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Kisses for My President - Lessons from Before the USA Went Crazy!
More than half the U.S. population are women, and they get together to sweep Leslie McCloud (Polly Bergen) into office. Leslie is sworn in by the Chief Justice with her hand on the Bible as hubby Thad (Fred MacMurray) looks on. One missed detail, since George Washingon, the President's hand has been on Deuteronomy 28. Why is that?

"I never heard of ethics." But dad has. Before Leslie became President, Thad ran an electronics business with lots of government contracts. With his wife in the White House, That did the only ethical thing - sell the business. Of course, that leaves him sleeping in with not much to do. Since self esteem comes from achievement, this is never a good situation for anyone.

"If the flower show conflicts with your brunch for the Senators' wives..." Thad knows he won't make a very good First Lady.   But wife Leslie has abandoned her family duties to throw herself into being President, refusing to let her husband even sleep with her at night. It isn't too long before Doris, Leslie's Radcliffe roommate, notices Thad's situation.

"This office belongs to the people." Leslie has her own temptations, but she's firm when Third World Dictator Valdez tries to put the make on her in the Oval Office. This scene alone is worth the price of the movie, thanks to Bill Jefferson Clinton. Leslie also confronts Valdez about how he became president of his country - grabbing power after his father was assassinated. A great opening for a discussion of democracy.

Leslie tries to kill two birds with one stone by asking Thad to escort Valdez around DC, which leads to some of the funniest scenes of the movie in a sports car, a speed boat and a burlesque night club, where Thad accidentally socks Valdez while trying to protect him from a jealous boyfriend. The situation sets up some hardball, real world politics. Leslie has decided not to renew foreign aid to Valdez' country, because he stuffs it in a Swiss bank account rather than passing it on to his people. Leslie's political nemesis, a blow-hard Senator, tries to use the incident with Thad to accuse Leslie of abandoning Valdez' country to "the enemies of Democracy."

"I'm looking forward to a glorious revolution." Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes makes a cameo appearance as the Russian ambassador in a great scene. Yep, that's a big picture of Lenin that Valdez is standing by.

Meanwhile Doris has cooked up a scheme to use Thad to line her pocketbook and tries to use sex to lure him into her trap. Thad gives a good lesson in "fleeing youthful lust."

With mom playing President and Dad busy trying not to play around, the family starts to fall apart. Daughter has taken up with a hot-rodding boyfriend and son's is in trouble in school. President Leslie decides some old-fahioned spanking is in order and a frank discussion with Thad about the importance of a normal family life.

The real world politics come to a showdown in a Congressional hearing. We won't spoil the story, but Thad shows that not all who claim to be for the people and democracy are telling the truth.

"I have found myself in a condition not uncommon to a wife." With family life back to normal, Leslie finds herself pregnant. She announces hse's been advised that "she must give up her strenuous duties as President or face the possibility of losing my baby." Leslie chooses life. The film's most important lesson is that the number one responsibility for parents is their children.

It isn't often that a movie - even one made before 1965 when America went crazy - combines so many lessons in a story that is so much fun. Kisses for My President is from Warner Bros., but it is good enough to rate with the best of Disney movies from the good old days. Click here to order Kisses for My President securely online at amazon.com, or click the picture at right.