When Hollywood First Dreamed Up a Woman President

The election of the primary feminine U.S. president was performed for laughs when Kisses for My President hit theaters six many years in the past.

Directed by Curtis Bernhardt, the Warner Bros. movie stars Polly Bergen as President Leslie McCloud, who navigates relations with Soviets and a dictator in Central America. In the meantime, her husband, Thad (Fred MacMurray), struggles to just accept his position. The film’s sixtieth anniversary — it was launched Aug. 21, 1964 — arrives throughout the Democratic Nationwide Conference as Vice President Kamala Harris goals to turn out to be the primary feminine commander in chief.

THR‘s overview referred to as Kisses for My President a “topical, romantic farce”: “It considers the issues of getting a feminine president, not just for the girl, however for her husband, who should fill the features usually assumed by the ‘first woman.’”

On the finish of the film, Leslie learns she’s pregnant after fainting within the White Home and resigns. This signifies the “superiority of man,” in line with a smug Thad. He quips, “Do you notice it took 40 million girls to get you into the White Home and —” Leslie interjects, “Only one man to get me out.”

Authors Eleanor Clift and Tom Brazaitis’ 2000 e book Madam President: Shattering the Final Glass Ceiling contains evaluation of the movie and says of its ending, “Moviegoers in 1964 little doubt had been relieved that the standard social order had been restored.”

When Kisses for My President aired on Turner Basic Films in 2014 for its fiftieth anniversary, host Ben Mankiewicz addressed the dated story. “As you may anticipate from that title, this isn’t a severe have a look at anybody’s notion of equality of the sexes,” he stated. “The thought was extra alongside the strains of, ‘Hey, wouldn’t or not it’s hilarious if there have been a woman president, and the way on earth would it not really feel to be her husband?’”

However the matter was no joke to Bergen, who later performed the mom of Geena Davis’ U.S. president on ABC’s Commander in Chief and campaigned for Hillary Clinton in actual life. Mentioned Bergen’s supervisor Jan McCormack on the time of the actress’ loss of life in 2014, “She at all times thought a lady president in actual life was lengthy overdue.”

This story first appeared within the August 7 problem of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe.