Kiss Me, Stupid (re-release)

While driving his Dual-Ghia from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, the lascivious and hard-drinking pop singer Dino, portrayed by Dean Martin, is unexpectedly diverted to Climax, Nevada. In this quirky town, he encounters Barney Millsap, a gas station attendant, and Orville J. Spooner, a piano teacher known for his jealousy. Eager to showcase their songs, Barney sabotages Dino’s Italian sports car, claiming it requires new parts from Milan, thus ensuring Dino’s extended stay in town.

Orville invites Dino to stay with him and his wife Zelda but grows increasingly anxious upon discovering that the singer has a nightly need for physical intimacy to avoid suffering from headaches. In a bid to protect his marriage while also accommodating Dino’s demands, Orville incites an argument with Zelda, which results in her leaving in tears. This orchestrated drama paves the way for Barney and Orville to enlist Polly the Pistol, a waitress and sex worker from a local saloon called the Belly Button, to impersonate Orville’s spouse and fulfill Dino’s needs.

After a shared dinner between the trio, Orville plays his compositions for Dino on the piano, and Polly requests a song that he once penned to woo Zelda into marriage. As emotion floods the room, both Orville and Polly find themselves enchanted by the idea of an ideal domestic life that eludes them. Under the influence of wine and heartfelt ballads, Orville begins to see Polly as more than a stand-in wife and promptly ejects Dino from the scene, opting to spend the night with Polly.

Meanwhile, Dino seeks refuge at the Belly Button, where Zelda is found wallowing in sorrow. After an inebriated outburst, the venue’s manager moves her to Polly’s trailer for some rest. Mistaking Zelda for Polly, Dino, a longtime admirer, seduces her and reinforces the notion of how perfectly suited Orville’s song would be for his musical ambitions. The next morning, when Zelda encounters Polly, she quickly realizes Orville’s ruse. In a twist of fate, she hands over Dino’s money to Polly, who now sees the opportunity to flee Climax and start anew.

A few nights later, Orville’s despair deepens as he learns that Zelda is moving to divorce him, with Barney acting as her witness. Just then, the pair hears Dino perform one of their songs on national television, leaving Orville completely bewildered. As he seeks answers, Zelda commands him with a firm, “Kiss me, stupid.”

Last Updated: November 08, 2024 at 02:17