Kisses for My President (1964)

I had heard about this movie for years and even knew how it ended, but I decided I should finally see it for myself--it was on TCM this past weekend. As a feminist, I was prepared to be offended, but parts of the movie pleasantly surprised me. President Leslie McCloud, well played by Polly Bergen, is a strong, smart woman more than capable of handling the duties of president. And Eli Wallach is very funny as the Castro-like dictator seeking aid for his country. Today the casting of a non-Latino actor in the role wouldn't go over, but Wallach, a gifted character actor, does a good job. The character is a bit stereotypical, but hey, he's a dictator-- we're not supposed to like him. Fred MacMurray's performance is OK--I prefer him cast against type, as in Double Indemnity and The Apartment--but his "first gentleman" character is such a bumbler, until he redeems himself in the congressional hearing, that it's hard to believe he was ever a successful businessman. And Edward Andrews, like Wallach a fine character actor, is excellent as the smarmy senator who had run against McCloud. But the movie finally does a cop-out on the idea of a woman president--she has to resign because she's pregnant! So for most of the film, the script takes the idea of a woman president seriously, and shows Leslie McCloud to be a serious, intelligent, competent one, but in the end biology dictates her destiny. So yes, we needed the women's movement and still do--even in 2016, a lot of Americans wouldn't vote for a woman for president, and don't tell me sexism had nothing to do with it. One more problem: Even though the movie was made at the height of the civil rights movement, the only black character who gets notable screen time is the White House butler.

The idea for this film is a very good one...but the execution is lackluster to say the least. It's a shame.When the film begins, Leslie McCloud (Polly Bergen) is being sworn is as President of the US. However, soon after, it's obvious that no one even considered what Mr. Thad McCloud (Fred MacMurray) would do as First Lady or First Fella or whatever he would be. This isn't at all realistic as you'd think this would all be planned out. Then, through the course of the film, Thad just seems kind of lost and the President seems to have little time for him. And, the kids run amok as neither the President nor her husband seem to have considered what to do with the kids. And, as for Thad...he's like a fish out of water in all this.So here's the problem. Unless the President was chosen by lottery, Mr. McCloud and his wife would have already had to work out their roles and the impact of all this on her kids. After all, you would assume she would have already been a Congresswoman, Senator or Governor...and so the family moving to the White House should NOT have been this difficult. In essence, the plot really didn't make a lot of sense the way they handled it...nor the way the President just gave it all up at the end!! If you can look past all this (and you won't), the film has some cute moments. But it could have been so much better had the script made more sense.

Granted, this movie is not to be taken too seriously. Who would have given heavy thought to having a female president in 1964? However, I didn't find it insulting. It was simply a comforting little comedy starring top-flight actors.As usual, the highly diversified Fred MacMurray was excellent as the husband of the female president. Polly Bergan, always in grand form, displayed her ability to capture her character perfectly ... as directed by Curtis Bernhart for Warner Brothers.Also presenting good performances were the great Eli Wallach and beautiful Arlene Dahl.This was the type of comedy that reflected what was expected on the "big screen" in 1964. Filming it in Black-and-White was a good decision. Color would have taken away the simplicity that made it special.It was 113-minutes of fun.

In 1964 this was considered an outrageous idea: the first female president. How times have changed during the 45 years. Hillary Clinton must laugh up her sleeve when she saw this one; even though she didn't make it in 2008.The film deals with a woman (Polly Bergen) playing our nation's first chief executive. Whether male or female, the president must deal with affairs of international or domestic consideration.We're not interested in a film dealing with the concept of the first husband. Fred MacMurray does an interesting job here. Surprised that Polly Bergen didn't break out in a chorus of Giselle McKenzie's hit-"Hard to Get!"The picture weakens as it goes on since it's hard to keep up the pace with problems associated with a woman in the White House.Those involved with the liberation of women movement would certainly be disheartened by the ending when that famous line is stated: "The president is pregnant!" I think that was a cop-out to the total ideal of the film. The film is comic and somewhat serious by nature. What's to be done by the first husband? Must he assume the traditional roles of the First Lady? That's a pretty interesting point to consider.