Kiss Me Goodbye (film)

Plot summary

Kay is the widow of a Broadway showman called Jolly, who died after falling down a staircase at their home. Kay is now planning to remarry, to a stuffed-shirt named Rupert, and they live in the same house. Suddenly Jolly returns to her life as a ghost.

Seen only by her, Jolly meddles in Kay's affairs and causes her mother and others to question her state of mind. On a romantic weekend in the country together, Kay and Rupert are accompanied by Jolly, who is annoyed by Rupert's pretending to be able to see and hear him. The situation comes to a head back at the house, where a colleague of Rupert's attempts to stage an exorcism. Jolly, finally convinced that Kay will be okay without him, kisses her goodbye for good. The film ends with Kay and Rupert getting married at the wedding rehearsal rather than waiting until the next day.

Cast

Theme

The film's theme song, But It's a Nice Dream, was written by Peter Allen and sung by Dusty Springfield.

Reception

Vincent Canby of The New York Times was not amused: "Robert Mulligan's Kiss Me Goodbye is like a Nassau cruise ship with eight bars, seven discos, five swimming pools and no compass. It sails out of New York, turns left instead of right at the Ambrose Lightship and heads confidently toward sunny Iceland. ...Mr. Mulligan's direction perfectly matches Charlie Peters's screenplay in that both are humorless. The leads aren't great either. Miss Fields is neither Sonia Braga nor Irene Dunne and Mr. Caan, who appears to be imitating Gene Kelly, can't. Mr. Bridges behaves as if he were a family's faithful old dog, the sort of slobbering animal that will sell his soul for a pat on the head."