Ricardo son of a mexican bandit becomes against his will a bandit. He falls in love with Theresa the daughter of the governor who is expecting tax collectors from spain. Ricardo sees a good chance there.Running Time: 100 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/CLASSICS UPC: 883929010318 Manufacturer No: 1000037095 Product Description
Place all the gold under lock and key . All the beautiful senoritas , too . THE KISSING BANDIT rides again - if he can somehow manage to stay on the horseback ! . Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) plays the kissing (and singing !) title role . Kathryn Grayson ( 1922 - ) is lovely , coloratura-voiced Teresa - and who'd guess she would steal his heart before he could steal his first kiss ! Sinatra brings infectious charm to the role of timid Ricardo , haplessly continuing his father's bandito tradition . Ann Miller ( 1923 - 2004), Cyd Charisse ( 1921 - 2008 ) and Ricardo Montalban (1920 - ) sway . swirl amd clackety-clack through the vibrant , flamenco-style "Dance of The Fury" number choreographed by Stanley Donen ( 1924 - ) . And scene after scene unfurls with plashy medley of Tecnicolor lavenders , reds , yellow and Greens . Watch Out , this bandit might steal your heart . Super charming Movie . High Quality Transfer . Recommended
July 2, 2008 |  | Cheesy but fun musical... |  |
Oh my gosh, I'd forgotten how terribly cheesy this movie is - but I love it anyway! Despite it's totally outrageous premise, The Kissing Bandit from MGM is proof in my opinion of that studio's ability to irresistibly gloss and glam up a weak picture with talent, costumes, staging, and color! Supposedly Sinatra viewed this as the worst picture of his career - I think that's a little harsh. I'm still traumatized by The Pride and the Passion. :P Sinatra's character here perfectly played up the more innocent side of his persona from the 1940s - he's super sweet, slightly befuddled, and adorably sincere. Anyway, I think The Kissing Bandit would've worked better if the filmmakers had gone for smart parody - like Gene Kelly in The Pirate or Danny Kaye in The Inspector General. As it is, a lot of potential for parodying the likes of Zorro is lost - but it's still a fun, albeit cheesy and downright silly picture. Kathryn Grayson is lovely as usual, and the specialty dance by Cyd Charisse, Ricardo Montalban, and Ann Miller is marvelous! Though Bandit is far from Sinatra or Grayson's best work, I have a real soft spot in my heart for this film and I'm glad it's finally available on DVD. The DVD is barebones - not even chapter selections - but the picture and sound are great quality.
June 13, 2008 | | MGM could also do Mediocre musicals | |
"The Kissing Bandit" illustrates that even the "Master" of film musicals (MGM) could create a mediocre product. Several of the previous reviewers have written that seeing it again brought back happy memories of their childhood - but a young person watching it today will rightfully ask "What was THAT?" The strength of the MGM music department is in full display, but the use of its contract players is questionable. And the complete disregard for ethnicity is laughable. I have to give credit to Frank Sinatra for being a "good sport" and his natural charm and acting ability. Luckily, he finally "grew into" roles that showed him to advantage. As part of the Frank Sinatra Collection, it has value. In ordering this set, I think we all realized that it was a economically priced set (no "extras," no remastering, limited chapters, etc.) so my expectations were not too high. As a musical film collector, I simply wanted to have a DVD copy of the musicals included. But I have a "bone" to pick with Warnervideo over the lazy and shoddy work. On the liner notes (which contains the only information for the viewer) it states: "Ann Miller, Cyd Charisse and Ricardo Montalban sway, swirl and clackety-clack through the vibrant, flamenco-style 'Dance of Fury' number choreographed by Stanley Donen." Then, as we begin watching the film, in the opening credits, there is a full-screen credit that tells us "Fiesta Dance Specialty - Ricardo Montalban, Ann Miller, Cyd Charisse, created by Robert Alton." The truth of the matter is that when the studio heads viewed the first cut of the film, they realized that it needed more excitement, color and movement other than the interesting whip dance performed by Sono Osato - choreographed by Mr. Donen. Mr. Donen had gone on to another film assignment so they asked Mr. Alton and the three contract stars to create it. That dance sequence eventually became the most talked-about moment in the film. I hope that for their future "collections" Warners asks their liner-note writers to watch the film. I can understand "economical." But I do not understand "shoddy" and film choreographers deserve more proper - and correct - recognition.
May 15, 2008 Watching this movie for the first time I wasn't really sure of what to expect. But I was plasently suprised to find out how funny and greatly entertaining it was.
The story begins with a group of unkempt looking bandits awaiting the arrival of there past leaders son to take over the "family business". When the son of the Kissing Bandit arrives, they find out that that he is not only a softy from the east, but he thinks he is taking over his father's buisness as inkeeper, and knows nothing of his father's less then honorable career as a bandit. So, making do with what they have, the bandits begin to train him in the ways of his father only to have him fall into blunder after blunder, and in love with the Governor's daughter (Kathryn Grayson).
Of course you know with such casting as Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson, that this has to be a musical. Though there are some good dance profomances, especialy the fiesta dance number feturing Cyd Chirisse, Anne Milller, and Ricardo Montalban, I felt that the songs could have been stronger and more supportive of the story. They seemed to lack a little something to me because they were just inserted into the movie. Not that they weren't nice numbers, but the plot of the story didn't seem to weigh heavy on the shoulders of the preformances. In other words if I had seen the movie without them, I wouldn't have missed them.
All in all though I would say that this is a great movie, and definitely worth watching. I do think though that this movie could probably be enjoyed more by a viewer that likes musicals anyways apposed to the just any veiwer.
May 14, 2008| | | Entertaining film that brought me memories from childhood | |
This one is by no means a great musical, but is an amiable, entertaing music-comedy from Hollywood's and MGM's Golden Era, produced by the Joe Pasternak Unit (not the more "artistic" Freed Unit), which usually produced the musicals which starred such performers as Kathryn Grayson, Jane Powell, Mario Lanza, Esther Williams, June Allyson, Van Johnson, etc.
I first saw this film as a small kiddie on a local TV channel and was highly amused by it, on one of those boring winter afternoons after school (I didn't do my homework, watched this movie instead and I haven't regretted it in over 21 years).
Sinatra stars as the highly-impressionable, shy, mild, bandit of the title, who's unwilling to inherit his father's credits as one of the most notorious rogues of California. Grayson looks very pretty as the Governor's daughter and gets to sing some nice songs. J. Carrol Naish more or less steals the show as Sinatra's mentor and sidekick and Mildred Natwick, as Grayson's aunt, is equally funny. Clinton Sundberg is also quite funny as the Governor's (Mikhail Rasumny) Colonel, who's continually being "demoted" by him.
Musical Highest point: The highly energetic dance-ensemble by the great Ann Miller & Cyd Charisse, who "confront" each other, over Ricardo Montalban's affections.
January 20, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
Daily Birthdays
(11 reviews)