Kisses for My President
| Kisses for My President | |
|---|---|
 1964 Theatrical Poster | |
| Directed by | Curtis Bernhardt |
| Written by | Claude Binyon (writer) Robert G. Kane (screenplay) |
| Produced by | Curtis Bernhardt |
| Starring | Fred MacMurray Polly Bergen Eli Wallach |
| Cinematography | Robert Surtees |
| Edited by | Sam O'Steen |
| Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
Production company | Pearlayne |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date | December 4, 1964 |
Running time | 113 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
Kisses for My President is a 1964 comedy directed by Curtis Bernhardt, starring Fred MacMurray and Polly Bergen. Leslie McCloud (Bergen) makes history when she is elected the first female President of the United States. However, her husband Thad McCloud (MacMurray) is less enthusiastic.[1]
Plot summary
The United States elects its first female President in the form of Leslie McCloud. She and her first gentleman, Thad, move into the White House with their daughter Gloria and son Peter.
Immediately, the new President is too busy for her husband and family as she deals with a powerful opposition senator (Edward Andrews), and a Central American dictator (Eli Wallach}. Thad attempts to find something meaningful to do as the "first lady."
Much time is given to his chagrin at being assigned an ultra-feminine bedroom and office within the White House. It is clear that no one, especially Thad McCloud, has given any thought to how a President's husband might fit into the scheme of things.
Enter Doris Reid Weaver (Arlene Dahl), Thad's former flame and now an international business woman. She wants Thad back -- and offers him a lucrative position in her company as bait.
Leslie has asked him to show visiting dictator Valdez around Washington, with disastrous results. To further complicate things, the first daughter is running around town with a very unsuitable boyfriend and using her position to get out of scrapes with the police. Son Peter has become a bully, using his Secret Service men for protection as he terrorizes everyone in his school -- including the principal.
The only solution, in 1964 of course, is for Leslie to discover that she is pregnant, and resign the presidency in order to devote herself full-time to her family.
Reaction
The New York Times review called the film "corny".[2]
Cast
- Fred MacMurray as Thad McCloud
- Polly Bergen as U.S. President Leslie McCloud
- Eli Wallach as Valdez
- Arlene Dahl as Doris Reid Weaver
- Edward Andrews as Sen. Walsh
- Donald May as Secret Service Agent John O'Connor
- Harry Holcombe as Vice President Bill Richards
- Ahna Capri as Gloria McCloud (as Anna Capri)
- Ronnie Dapo as Peter McCloud
- Richard St. John as Jackson
- Bill Walker as Joseph
- Adrienne Marden as Miss Higgins
- Wilbert G. Nuttycombe as Musician
- Norma Varden as Miss Dinsendorff
- Sig Ruman as Russian Ambassador
- John Banner as Soviet Ambassador
- Jon Lormer as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
- Eleanor Audley as Principal Osgood
- Beverly Powers (aka Miss Beverly Hills) as Nana Peel