[4]

Cary Grant stars in this post-war feel-good flick about three beleaguered naval officers whose precious 4-day shore leave is threatened at every turn. At first, it's disappointing to see Grant slumming it in a party movie, but then there's a little anti-war sentiment that threatens to elevate the material... before ultimately sinking it. Kiss Them For Me is ultimately an overbearing message movie, with Grant's character repeatedly explaining to lay people and press alike that war isn't glorious. Maybe the film served an important function counterbalancing war propaganda from the '40s, but taken on its own, the message gets tedious very quickly. The line should have been drawn after Grant's first dramatic outburst (a fine moment for him and the movie), and well before a wounded soldier is wheeled out for exhibition, full of hope and oblivious to his terminal diagnosis.

Making matters worse is the film’s depiction of its female characters. Jayne Mansfield is amusing as a Marilyn Monro-like bombshell who partners up with one of the navy boys — despite the fact he’s married. And Grant stops at nothing to woo an engaged woman (an atrocious Suzy Parker), who swaps lovers in under a day’s time! Another false chord is struck when all three men, after earning the right to leave the front lines, head right back to the battle front as though it were a social club. What a mess. With Ray Walston and Leif Erickson. Directed by Stanley Donnen (Singin’ in the Rain).