Warning... this is an adult site. If reading or viewing things about what gay men do sexually with one another bothers you - you should not read this blog. This blog is a reflection of my adventures and thoughts. Some are fun, some not so pretty. I won't name names, or kiss and tell... but I will live to tell. And baby, trust me - I am gonna spill it all over your pretty little party dress. Enjoy!
On occasion I come across a film I feel noteworthy. Today's is a choice bit of romantic situational comedy from 1948, the rather charming An Innocent Affair.
An Innocent Affair
(1948)
AKA: Don't Trust Your Husband, Under Suspicion
This American comedy was directed by Lloyd Bacon, written by Lou Breslow and Joseph Hoffman, and stars Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Rita Johnson, Louise Allbritton and Alan Mowbray.
Advertising man Vincent Doane is assigned to land Margot Fraser's perfume account. Anxious that his wife Paula might become jealous, he tells her that the account is with a Mr. Fraser. Paula becomes suspicious and plays a trick on Vincent. She hires an actor to pretend to be a gigolo who is interested in her, but she does not know that Vincent knows about the ruse. Business tycoon Claude Kimball is mistaken for the gigolo and is ensnared in the Doanes' schemes. Big accounts are landed, promotions given, and divorce papers are served. Needless to say, sophisticated hilarity ensues.
Fred MacMurray is a very smart cookie. He bought the story from writers Lou Breslow and Joseph Hoffman and then sold it to Nasser Productions for $75,000, returning him a large profit. MacMurray was paid more than $150,000 for his role in the film and also received a percentage of its profits. And don't worry about Breslow and Hoffman; based on the positive buzz from preview audiences, they got a whopping $100,000 for their next screenplay, which was supposed to reunite the cast of this film and serve as a sequel. But, unfortunately, it never got made.
Norma Shearer and Myrna Loy were considered for the role of Paula Doane. And production was delayed due to the late arrival of Madeline Carroll. Note: Madeline Carroll, a British actress, was, at the height of her fame in 1938, the highest paid actress in the world.
Buddy Rogers received ballroom dance lessons from none other than Arthur Murray for the film.
In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Thomas M. Pryor wrote: "Perhaps the writers didn't try hard enough, or perhaps this picture represents their level best, but, in any case, the truth of the matter is that the merriment is spread rather thin and unevenly. 'Bounce' is what this farcical excursion lacks."
And those are the basics, now here's my two cents:
Now, I couldn't disagree more with Mr. Pryor; I found the whole affair absolutely charming. While it has the feel of 1950's situational television comedy, the posh urban setting and sweeping nightlife push it up a few notches and while not Noel Coward, it certainly passes muster in the wit department.
The couple live in a penthouse apartment, to die for, with his divorcee sister. MacMurray's performance offers few surprises, especially if you know his work opposite Paulette Goddard (whom I'm surprised wasn't offered the role played by Carroll - or Rosalind Russell, for that matter), but he's as serviceable as ever. Carroll's droll British sensibility brings quite a bit of allure to proceedings, as does Rita Johnson as MacMurray's sadder-but-wiser sister. The latter two make for a great team, with Johnson serving as the voice of common sense usually provided by a servant or cook in these kind of movies (think: Marjorie Main, Thelma Ritter, Mary Wickes, and Margaret Hamilton). Charles "Buddy" Rogers makes for a lovely, under-played southern gentleman, while Louise Allbritton brings the perfect haughty beauty to her role as scheming ex-fiancée. The costumes are flamboyant and fetching and the sets perfectly capture the era of night club life; it's the New York City I wish I could visit!
You can see this film in its entirety for free on YouTube (and the print I watched was of very good quality).
If you're a fan of the era and vintage romantic situational comedies, I urge you to take a look. I think you'll be very pleased.
A caress of the lips. A deep longing. Sharing a single breath?
On the silver screen such a kiss can be captured forever, frozen in time.
Or so these films would have us believe.
So, let's kiss and tell and spill the beans on these everlasting smacks, smooches, and snogs.
Yes, things can get pretty heated.
Chapstick exists for a reason, you know!
Grab a seat on the aisle.
Popcorn at the ready.
Pucker up and roll film!
- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque
--- ---
Kiss Papa
(1926)
Lige and Estelle have been married three years and the novelty is wearing off. They are about to separate when Lige gets a telegram from the attorneys of his late uncle, saying that a representative is on the way, and if he finds Lige and Estelle happily married, Lige will inherit a huge fortune. Lige can't find Estelle and he gets Nita, the neighbor's wife, to be his temporary wife, and a midget from the circus to be their baby. Estelle has also gotten the telegram, so she gets neighbor Clem for her husband and, also, another circus midget as the baby. The attorney arrives and all concerned are together in the same room. Confusion ensues.
This American two-reel comedy was written and directed by Stephen Roberts and stars Lige Conley, Estelle Bradley, Clem Beauchamp, and Anita Garvin.
