Kisses for My President is a 1964 film directed by Curtis Bernhardt.
The protagonist is Thad McCloud, played by Fred MacMurray. As the film opens, Thad's wife Leslie (Polly Bergen) has been elected the first female President of the United States. Thad apparently has been caught by surprise by Leslie getting elected leader of the free world, and continually chafes at Leslie being distracted by a heavy workload. Thad also is not crazy about assuming the duties of "First Lady," what with his frilly female-coded office and his job supporting a career wife. Among Thad's taskings is escorting one Raphael Valdez, a Latin American dictator (Eli Wallach).
Complicating matters include: the two McCloud children, Gloria and Peter, who both chafe at life in the White House; Senator Walsh, who lost the presidential election to Leslie, and senses that Thad can be made into a political vulnerability; and Doris Reid (Arlene Dahl), old college schoolmate of Leslie's and old girlfriend of Thad's, who wants to start things up with Thad again.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – History: Among the portraits of First Ladies that Thad looks at is that of "Mrs. Andrew Jackson." Rachel Jackson never served as First Lady because she died three months before her husband took office.
- Banana Republic: Valdez's unnamed country hasn't had an election in 25 years. He and his family and friends have been stealing American aid, which is why Leslie cuts their aid off. And there is a reference to the people of Valdez's country "starving" and a suggestion that he might get overthrown now that the American gravy train has ended.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Gloria, who like Thad seems to have been caught by surprise by her mom getting elected President of the United States. She complains about how her Secret Service detail makes it hard for her to meet boys.
- Brownface: Yep, that's Eli Wallach, a Polish-American Jew, as a Latin American dictator.
- Drives Like Crazy: A comic setpiece has Thad and Valdez picking up Valdez's new sports car. They go on a death-defying high-speed race around DC and the countryside, with Valdez at the wheel and a terrified Thad as his passenger. The next day Thad meets Valdez on the Potomac River and finds out that he drives a boat like crazy, with Valdez taking a ski jump ramp with the boat, going airborne, and sending Thad into the water.
- Fainting: Leslie faints, which leads to the discovery that she is pregnant.
- Family-Friendly Stripper: Thad is embarrassed when Valdez takes him to what is specifically described as a "strip club." The gorgeous stripper takes off her Opera Gloves, and her corset, and gets down to a bikini, and because this is a 1964 film stops there.
- Family Versus Career: Amazingly, the film ends with Leslie resigning the office of the presidency after she gets pregnant, although the film at least justifies this by stating that if Leslie doesn't take it easy she might have a Tragic Stillbirth.
- Hauled Before A Senate Subcommittee: The climax has Thad hauled before a Senate subcommittee, where Senator Walsh, who is angry that Leslie cut off aid to Valdez, seeks to embarrass him and by proxy embarrass her. Thad gets the better of Walsh by noting that Walsh's old law firm is now representing Valdez, so Walsh has a corrupt interest in seeing that Valdez get his money.
- House Husband: Sort of, as Thad is not always comfortable with the duties of "President's Husband." He gets comfortable with planning family dinners, but he chafes at glad-handing various VIPs, and his White House tour (obviously evoking Jacqueline Kennedy's famous televised White House tour) becomes a fiasco.
- Imagine Spot: Thad's contemplation of the portraits of First Ladies ends with him looking at a picture of Mrs. William Howard Taft, wearing a silly hat with a huge pile of flowers on it. Then he has a vision of himself wearing that same silly hat.
- Moment Killer: A moment when Leslie and Thad seem about to have sex is interrupted by a phone call from the Secretary of Defense.
- No Name Given: Rather than give a fake name to the Latin American country that Valdez is dictator of, the film does not name it at all.
- Old Flame: Doris, whom Thad calls "the torrid love of my madcap youth." Doris starts trying to seduce Thad, although the real reason that she wants to get with him is that she wants to hire him for her cosmetics company as a publicity stunt.
- Sleeping Single: Discussed Trope and a demonstration of how the Sleeping Single trope was basically dead by 1964. Thad reacts with horror when he sees the First Lady's bedroom with its frilly curtains and extremely feminine decor, but he also objects to sleeping apart from his wife in the first place, pointing out that "Those two children of ours were born in wedlock." Later this trope is averted as Thad and Leslie are shown sleeping in the same bed (and indeed having an active sex life).
- Smart People Play Chess: Smart people like the Soviet ambassador, who is playing chess when Valdez shows up at the embassy. Valdez says he's happy to go commie if the Soviets will start sending the money that the Americans used to spend. The ambassador answers that the Russians only sent him money to stop him getting too friendly with the Americans, and now that the Americans have cut off aid the Russians will too, which will leave Valdez screwed.
- Stock Footage: Some stock footage of presidential inaugurals is used in the opening scene for Leslie's inaugural and the parade.
- Swiss Bank Account: Leslie is cutting off foreign aid to Valdez, because he just steals the money and sticks it in his Swiss bank account.
- Vice President Who?: Thad, who is finding it difficult to get face time with his wife, sees VP Bill Richards leaving the office and says it gives him hope: "If the Vice President can get in to see her, maybe I can too!"
