It Started with a Kiss (1959)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Valentine Davies (story)
Charles Lederer (writer)

Release Date:

4 September 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Air Force Sgt. Joe Fitzpatrick meets and marries a beautiful model, Maggie Putnam, on the eve of being shipped off to Spain...

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | Soldier | Husband Wife Relationship | Scam | Kiss

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Sgt. Joe Fitzpatrick
Debbie Reynolds	...	Maggie Putnam
Eva Gabor	...	Marquesa de la Rey
Gustavo Rojo	...	Antonio Soriano
Fred Clark	...	Maj. Gen. O'Connell
Edgar Buchanan	...	Congressman Tappe
Harry Morgan	...	Charles Meriden (as Henry 'Harry' Morgan)
Robert Warwick	...	Congressman Muir
Frances Bavier	...	Mrs. Tappe
Netta Packer	...	Mrs. Muir
Robert Cunningham	...	The Major
Alice Backes	...	Sally Meriden
Carmen Phillips	...	Belvah

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13

Company:

Arcola Pictures

Trivia:

The car that Glenn Ford wins is a 1955 Lincoln Futura, the one-off concept car that ultimately became the Batmobile on "Batman" (1966).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Batmobile Revealed (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

It Started with a Kiss

The solid red car

The main attraction going for this film is the futuristic car shown in it, which for 1959 looked way ahead of its times. The comedy, as directed by George Marshall tries to be a movie exploiting the sexual tensions between the two stars. The same premise was achieved with better results in other films of the era, notably, "Pillow Talk".

The mere idea of a young married couple putting such a barrier between their sexual life is risible, at best. The two stars, Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford try their best, but are bogged down because of the screen play.

As someone has already noted, the film shows in minor roles actors that went to better careers in television. Eva Gabor, Harry Morgan, Edgar Buchanan, Frances Bavier, among them.

The basic excuse for watching the film is the car and some views of Spain, as it looked in the late fifties. In fact, a woman in slacks, as we see Ms. Reynolds at the beginning of the film, as she arrived in Madrid, was a big no-no in the Spanish society of the time. Things have changed since then!