Lige Conley
Lige Conley appeared in 140 films between 1915 and 1938. He began his career as part of Mack Sennett's troupe before moving to Roach Studios, where he was frequently overshadowed by Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels and Snub Pollard. Moving to Universal did little to change this. It wasn't until he joined Educational Films in 1921 that he became a star, frequently compared to Charlie Chaplin. This was the final in a long line of shorts Conley appeared in for Educational Films. He made the transition into talkies, but only in small roles. In 1938, after completing a small role in Fred Allen's Sally, Irene and Mary, he was hit by a car and died.
--- ---
Kiss the Boys Goodbye
(1941)
Broadway director Lloyd Lloyd and composer Dick Rayburn search for talent down South and discover singer Cindy Lou Bethany who surprises them with her voice and striptease.
Based on a play by Clare Boothe Luce which was inspired by the search for an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara, this American musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and stars Mary Martin, Don Ameche and Oscar Levant.
Originally planned as a vehicle for Jean Arthur, who had to drop out after being tied up at RKO with The Devil and Miss Jones (1941). Mary Martin was cast in her stead.
Ray Milland had been up for the male lead, but Don Ameche was cast instead.
Mary Martin
--- ---
Kiss The Girls And Make Them Die
(1966)
AKA: If All The Women In The World, Operation Paradise
Financed by Red China, a Brazilian industrialist plans to sterilize the United States through massive doses of radiation courtesy of his satellite. He double crosses the Chinese by scheming to sterilize the entire Earth, then personally repopulate the planet with beautiful women he has kidnapped and is holding in suspended animation. A down-to-earth CIA agent, an aristocratic female MI-6 agent , and her chauffeur, driving a Rolls-Royce car filled with spy gadgets, team up to stop the madman.
This Italian-American James Bond spoof was directed by Henry Levin and Dino Maiuri, with stars Mike Connors, Dorothy Provine, Terry-Thomas, Margaret Lee, and Raf Vallone.
Columbia Pictures cast Mike Connors in the lead role after an impressive audition for the Matt Helm role in The Silencers (1966) that had gone to Dean Martin.
Mike Connors said that he performed the stunt where he hangs from a rope attached to a helicopter flying around the Christ the Redeemer Statue because a local Brazilian stuntman refused to do it.
Dorothy Provine modeled her characterization on Lady Penelope from the Thunderbirds (1965) TV series. Provine was whisked away to Rome for a week, returning with a glamorous makeover.
Mike Connors and Dorothy Provine had previously worked together in the 1964 comedy, Good Neighbor Sam starring Jack Lemmon. Terry-Thomas and Dorothy Provine had previously worked together in the 1963 epic slapstick comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). Raf Vallone and Mike Connors both previously appeared in the Hollywood biopic Harlow (1965).
The movie was filmed on location in Rio de Janeiro and Rome with Dino De Laurentiis spending a lot of money on production.
This film was rushed into release in the USA in January 1967 so as to beat the much bigger studio James Bond parody Casino Royale (1967) which was launched in April of that same year.
The plot of Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die is similar to the James Bond film Moonraker, which was released 13 years later.
Variety was critical of the film stating that "Dino De Laurentiis has made a limp, banal spy spoof, inept in all departments. Pace is plodding, dialog pallid, direction pedestrian, acting an embarrassment, and technical composition awkward." and that it was an "Unsatisfactory spy spoof for dual bills".
You can watch this film in its entirety for free on YouTube.
--- ---
Kiss Daddy Goodbye
(1981)
A father is killed by a biker gang who are trespassing on his property. What the gang fails to realize is that his two kids have psychic and telekinetic powers with which they bring Pops back to life to enact his revenge!
This American horror film was directed by Patrick Regan and stars Fabian, Marilyn Burns, Jon Cedar, and Marvin Miller.
This film was supposed to released by Film Ventures International under the title Caution: Children At Play many years earlier, but the president of the company disappeared after a lawsuit leaving this film in limbo and now in the public domain.
Marilyn Burns starred in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and became the first Scream Queen and the prototype for the 'final girl' trope.
Marvin Miller is best known as the voice for Robbie the Robot on the television series Lost In Space (1965).
You can watch this film in its entirety for free on YouTube.
--- ---
Kiss Daddy Goodnight
(1987)
At night, baby-face Laura dresses up as a vamp and lets random guys at bars pick her up, just so she can drug and rob them later. But then someone starts stalking her, and a person close to her is killed.
American neo-noir psychological thriller was directed by Peter Ily Huemer and stars Uma Thurman, Paul Dillon, Paul Richards, Steve Buscemi, and Annabelle Gurwitch.
This marked Uma Thurman's on-screen film debut.
Annabelle Gurwitch is best known as the host of Dinner and A Movie.
You can watch this film in its entirety for free on YouTube.
