Dean Martin assumes the challenge admirably autoparodiarse value in a character who not only has the essential characteristics, but carries the name by which it has always been known in Hollywood.

Hey pallies, likes we were likes so so psyched to be able to share that fabulous "Dino Letter" post by ultra ubber Dino-devotee Mr. Francisco Machuca yesterday that likes we failed to share the blog where Machuca holds forth....."El Tiempo Ganado" to be exact.  Likes woulda share it in English, but likes it loses so so much in translation.

And likes ilovedinomartin is likes absolutely thrilled likes to be able to return 'gain this very Dino-day to said blog to share more of Machuca's deep Dino-prose.  We here at ilovedinomartin have learned that if a pallie has the depth of Dino-devotion that obviously Francisco has, likes there often is more Dino-scribin' to be uncovered.  Indeed, we were totally totally delighted to find a couple more entries at his blog that accent our most beloved Dino to likes the max.  Likes we plan on sharin' the last of 'em soon here at our humble little Dino-blog.

The subject of Mr. Machuca's Dino-appreciato this day is a review of that long before it's time flick, "Kiss Me Stupid.  We are awed by the fact that Francisco dedicated these Dino-words to his pallie and ours, none other then our Kinezoe, who as you will recall first put us on to Machuca's deep, pure, and true devotion to our Dino.  Machuca writes, "For my friend Kine , the crooner of the network."  We find this very very cool indeed!

As you read Francisco's well-crafted review you will see that he truly truly gets this flick and gets our Dino big big time.  Although we know that somes cool cool nuances get lost in translation....it is abundantly clear how much Machuca absolutely loves this big screen Dino-epic and how much he absolutely loves our Dino!
We greatly encourage youse to endulge in the pleasure of readin' Mr. Francisco Machuca's homagin' of our Dino in "Kiss Me Stupid."

ilovedinomartin 'gain salutes our pallie Kinezoe for puttin' us onto Dino-holic Francisco Machuca, and we offer our praise of Machuca's efforts in the cause of spreadin' mucho Dino-devotiono at his cool cool blog.
To checks this out in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this here Dino-report.  Dino-awed, DMP

A bright in the navel

For my friend Kine , the crooner of the network

Kissing a Fool (1964) was described by many - critics included - as an insult to humanity and abject defined as a film, while The American Decency League launched against it their poisoned darts. The old Billy and Diamond did everything in her power to avoid breaking the rules of the Hays Code censorship damn, even placing a diamond in the navel of Polly Pump (Kim Novak).

The plot is as seemingly simple as really complicated and largely cryptic, the same way that the outcome is as seemingly happy as diabolically cynical. An amateur composer and piano teacher who lives in a remote village of Nevada, named Climax, a must for those traveling from Las Vegas to Hollywood, or vice versa, manages, with his collaborator in the lyrics of his songs, owner of the local gas station to retain, claiming nonexistent malfunction of your car, the famous and great singer Dino, in order to invite you to live in your home during the night will take to get the supposedly essential spare part. But, knowing that the singer in question has deserved reputation as a womanizer, and fearful that might try to seduce his wife, hires, that is passed through it, a call girl in the locality. Result, ultimately, that each of the men will have a brief affair with the woman who was destined and not all - they and they - will benefit from the change of partners.



Because if, in fact, Orville J. Spooner (Ray Walston) and his sidekick Barney Millsap (Cliff Osmond) are those who ride the chicken, using scapegoating America Dino (Dean Martin), are Polly Spooner Pump and Zelda (Felicia Farr) who, ultimately, with their revenge - that, in fact, makes them unique deus ex machina - perhaps without knowing it, depending on the call feminine intuition, direct the roost, rediscovering themselves. That is rebellious and dissatisfied wife discover that what she's doing is adventure and butt sex. And the hostess, that theirs is the family life, without implying that neither the one nor the other will exchange their roles, although the first attempt to leave yours. Which, of course, will not affect Dino, but Orville and Barney, who will leave the first music lessons with students stupid and, second, the gas station, to assume his new status once it has them become successful authors to incorporate their songs to their repertoire.

The false happy ending is not. Quite the contrary, as was the much criticized in The Fortune Cookie. Or the memorable Irma la Douce. That, after what happened, win-win is a finding that, to succeed in life, the key is no longer deceive others but deceive himself. And what the outcome of Kiss Me, Stupid proposes a reflection on the relativity of good and evil that every viewer is invited to do by yourself, and a question that everyone should answer your way.



Dean Martin assumes the challenge admirably autoparodiarse value in a character who not only has the essential characteristics, but carries the name by which it has always been known in Hollywood. But, that is just forget the great performance of plump Cliff Osmond, actor Billy fetish, in the character of Barney.

