Best Film Kisses

Best and Most Memorable
Film Kisses of All Time
in Cinematic History

Part 11

Introduction: What makes a memorable screen kiss? Is it the passion, the circumstances, the buildup, the dialogue, the unpredictability, the awkwardness, the sexiness or eroticism, the cinematography, the unique quality...? Although any list of the best, most romantic, and most indelible kisses through film history is difficult to create, there are a number of kissing scenes in movies that are unforgettable and deserve special mention.

Most of these scenes come from vintage, classic Hollywood films, rather than more recent films, and even stretch back to the scandalous The Kiss (1896)! Other discussions of notable romantic or sexual scenes (with more examples of great kissing scenes) may be found elsewhere in this site: Romance Films Genre, or Erotic/Sexual Films Genre, or the History of Sex in Cinema.

Note: The films that are marked with a yellow star are the films that
"The Greatest Films" site has selected as the 100 Greatest Films

Film Title Description of Kiss in Movie Scene Example

Jules and Jim (1962, Fr.)

All-Night Kiss

A kiss between returning WWI soldier Jim (Henri Serre) and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) was accompanied by dissolving images of Catherine in bed, and the narrator's words: "Their first kiss lasted all night"

Lolita (1962)

Underage Kisses

In a night-time scene, to demonstrate Humbert's (James Mason) growing obsession with young nymphet Dolores 'Lolita' Haze (Sue Lyons), he played chess with her mother Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters), when 'Lolita' strolled into the living room wearing a full length nightgown; Charlotte was worried - symbolically: "You're going to take my Queen!" He replied, expectedly: "That is my intention." Lolita leaned on the arm of his chair next to him, and then murmured: "G'night." She kissed her mother on the cheek and then nuzzled cheek to cheek next to Humbert before leaving to go upstairs; Humbert immediately took Charlotte's Queen in his next move: "It had to happen sometime" - he quipped; Humbert also received a goodbye kiss when Lolita was leaving for camp, when she memorably told him: "Don't forget me"

Two For the Seesaw (1962)

Kisses To Prove Manhood After Being Accused of Being a Queer

Temporarily-unemployed, embittered, lonely and divorcing Nebraska lawyer Jerry Ryan (Robert Mitchum) kissed poor, candidly-liberated, Jewish Greenwich Village dancer Gittel 'Mosca' Moscawitz (Shirley MacLaine), to prove that he wasn't "queer" -- with their dialogue in between passionate smooches: (Ryan (after being asked if he was 'queer'): "Now you've gone too far" (He walked over to her and kissed her) Mosca: "How long have you been on the wagon?" Ryan: "A year" Mosca: "Where ya been? In jail?") and then she asked: "You want me to be promiscuous?"

Kiss (1963)

Non-stop Kissing

Andy Warhol's 54 minute underground film consisted entirely of a series of shorter (approx. 3 minute) films spliced together of various couples kissing - each segment filmed in long takes; sometimes the gender of a kisser was undetermined

Marnie (1964)

Catatonic, Passionless Honeymoon Kiss

In a hotly debated scene, frigid con artist/thief Marnie/Mary Edgar's (icy blonde Tippi Hedren) new husband Mark Rutland (James Bond co-star Sean Connery) - who was unable to hold back his desire - ripped off Marnie's nightgown on their honeymoon cruise to Fiji; he stumbled out an apology, but slowly drew her forward and hungrily kissed her, which she did not return; she laid down on the bed and allowed him to have her, but with no emotion nor passion, leaving the question open as to whether she wanted to have sex but was frigid, or was being passively raped

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, W. Germ/Fr.), (aka Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or Die Regenschirme von Cherbourg)

Lovely, Vibrant, Colorful and Lyrical Kisses

In this heartbreaking and tragic cinematic opera/love story about star-crossed lovers set in 1957 France, all of the dialogue was sung with a memorable musical score by composer Michel Legrand (including the ubiquitous love theme "I Will Wait for You"); in the film, 17 year-old boutique shop girl in the French port of Cherbourg, named Geneviève (19 year-old Catherine Deneuve) fell in love with a lowly, 20 year-old auto mechanic named Guy (Nino Castelnuovo); before he left on a train to fight in the Algerian War, the couple made love (and she became pregnant), and they professed their teenaged, emotional love in wonderful duet-singing; in the film's poignant and bittersweet conclusion five years later, the two married individuals (to different partners) had a chance meeting at his Esso gas station in Cherbourg - where Guy saw his daughter Francoise for the first time

