Review - It Started with a Kiss (1959)
Last night my Bonnie Bride and I sat down to watch It Started with a Kiss (1959), a romantic sitcom involving an Air Force Sergeant, Joe Fitzpatrick (Glenn Ford), and his whirlwind marriage to now former showgirl Maggie Putnum (Debbie Reynolds). I had only recently heard of this film via a FaceBook group I am in. You see, the film takes place, predominantly, in and around an unnamed Air Force Base near Madrid. This clicks as I was in the Air Force, and spent three great years stationed at Torrejon Air Base, Spain, which is located near Madrid. Why they didn’t name the Air Base (or the Naval Base at Cadiz, part of the setting for the film, and that would be Rota Naval Base), is unknown, but probably due to various agreements with Spain. So, for me, this film was a bit of a trip down memory lane. There is also another cool surprise that makes this film worth checking out. I’ll get to that in a bit.
It Started with a Kiss poster IMDB
Although I have never seen Glenn Ford in a romcom before, I have seen him in quite a few dramas and westerns over the years. It was a bit of a switch to see him in a comedy with Debbie Reynolds as his co-star. Reynolds is most familiar to me from the film Singing in the Rain, which is itself quite a classic film, and one I think I’ll have to watch again sometime in the future. There is quite a bit of fun stuff that goes on as their characters, Joe and Maggie, try to figure out married life, and for Maggie, life as a military wife, with the added complications of living in Spain where there is a standing order to not show of “ostentatious wealth”. Things get a little crazier when Joe receives notification that his car has arrived, and he and Maggie hop on a plane down to Cadiz (this would be Rota Naval Base) to pick up his car, and the car they pick up is not the car he was expecting…
The 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car - AKA The Batmobile - in Madrid, from the film It Started with a Kiss - IMDB
You see, when Joe was trying to meet, and pursue, Maggie, he bought a raffle ticket at an event, and then left for Spain (after the wedding, of course), so he had no idea he won the raffle, which turned out to be THE BATMOBILE! Well, the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that a few years later did become the Batmobile. It Started with a Kiss is the first time the Futura showed up in a movie, and in a lot of ways it is THE STAR of the film as it causes a great deal of problems for the couple, but also opens many doors to Spanish Society, including meeting one of Spain’s top (fictional) bullfighters, Antonio Soriano (Gustavo Rojo), who wants both the car and Maggie, and the Marquesa Marion de la Rey (Eva Gabor) who is attracted to Joe. Mayhem ensues. Especially after Joe’s general (Fred Clark – who I have seen in numerous films and shows, a brilliant character actor), and various diplomats and Congress Critters and their wives.
The film also has a lot of shots of various parts of Madrid and the surrounding region as establishing shots for the film, including the Rastro (flea market) in Madrid, which is a fun experience to visit as it looks like half of Madrid and the surrounding area shows up at the Rastro every Sunday. I have some fun memories of shopping at the Rastro during my years in Spain. There is also a scene that takes place at a bullfight, as well as the lead in to that event, where we learn a bit about the traditions of bullfighting.
For me, as an Air Force guy who spent the bulk of the ‘80s in Spain, and had a great time there (some of the best adventures of my life took place there), and had developed a great appreciation for both the people and the culture of Spain. Add to that the fact I am a classic TV Batman fan, it is no wonder that I enjoyed the heck out of this movie. Better still, my Bonnie Bride liked it, too, and didn’t mind my going – Hey I remember that place!” when we paused the film for a few minutes here and there. All I have to do now is plan a viewing with friends over Paella sometime, with Mahou beer. That would really be fun.
If this post has sparked your interest in this film, hop over to IMDB and check out the trail. It is a fun, goofy film. I just wish IMDB had more images to use for this post.
Thanks for stopping by.
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