Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies: It's In His Kiss - Part XIX

Wonderland Burlesque's 

Let's All Go To The Movies: 

It's In His Kiss

Part XIX

It's in his kiss.

Isn't that where it all begins?

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

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Kissed

(1922)

Constance Keener, who is betrothed to young millionaire Merton Torrey, confesses to him her desire for romance - which he does not give her. On the occasion of a masquerade ball, Torrey is unable to escort her, so she attends solo. While she is alone on the balcony, someone suddenly seizes and kisses her and then disappears. She attempts to discover her assailant's identity, but two other men are in identical costumes. Later, she decides that it was Dr. Moss, and a few days later, she elopes with him. On the train, Connie realizes after Dr. Moss kisses her that she has eloped with the wrong man! When the train comes to a stop, they are held up by a masked man who kidnaps and kisses her.  Realizing that he is the stranger, Connie unmasks the bandit, only to discover it is Torrey, the man she had once considered so unromantic.

This American silent comedy was directed by King Baggot and stars Marie Prevost, Lloyd Whitlock, and Lillian Langdon.

A copy of Kissed is held by the Museum of Modern Art.

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Hot Kiss

(1969)

The friendly neighborhood antique dealer moonlights as a homicidal sex maniac. He's bewitched by a statue his ex-girlfriend gave him and he sells it to one beautiful woman after another, seduces them and kills them.


This American adult horror drama was directed by Tommy Goetz and written by producer Leonard Kirtman. No cast listing can be found.


Emmy -nominated Tommy Goetz spent most of his career as an art director for dozens of television series, including the long-running Newhart, Taxi and Step By Step starring Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers.

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Devil's Kiss

(1976)

AKA: La perversa caricia de Satán, The Wicked Caresses of Satan

In France, the former Countess Moncorn comes to the Haussemont Castle to join the medium Claire Grandier for a séance with her telepathic friend and scientist Professor Gruber. They are welcomed by the Duke de Haussemont, who recognizes Claire. There is an interruption in the séance and the Duke invites Claire and Gruber to stay at the castle. He also offers his basement for the professor to proceed with his experiments. However, Claire has an agenda; she holds a grudge against the Haussemont family, whom she blames for the suicide of her beloved husband Phillippe - an act induced to acquire his properties. Claire uses the Book of Astarov along with the ability and knowledge of Professor Gruber to reanimate a corpse. Controlled by Gruber, it seeks revenge against those responsible for the death of Phillippe. But then things go quickly awry...

This Spanish/French/Andorran Euro-gothic horror film was directed by Jordi Gigó and stars Silvia Solar, Olivier Mathot José Nieto, Daniel Martin and Maria Silva.

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Tosca's Kiss

(1984)

AKA: Il Bacio di Tosca

Meet the inhabitants of the Casa di Riposa in Milan, the world's first nursing home for retired opera singers, founded by composer Giuseppe Verdi in 1896. In his documentary film, which has developed an underground cult following over the years and is a favorite among opera and music lovers worldwide, director Daniel Schmid has captured a world in which these wonderful singers (many of whom had significant careers on the opera stage) re-live and re-enact their triumphant roles of the glorious past. Tosca's Kiss is a touching and often hilarious film on the subject of aging and the power and timeless capacity of music to inspire.

This Swiss documentary was directed by Daniel Schmid and features such opera greats as Giuseppe Manacchini, Leonida Bellon, Salvatore Locapo, Giovanni Puligheddu and Sara Scuderi.

The New York Times review called it "Bravissimo!"

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Red Kiss

(1985)

AKA: Rouge Baiser

1952, Paris. Nadia, a Red Diaper baby, has a sister, Polish parents, and, at 15, is an active Communist. When cops beat her during an anti-American demonstration, she's rescued by a Match photographer. As the friendship becomes a love affair and her slogans are tested by new knowledge and emotion, some of the Red youth want to expel her. When she goes with Stéphane to a seaside photo shoot, her father goes to the police. Stéphane faces charges, and decides leaving to cover the war in Indochina looks much more appealing. In a parallel story, Nadia's mother meets again her prewar lover, released from Siberia, who challenges the French Reds with very real scars and word of Stalin's anti-Semitism.

This French drama was directed by Véra Belmont and stars Charlotte Valandrey, Lambert Wilson, Marthe Keller and Laurent Terzieff.

Director Véra Belmont recalled that Charlotte Valandrey, who was 16 during filming, was "nice but a bit annoying' and that he was dreading her love scene - where Charlotte appears topless. "The little girl was new to the subject and I didn't want to shock her. Lambert (Wilson) had the brilliant idea of playing with Charlotte as if she were a little cat. He played down the situation and was able to stroke her gently without hurting her feelings. It went like clockwork," Belmont said.

It was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival, where Charlotte Valandrey won the Silver Bear for Best Actress.

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And that's all for now, folks!

Tune in next time...

Same place, same channel.

Tosca's Kiss - Movie Trailer

(1984)

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