Who really takes the cake in the interpretive are women. The always great Felicia Farr, film virtually secluded from her marriage to Jack Lemmon. And Kim Novak, whose election all criticized in its day, which is possibly the best work of his life in the role of Polly Pump, reconfirming that, when you had a character and a director who takes it seriously - of preference Richard Quine, the man in her life - has been, in addition to a beautiful woman, a great actress.



 Felicia Farr


Kim Novak

A Billy was not forgiven his questioning of the loyalty cult American wife, and still less of the American way of life to the hilt, and morals of the victory target who falls.

Un brillante en el ombligo


Para mi amigo Kine, el crooner de la red

Bésame, tonto (1964) fue calificada por muchos - críticos incluidos - como un insulto a la humanidad y definida como una película abyecta, mientras que La Liga de la Decencia estadounidense lanzaba contra ella sus dardos más envenenados. El viejo Billy y Diamond hicieron todo lo que estaba en sus manos para no contravenir las normas del maldito código Hays de autocensura, incluso colocando un brillante en el ombligo de Polly la Bomba (Kim Novak).

La trama es tan aparentemente sencilla como en realidad complicada y, en buena medida, sibilina, del mismo modo que su desenlace es tan aparentemente feliz como diabólicamente cínico. Un compositor amateur y profesor de piano que reside en un pueblo perdido de Nevada, de nombre Climax, paso obligado de quienes viajan de Las Vegas a Hollywood, o viceversa, se las arregla, con su colaborador en las letras de sus canciones, propietario de la gasolinera local, para retener, pretextando una avería inexistente de su coche, al célebre y genial cantante Dino, con el propósito de invitarle a vivir en su casa durante la noche que tardará en llegar la supuestamente imprescindible pieza de recambio. Pero, sabedor de que el cantante en cuestión tiene merecida fama de mujeriego, y temeroso de que pueda intentar seducir a su esposa, contrata, para que se haga pasar por ella, a una chica de alterne de la localidad. Resultado, a la postre, que cada uno de los hombres tendrá una fugaz relación amorosa con la mujer que no le estaba destinada y todos - ellos y ellas - saldrán beneficiados del cambio de parejas.



Porque si, en efecto, Orville J. Spooner (Ray Walston) y su compinche Barney Millsap (Cliff Osmond) son quienes montan el pollo, utilizando como chivo expiatorio a Dino Latina (Dean Martin), son Polly la Bomba y Zelda Spooner (Felicia Farr) quienes, en definitiva, con sus venganzas - que, de hecho, las convierten en singulares deux ex machina -, acaso sin saberlo, en función de la llamada intuición femenina, dirigirán el cotarro, reencontrándose a sí mismas. Es decir que la esposa insumisa e insatisfecha descubrirá que lo que a ella le va es la aventura y el sexo a tope. Y la chica de alterne, que lo suyo es la vida de familia, sin que ello suponga que ni la una ni la otra van a intercambiar sus papeles, aunque la primera intentará abandonar el suyo. Cosa que, por supuesto, no afectará a Dino; pero sí a Orville y Barney, que dejará, el primero, sus clases de música con alumnos estúpidos y, el segundo, su gasolinera, para asumir su nuevo status una vez que aquél les ha convertido en autores de éxito al incorporar sus canciones a su repertorio.

El falso happy end no es tal. Más bien lo contrario, como lo era el tan criticado de En bandeja de plata. O el memorable de Irma la Dulce. Que, tras lo ocurrido, todos salgan ganando es una constatación de que, para triunfar en la vida, lo fundamental no es ya engañar a los demás sino engañarse a sí mismo. Y lo que el desenlace de Bésame, tonto nos propone es una reflexión sobre la relatividad del bien y el mal que cada espectador es invitado a hacer por sí mismo, y una pregunta que cada cual debe responder a su manera.



Dean Martin asume con admirable valor el reto de autoparodiarse en un personaje que no solo tiene sus características esenciales, sino que lleva el nombre por el que siempre se le ha conocido en Hollywood. Pero, sin que sea justo olvidar la estupenda actuación del orondo Cliff Osmond, actor fetiche de Billy, en el personaje de Barney.

Quienes de verdad se llevan la palma en lo interpretativo son las mujeres. La siempre estupenda Felicia Farr, prácticamente apartada del cine desde su matrimonio con Jack Lemmon. Y Kim Novak, cuya elección todos reprocharon en su día, hace el que posiblemente sea el mejor trabajo de su vida en el papel de Polly la Bomba, reconfirmando que, cuando ha tenido un personaje y un director que se la toma en serio - de preferencia Richard Quine, el hombre de su vida -, ha sido, además de una bellísima mujer, una excelente actriz.


 Felicia Farr


Kim Novak

A Billy no se le perdonó su puesta en cuestión del culto a la fidelidad de la esposa americana; y menos aún, del american way of life de los cojones, y de la moral del triunfo como meta caiga quien caiga.