Kisses for My President (Warner Bros.) (1964)

Fred MacMurray Has Pitched Woo With Best Of ‘Em When Fred MacMurray was growing up in Wisconsin he had no idea he would someday romance some of the world’s most beautiful women. In those days he scraped paint off cars for $20.00 a week, and worked in a packing-plant. But times, and luck, shanged for him. He has had a chance to make love to such lookers as Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, Paulette Goddard, Rosalind Russell, Claudette Colbert and Carol Lombard. Being a gentleman, he refuses to discuss their separate merits. “All of them were charmers,” he declares gallantly. The newest beauty to fall into his arms is Polly Bergen, starred with him in “Kisses for My President”, Warner Bros. comedy opening at the Theatre. Arlene Dahl, Eli Wallach-and Edward Andrews also star in the release, which Curtis Bernhardt produced and directed. MacMurray made his first film in 1935. “I was so shy in those days that the director practically had to grab me by the neck and drag me through the love scenes,” the actor chuckles. But Polly Bergen is witness to the fact that his approach is different eooee eeeees as ea ge Bethe yes. as Curtis Bernhardt. Dark Doings In The White House At a White House reception, Arlene Dahl, playing a predatory divorcee, offers her old beau, Fred MacMurray, now the husband of the first female President of the United States, a chance to join her business organization—and also revive their romance. Scene is from “Kisses for My President”, new Warner Bros. comedy which opens Theatre. MacMurray and Miss Dahl star in the film, along with Polly Bergen, Edward Andrews and Eli Wallach. “Kisses for My President” was produced and directed by Mat 2-E_ Still No. 471/70 (Special Publicity Still) now. “Shy?” she observes. “Those days are gone forever. I won't say Fred plays love scenes like Valentino before the camera. But shy? Uh-uh!” ACTOR GETS A BREAK Eli Wallach’s starring part in “Kisses for My President,” new Warner Bros. comedy due at the Baar sete Theatre: oni, 2. 22283 1s that of a South American car enthusiast and speed demon. One sequence in the film requires him to. gun a car up to 115 m.p.h., then bring it to a dead stop in 18 feet. It happens, however, that Wallach is himself allergic to fast driving. When he had read the script of “Kisses for My President” he prevailed on producerdirector Curtis Bernhardt to shoot the scene on a Friday —so he could have a whole weekend to salm his nerves. THOUGHTFUL DIRECTOR While working in “Kisses for My President”, Warner Bros.’ new comedy which opens the Theatre, star Fred MacMurray had a birthday. Learning of the occasion, producer-director Curtis Bernhardt decided to give him an appropriate gift. The shooting-schedule was rearranged to enable MacMurray to play all his scenes that day while reclining in bed. The Presidency of the United States—long a subject of interest to movie-makers—reached a record for frequency of appearance on the screen during 1964. Warner Bros. alone has two Presidential entries. “Kisses for My President”, openANG re hee os ar they sve. Theatre with Fred MacMurray, Polly Bergen, Arlene Dahl, Eli Wallach and Edward Andrews starred, is Warner’s newest offering on the subject. The comedy considers what might happen were a woman to become Chief Executive, and depicts the scramble of family-life, romance and _ politics which results. The other Warner film which touches on the Presidency is “PT 109”, a graphic account of the World War II heroism of the late John Fitzgerald Kennedy. But the Chief Executive is not the exclusive concern of Warner Bros. during 1964. Columbia is in the field with another pair, “Dr. Strangelove” and “Fail Safe”, United Artists with “The Best Man”, and Paramount with “7 Days in May”. Thus, in a single year, no less than six motion pictures which touch on the highest office in the land are in circulation. As far back as 1909, however, there was a movie which dealt with a President, in this case Theodore Roosevelt. Abraham Lincvuin leads all First Family Steps Out The First Family of the U. S.—that is, the husband, the children and the President herself—leaves the White House for a stroll. Scene is from “Kisses for My President”, Warner Bros.’ new comedy about polities and family-life which opens ...... at the Theatre. Seen here are Anna Capri, as the daughter; Polly Bergen, as the Chief Executive; Fred MacMurray, as the first male “First Lady”; and Ronnie Dapo, as the son. MacMurray and Miss Bergen star in the film along with Arlene Dahl, Edward Andrews and Eli Wallach. Mat 2-A_ Still No. 471/28 Warner's Kisses ‘In Long Tradition Of Pictures About U.S. Presidency other Presidents as a character in films. He first appeared on screen in D. W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation’, made in 1915. Two years later, he was the subject of a cycle of shorts. In 1924, his life was filmized under the title “Abraham Lincoln”. Grifith made one of the earliest sound-pictures under the same title. In the Thirties there was a movie of Robert Sherwood’s play “Abe Lincoln in Illinois”. Three of John Ford’s films used the Lincoln character, “Young Mr. Lincoln’, “The Iron Horse” and “The Prisoner of Shark Island”. George Washington has appeared in pictures many times. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was depicted in “The Beginning of the End” and “Sunrise at Campobello’. Woodrow Wilson was put on the screen in “Wilson”. Andrew Jackson figured in “The Gorgeous Hussy” and “The President’s Lady”. James Madison appeared in “The Magnificent Doll”. And there have been two mystery films about the Presidency, “The President Vanishes” and “The Phantom President”. ‘Kisses’ Star Took Her Fashion Leads From White House What kind of clothes would a woman President of the United States wear ? That question may not be an urgent one in terms of present-day politics—but it became a decisive one during the making of “Kisses for My President’, a new Warner Bros. comedy which envisions what could happen when a woman does become the Chief Executive. Polly Bergen stars in that interesting role. Fred MacMurray, Arlene Dahl, Eli Wallach and Edward Andrews also star in the new release which opens ........ at thes ess Theatre. Since, obviously, there was no precedent by which to go in preparing Miss Bergen’s wardrobe, producer-director Curtis Bernhardt and the star did the next best thing—they went right to the White House itself for the answers. They gathered together hundreds of newspaper and magazine photographs of Jackie Kennedy for close study. Polly Bergen concluded that Mrs. Kennedy favors an “uncluttered line” and, in the actress’ words, “she’s smartly dressed but no fashion innovator. My screen wardrobe for ‘Kisses for My President’ follows similar lines. Mrs. Kennedy and I could easily swap clothes without anyone being startled.” U.S. Audiences Now Mature ‘Kisses Director Discovers American film audiences have grown up in the last five years, believes Curtis Bernhardt, producerdirector of the new Warner Bros. comedy “Kisses for My President”, which opens at the ....54; Theatre with Fred MacMurray, Polly Bergen, Eli Wallach, Arlene Dahl and Edward Andrews starred. Bernhard was in Europe making movies during that period. He returned to Hollywood to guide “Kisses for My President” to completion. “The changes that occurred while I was away are amazing,” he comments. “There is a new maturity in the taste of ticket-buyers, particularly among teen-age patrons.” Five years ago the studios frowned on frankness, and so did audiences, Bernhardt recalls. “People were aghast at the idea that virtue doesn’t always triumph,” he says, “or that a man not in love with his wife can have a happy affaire outside the home, or that honesty isn’t always necessarily the best policy.” He doesn’t believe, however, that the new atmosphere should be used as an excuse to put shock values into movies for their own sake. “To portray life on the screen it isn’t necessary to swing from ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’ to the memoirs of the Marquise de Sade,” he declares. “And it isn’t dramatic or imaginative to be too literal about depicting the facts of life. Subtlety, indirection and inference are more effective.” How MacMurray Learned To Knit In the story of “Kisses for My President”, new Warner Bros. comedy due to open ...... APNE Shel, os Theatre, Fred MacMurray plays the husband of the first woman President of the United States. He is, thus, the first male “First Lady” in American history. To emphasize the humorous aspects of the role, MacMurray goes through a gag scene in which he takes up knitting to kill time while his wife, the President, keeps busy with affairs of state. When co-star Polly Bergen, cast as the President, saw MacMurray pick up the knitting needles, she offered, “Want me to show you how?” “No, thanks,” the actor replied. “T played in ‘Above Suspicion’ with Joan Crawford in 1948. Joan is always knitting between scenes. I got the hang of it by watching her.” Along with Miss Bergen and MacMurray, “Kisses for My President” stars Eli Wallach, Arlene Dahl and Edward Andrews. Curtis Bernhardt produced and directed. What's In A Name? A Part In ‘Kisses’ Fate and the Warner Bros. casting-department both contributed to the efforts of producerdirector Curtis Bernhardt to achieve the authentic touch for “Kisses for My President.” Like this— © Anne Sparrow, a bit player, was cast as the owner of a bird shop; e “Buzz” Stinger, ex-burlesque comedian, was picked to play the owner of a place called “The Busy Bee Cafe”; e Beverly Hills, a Hollywood stripper, was cast as a stripper known as Nana Peel; e Elmer White and Bert House, bit players, were chosen to portray White House security agents; © And Batton Fiddler, European violinist, made his acting debut as the conductor of a fashionable string quartet. “Kisses for My President’, a comedy about a woman who be comes U.S. President, opens.... at the Theatre. eee eee Eli Wallach stars as a bemedalled and strutting South American dictator whose advent in Washington causes many kinds of mix-ups, domestic as well as political, in “Kisses for My President’’. New Warner Bros. comedy opens..... at the..... Theatre. Mat 1-E Still No. 471/4 (Special Publicity Still) Scent Your Way To Sex Appeal Advises Sultry Star Of Kisses’ It is the deep conviction of Arlene Dahl that biochemistry plays an important part in sex appeal and allure. “Tests have proved that the sense of smell curiously controls the degree of attraction one has for persons of the opposite sex,” says the sultry redheaded star of “Kisses for My President”, new Warner Bros. comedy due to open Theatre. The release also stars Fred MacMurray, Eli Wallach, Polly Bergen and Edward An drews. Curtis Bernhardt directed and produced “Kisses for My Presi dent”. Miss Dahl, a topliner in movies, nightclubs, television and on the stage, conducts a syndicated beauty column. She believes one can enhance personal magnetism by the proper use of scents. “The secret is not the scent alone but where it is applied,” says the actress. “Physical areas differ. On the lobes of the ears, a perfume imparts an atmosphere of self-confidence and assurance. On the fingers, it imparts an impression of aloofness. At the base of the throat, since it mixes with skin oils, it makes one provocative. “No one need take my word for it,” she continues. “Women ought to experiment, try perfumes in different ways—on the ears, the elbows, the tips of the shoulders. They’ll soon find out what a great difference placement makes.” Miss Dahl insists that a scent should be used sparingly. “It should whisper, never shout,” she says. “A perfume should only vaguely make its presence felt. Its power is in its subtlety.” The star also advises women to select scents by their physical types. “Floral odors are best for blondes”, she states. “Brunettes are enhanced by perfumes with musk, sandalwood and amber bases. Redheads are best in sharp, bright odors.” She even has a word of advice for men—to stick to “clean” scents such as lime, verbena and lavender. PAGE Ss