The Sound of Music (1965)

Two Kissing Scenes in Gazebo

After breaking off his engagement with Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker), the Captain (Christopher Plummer) followed after despairing and confused Maria (Julie Andrews) by the pavilion and asked two questions - about why she ran away to the Abbey and why she came back; he revealed that he wanted her to stay permanently when he told her that his engagement was off, and then held her tenderly by the chin and drew her lips nearer for a kiss

There was an earlier kiss in bluish light of the evening between Liesl (Charmian Carr) and 17 year-old boyfriend Rolf (Daniel Truhitte) in the garden near the pavilion, after singing Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" together - a song of their innocent young adolescent love on the brink of adulthood; thunder, lightning and rain forced them into the shelter of the gazebo where they continued singing and dancing in a magical sequence - at the conclusion of their duet, they finally kissed just once to their mutual surprise - in reaction, Rolf raced rapturously from the gazebo, while Liesl exclaimed triumphantly with her arms outstretched: "Whee!"

The Graduate (1967)

Nervous, Off-Guard Kiss

Benjamin Braddock's (Dustin Hoffman) first fearful but lustful bedroom encounter in a hotel for an affair with the calm and almost businesslike married Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) was very memorable - after she turned on the light upon entering, he almost immediately moved the "Don't Disturb" sign to the outside of the door, set the door lock, and turned the lights back off; then he abruptly kissed her before she could exhale smoke from a drag on her cigarette

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Revolutionary Rear View Mirror Kiss

Stanley Kramer's and Columbia Pictures' socially-conscious message film was the first truly mainstream Hollywood film to portray an interracial couple's romance between Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier in a star-making role) and his fiancee Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton - Katharine Hepburn's actual niece); except for one brief revolutionary view of the couple kissing (seen in a cab driver's rear view mirror on their way to the city of San Francisco from the airport), other scenes of their physical intimacy were edited out

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Man and Ape Kiss

Displaced astronaut-human George Taylor (Charlton Heston) kissed scientist-ape Zira (Kim Hunter), following this dialogue, as they stood next to crashing waves on a beach: Taylor: "Doctor, I'd like to kiss you goodbye." Zira: "All right ... but you're so damned ugly!"

