief.

However... the film has two big things going for it: Jayne Mansfield! If you know who Jayne Mansfield was, you understand what I'm saying. If you don't know who Jayne Mansfield was, then I pity you, poor fool!

This film features Jayne at her Outrez-Hollywood best, long before the drugs, alcohol, and hard living took their toll on her beauty. Jayne squeals, shreiks, giggles and wiggles, as only Jayne could. Jayne Mansfield is quite fabulous in this film!

Jayne Mansfield was way ahead of her time. She was a living work of pop-art. If she were alive and in her prime today, she would rightfully be referred to as a "Performance Artist". Jayne was a living, breathing, squealing, jiggling bowl of Jell-o squeezed into a tight dress and topped off with the most fabulously platinum hair that Hollywood has ever produced! (I think her particular shade of platinum was actually called "Jet Blonde"!)

For anyone who loves Jayne Mansfield, or even for someone who hasn't experienced the phenomenon that was Jayne Mansfield, this film is a MUST-SEE event!

I think this film is absolutely worth seeing simply for Jayne's sake. It's worth sitting through the corny story just to witness Jayne Mansfield at her most beautiful and comedic best! You won't be disappointed... Jayne is simply FABOO!

The film can be summed-up in two words that Jayne herself would often say... "It's DIVOON!"

Cary Grant is always marvelous, and his performance here is no exception. His Commander Crewson is a fairly typical Grant role of a part-goldbrick, part-devil-may-care military officer, a standard Grant character. But then, we have some magical moments interspersed with the suave Grant comedy that gives him a chance to really go for the dramatic gusto.

Three soldiers, who have made incredible and heroic contributions to the battles of World War II are being set up for a PR tour to promote the war effort. Crewson and his cohorts decide to have some fun in San Francisco instead, and finagle their way into a few days leave. Once there, it's a life of ease, except for the fact that they're not exactly on an approved leave, and the shore patrol is on the lookout for the rogue heroes. Each man wants to just get out of the line of fire, having seen enough of it, and are not interested in promoting anything but their own freedom, if just for a few days.

Two great Grant dramatic moments will stay with you for sure; in the first, Grant tells off a pushy millionaire who wants the men to give a rah-rah speech to his factory workers. In the other, Crewson meets a fellow soldier he knew, a young man who got a bad break in battle.

Ray Walston and Larry Blyden offer excellent support as Crewson's war hero comrades, and Werner Klemperer ("Hogan's Heroes") stands out as a military PR man shepherding the three semi-awol soldiers. Jayne Mansfield plays a typical "dumb blonde" as usual, and Richard Deacon ("The Dick van Dyke Show") appears in a small, but memorable supporting role as a shy paper magnate.

It's too bad this one isn't better known. Perhaps this is beacuse the movie does not touch the lofty heights of comedy met in "Operation Petticoat" or "Father Goose". Instead, the film is a comedy-drama about WWII, and was possibly aimed at a more mature audience, both of which make the movie a bit more tense for the casual viewer. This is especially true in the last third or so, as the focus wanders a bit into more mature and serious areas, then tries to wander out again by the end.

Regardless, the film is well worth viewing at least once, and is an excellent example of a late 50's "grown-up" film.