Kiss Me, Stupid

A songwriter (Ray Walston) hires a floozy (Kim Novak) to pose as his wife in order to entertain a famous lush entertainer (Dean Martin).

Kiss Me, Stupid might have been a much better film, had original star Peter Sellers not suffered several heart attacks, causing him to drop out, leading to Ray Walston replacing him. We can only wonder what the combination of director Billy Wilder and Sellers would have yielded.

That said, Walston is easily the weakest link. It’s a part that probably should have gone to Jack Lemmon from the start, as Walston’s too over the top, and lacks Lemmon’s innate vulnerability. While you can understand Wilder’s desire to work with different actors, Walston just doesn’t work.

Fortunately, the rest of the cast is much better. Dean Martin shines, playing a send-up of his stage persona that’s easily the highlight of the film. Where many entertainers may have been scared of tarnishing their image, Martin embraces the role and plays it note-perfect.

Kim Novak’s also good in her role, although you can’t help wonder what Shirley MacLaine would have done with it. Indeed, you can’t help but think perhaps Wilder should have made this film a year prior, instead of the disappointing yet thematically similar, Irma la Douce.

In the end, Kiss Me, Stupid is worth watching for Dean Martin’s sharp, funny, and fearless performance, though you’ll likely be left wondering just how good it could have been if the rest of the roles were as perfectly cast.