Film Title	Description of Kiss in Movie Scene	Example
Jules and Jim (1962, Fr.) All-Night Kiss	A kiss between returning WWI soldier Jim (Henri Serre) and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) was accompanied by dissolving images of Catherine in bed, and the narrator's words: "Their first kiss lasted all night"
Lolita (1962) Underage Kisses	In a night-time scene, to demonstrate Humbert's (James Mason) growing obsession with young nymphet Dolores 'Lolita' Haze (Sue Lyons), he played chess with her mother Charlotte Haze (Shelley Winters), when 'Lolita' strolled into the living room wearing a full length nightgown; Charlotte was worried - symbolically: "You're going to take my Queen!" He replied, expectedly: "That is my intention." Lolita leaned on the arm of his chair next to him, and then murmured: "G'night." She kissed her mother on the cheek and then nuzzled cheek to cheek next to Humbert before leaving to go upstairs; Humbert immediately took Charlotte's Queen in his next move: "It had to happen sometime" - he quipped; Humbert also received a goodbye kiss when Lolita was leaving for camp, when she memorably told him: "Don't forget me"
Two For the Seesaw (1962) Kisses To Prove Manhood After Being Accused of Being a Queer	Temporarily-unemployed, embittered, lonely and divorcing Nebraska lawyer Jerry Ryan (Robert Mitchum) kissed poor, candidly-liberated, Jewish Greenwich Village dancer Gittel 'Mosca' Moscawitz (Shirley MacLaine), to prove that he wasn't "queer" -- with their dialogue in between passionate smooches: (Ryan (after being asked if he was 'queer'): "Now you've gone too far" (He walked over to her and kissed her) Mosca: "How long have you been on the wagon?" Ryan: "A year" Mosca: "Where ya been? In jail?") and then she asked: "You want me to be promiscuous?"
Kiss (1963) Non-stop Kissing	Andy Warhol's 54 minute underground film consisted entirely of a series of shorter (approx. 3 minute) films spliced together of various couples kissing - each segment filmed in long takes; sometimes the gender of a kisser was undetermined
Marnie (1964) Catatonic, Passionless Honeymoon Kiss	In a hotly debated scene, frigid con artist/thief Marnie/Mary Edgar's (icy blonde Tippi Hedren) new husband Mark Rutland (James Bond co-star Sean Connery) - who was unable to hold back his desire - ripped off Marnie's nightgown on their honeymoon cruise to Fiji; he stumbled out an apology, but slowly drew her forward and hungrily kissed her, which she did not return; she laid down on the bed and allowed him to have her, but with no emotion nor passion, leaving the question open as to whether she wanted to have sex but was frigid, or was being passively raped
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, W. Germ/Fr.), (aka Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or Die Regenschirme von Cherbourg) Lovely, Vibrant, Colorful and Lyrical Kisses	In this heartbreaking and tragic cinematic opera/love story about star-crossed lovers set in 1957 France, all of the dialogue was sung with a memorable musical score by composer Michel Legrand (including the ubiquitous love theme "I Will Wait for You"); in the film, 17 year-old boutique shop girl in the French port of Cherbourg, named Geneviève (19 year-old Catherine Deneuve) fell in love with a lowly, 20 year-old auto mechanic named Guy (Nino Castelnuovo); before he left on a train to fight in the Algerian War, the couple made love (and she became pregnant), and they professed their teenaged, emotional love in wonderful duet-singing; in the film's poignant and bittersweet conclusion five years later, the two married individuals (to different partners) had a chance meeting at his Esso gas station in Cherbourg - where Guy saw his daughter Francoise for the first time
The Sound of Music (1965) Two Kissing Scenes in Gazebo	After breaking off his engagement with Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker), the Captain (Christopher Plummer) followed after despairing and confused Maria (Julie Andrews) by the pavilion and asked two questions - about why she ran away to the Abbey and why she came back; he revealed that he wanted her to stay permanently when he told her that his engagement was off, and then held her tenderly by the chin and drew her lips nearer for a kiss There was an earlier kiss in bluish light of the evening between Liesl (Charmian Carr) and 17 year-old boyfriend Rolf (Daniel Truhitte) in the garden near the pavilion, after singing Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" together - a song of their innocent young adolescent love on the brink of adulthood; thunder, lightning and rain forced them into the shelter of the gazebo where they continued singing and dancing in a magical sequence - at the conclusion of their duet, they finally kissed just once to their mutual surprise - in reaction, Rolf raced rapturously from the gazebo, while Liesl exclaimed triumphantly with her arms outstretched: "Whee!"
The Graduate (1967) Nervous, Off-Guard Kiss	Benjamin Braddock's (Dustin Hoffman) first fearful but lustful bedroom encounter in a hotel for an affair with the calm and almost businesslike married Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) was very memorable - after she turned on the light upon entering, he almost immediately moved the "Don't Disturb" sign to the outside of the door, set the door lock, and turned the lights back off; then he abruptly kissed her before she could exhale smoke from a drag on her cigarette
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) Revolutionary Rear View Mirror Kiss	Stanley Kramer's and Columbia Pictures' socially-conscious message film was the first truly mainstream Hollywood film to portray an interracial couple's romance between Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier in a star-making role) and his fiancee Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton - Katharine Hepburn's actual niece); except for one brief revolutionary view of the couple kissing (seen in a cab driver's rear view mirror on their way to the city of San Francisco from the airport), other scenes of their physical intimacy were edited out
Planet of the Apes (1968) Man and Ape Kiss	Displaced astronaut-human George Taylor (Charlton Heston) kissed scientist-ape Zira (Kim Hunter), following this dialogue, as they stood next to crashing waves on a beach: Taylor: "Doctor, I'd like to kiss you goodbye." Zira: "All right ... but you're so damned ugly!"