Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)

75% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(2,897 ratings)

Dean Martin stars in this once-controversial comedy as Dino, a Las Vegas crooner, alcoholic, and celebrity playboy. Dino requires women like oxygen -- a companionless night leaves him with a headache. Ray Walston is Orville, a provincial piano teacher, aspiring songwriter, and jealous husband.… More Dean Martin stars in this once-controversial comedy as Dino, a Las Vegas crooner, alcoholic, and celebrity playboy. Dino requires women like oxygen -- a companionless night leaves him with a headache. Ray Walston is Orville, a provincial piano teacher, aspiring songwriter, and jealous husband. Orville violently obsesses over his wife Zelda's (Felicia Farr) fidelity -- any man she encounters becomes his sworn enemy. When a chance detour brings Dino to Orville's hometown of Climax, NV, it is the perfect opportunity for the piano teacher and his songwriting partner, Barney (Cliff Osmond), to pitch their tunes. Yet, Orville predictably fears the possible combination of Dino's libido with Zelda's childhood crush on the singer. Before the two can meet, Orville deceitfully bullies Zelda out of their house and Barney hires local roadhouse prostitute Polly the Pistol (Kim Novak) to pose as Orville's wife. Zelda turns to drink for solace, ending up at the exact bar where Polly plies her trade and, eventually, in the call girl's empty trailer. By the next morning, Orville is with Polly and Dino (looking for a prostitute) finds his way to Zelda -- and husband, wife, hooker, and Barney will all reap the benefits of infidelity. As indicated, this picture (which endured numerous complications on its long journey to the screen, including Walston's replacement of ailing star Peter Sellers) drew a great deal of attention upon release, most of it overwhelmingly negative. The Catholic League of Decency gave it a "condemned" rating (the first one applied since the 1956 Baby Doll), the picture was charged with debauchery, and movie theaters across the nation discontinued its run. This bed-trick comedy had America's panties tied in a knot, with many arguing that one could not imagine a story so distasteful. As a reflection on changing mores and standards, though, it was rated GP in 1970 (eventually changed to PG-13 in 1994). ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 6 min.
Directed By: Billy Wilder
Written By: Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond
Genres: Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 22, 1964 Wide
On DVD: Jul 15, 2003

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Wilder, usually a director of considerable flair and inventiveness -- has not been able this time out to rise above a basically vulgar, as well as creatively delinquent, screenplay...
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
I recommend Kiss Me, Stupid to the skeptical with no reservations whatsoever.
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Kiss Me, Stupid is unlikely to inspire a Broadway musical, top an AFI poll, or birth a hundred-dollar coffee-table book, but it could burnish Wilder's posthumous reputation.
Murray Schumach, New York Times
There was the sharp contrast of surface-banter and concentration on detail; of unpredictable laughter, brushed off by disciplined professionalism.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Both Martin and Novak are at their near best, and the undertone of small-town desperation in Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond's script is effectively captured by Walston and his sidekick, Cliff Osmond.
Don Druker, Chicago Reader
In any event, this has to rank as Wilder's most corrosive and despairing portrait of America.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Sprinkling in bad jokes and Rat Pack references, Dean Martin's comic timing and delivery is impeccable -- as he parodies and deconstructs his image as a notorious lover and drunk.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Whatever ambitions this romantic comedy might have had, they were never realized.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Characteristically cynical, clever and brash, it's helped out enormously by the performances of Martin, Farr and (particularly) Novak...
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Early production problems show, still fun Wilder
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
What separates 'Stupid' from so many of the so-called 'sex comedies' of the period is its combination of cynicism and directness. Beneath the teasing and the titillation there are some genuinely provocative themes...
, Film4
Novak is surprisingly affecting as the whore who is determined to make something of herself.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Undeniably lewd, Kiss Me, Stupid exemplifies the go-go Rat Pack sexual sensibilities that fed the American appetite in the dawn of the sexual revolution.
Nell Minow, Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Stunningly subversive, even for Wilder.
Andy Klein, New Times
It just doesn't get very good until halfway through, in large part because the usually excellent Walston is miscast.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Coarse, leeing and jejune this borderline idiotic enterprise is unbelievably the joint effort of the usually sterling team of Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond who were WAY off their game here. Cast of fine actors are directed to make fools of themselves with Ray Walston's… More
Coarse, leeing and jejune this borderline idiotic enterprise is unbelievably the joint effort of the usually sterling team of Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond who were WAY off their game here. Cast of fine actors are directed to make fools of themselves with Ray Walston's character being particularly infantile. A notorious flop in it's day whatever Wilder, a master of dark satire, is trying to portray or lampoon in this vulgar mess is hard to ascertain. A miss.
AJ V

A funny flick from Wilder, but it's not one of his best, the story is pretty average. It's pretty good, and sometimes pretty funny, but it could be better.
Byron B

The plot description as it is currently written is correct to say the plot is contorted. Kim Novak is totally seductive with her low smoky voice and cleavage exposing wardrobe. Her character Polly is supposed to have a cold so her voice is even more nasally and syrupy. Ray… More
The plot description as it is currently written is correct to say the plot is contorted. Kim Novak is totally seductive with her low smoky voice and cleavage exposing wardrobe. Her character Polly is supposed to have a cold so her voice is even more nasally and syrupy. Ray Walston's wife as played by Farr is also just as attrative. Walston plays Orville Spooner as an extremely jealous and paranoid piano teacher who has a Betthoven sweater, a Mozart sweater, and a Brahms sweater. He's another square character in a Billy Wilder movie of the swingin' sixties. Osmond works a gas station across the street from Walston's character and plays an amateur lyricist partner to Walston's composer. Dean Martin plays Dino, or himself, if not slightly more drunk and more of a womanizer than he may have been in real life. Dino passes through the little desert town of Climax and is stranded. The song writing duo want to take advantage of the opportunity to sell a song or two and set up a scheme to try and make Dino feel comfortable. Spooner gets his wife out of the house and hires Polly from a local Hooters type bar to pretend to be his wife so he doesn't feel guilty about offering her to Dino to sweeten the deal on buying a song. They have their fantasy marriage for a night and Spooner is such a gentleman he realizes he can't even let Dino have an affair with his fake wife. Spooner treats her honorably eventually, so she won't take payment and they feel like they really were husband and wife for this one night. Meanwhile Spooner's wife ends up drunk at the bar and is taken to sleep in Polly's trailer. Dino thinks all along that Polly was Spooner's wife and shows up at the bar later. He finds out from the bartender that Polly is what he's looking for and heads to the trailer where he thinks Spooner's real wife is Polly. Now there was an alternate scene on the DVD I saw, so maybe something happened in the trailer or maybe it didn't. Well, the writing and performances aren't of the best quality, but it seems everyone involved is having fun.
Anastasia B

The script starts brilliantly but screws it up around the corner, Kim Novak can't act and Ray Walston should not sing... Really! Then why this movie still feels like a classic? Billy Wilder can't fail: Dean Martin deconstructs his own image as "Dino" and Cliff… More
The script starts brilliantly but screws it up around the corner, Kim Novak can't act and Ray Walston should not sing... Really! Then why this movie still feels like a classic? Billy Wilder can't fail: Dean Martin deconstructs his own image as "Dino" and Cliff Osmond proves to be quite the talent. The movie surprises you when you least expect it- I <3 billy !!!