When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!
Here is Greta Garbo starring as the sultry and mysterious Mata Hari (1931). This story is loosely based on the persona of the real Mata Hari, a German exotic dancer who was convicted and executed as a spy during World War I.

Garbo wears elaborate headpieces throughout the film, but only does one sexy dance.
This woman is magnetic – this poor general buys her a fancy ring (pictured) AND blows out the flame he has burning for the Virgin.
He’s blinded in an airplane mission, and does not know that Mata Hari goes to jail to await execution.
The nuns look on.
He is blind in this scene. The ending was very sweet. I cried a lot!!

“I love you as one adores sacred things…”

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!
This is a continuation of last week’s Kissing Film Stills, featuring Prix de Beaute (1930), starring Louise Brooks. This week’s installment shows the less violent, not-as-possessive kisses as the previous post.

This was a difficult movie to watch, as the boyfriend was unfairly possessive.

But Louise could always be persuaded into an embrace.

This pose says “Knock me a kiss.”

“You’re mine forever.”

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!
Forbidden kisses: captured through the gauzy curtains.
Captured between gentlemen.
Marlene Dietrich in a tux and top hat, Morocco (1930).
Queen Christina (1933) starring Garbo as the queen. Queen Christina, also. Lean over that fruit bowl, baby girl!
A kiss between servicemen, in Wings (1927).

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!
This week’s theme is passionate, uncomfortable kisses
The kind where the teeth clank together.
Where faces are obscured by the light.
Wherein hands clasp backs of necks,
And noses press into noses,
And the smells of fish dinners, of champagne, comingle
And the neckfolds of skin squash into sequinned dress sleeves.

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!
Welcome to this week’s series: the awkward third.
Here is a typical awkward-third-party on the dance floor who are looking at the lusty couple. Can we take this out to the veranda?
This is the ultimate voyeur shot: the guard on the left is watching the visitation with one eye on the clock and the other on the couple.
“Hi! I’m the best friend, and also the third wheel! Gee! You guys look swell!”
This is a still from a 1920s silent (featured on Celluloid Closet) Harem scene, where the woman is being bent over a table of fruit (foreground) and disinterested guard (background).

The third is a bit hidden in this image. Someone is about to enter the room and discover the lusty smooch.

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!
Don’t muss Ms. Davis’s hair, she’s watching!
Now, that’s better.

Cowboy kiss from “Two Fister” (1927) – notice gun pointed at enemy.

A kiss from behind the curtain (Unknown movie).

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!

These stills are from The Love Trap (1929), one of the first films to use sound. This was an incredible movie – the first half was all silent with a musical score that punctuated the action. It also had only a few title cards which left it up to the viewer to read the lips to follow the action. It was so amusing and well done! There is a particularly riviting scene where the heroine has a cocktail spilt on her dress and she’s wandering the streets of NYC half naked in the rain. Halfway through the film the sound comes in, just in time for a lusty revenge scene.
They had fallen asleep on the cab ride to her house. In this scene, they are still sleeping, and a jolt in the road causes them to kiss.

And then they kissed for real.
You can see how sweet these kisses are.
Of course they are married. This is the “welcome home” kiss, where he scales the balcony to meet her.

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!
I wonder if the men were kept from running their fingers through the perfect curls?
Imagine stopping the kisses so as to swat hands away!
I would have to resist boinging the sausage curls.

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!

Alice Fay in Tailspin (1939)
Cary Grant in Kiss and Make-up (1934) I like the smile/smooch.
Cary Grant plays a successful plastic surgeon in a Pygmalion-scenario where his creation, Eve, turns on him.
Although this is a comedy about the lengths women go to change their appearance, it was TERRIFYING by today’s lens. When I described it to Belleweather she thought I had been watching a horror movie. Grant’s operating room was stark white, adorned with Greek sculptures. The beauty attendants make a clay mold of the patient’s face, and Grant literally sculpts the new features into the wet clay to reveal the beauty within. The women sigh and clap with glee. It reminded me of Eyes Without a Face (1960).
Grant pulls the Dastardly Spanish Dandy off of Miss Eve.
The ending kiss, wherein he ends up with his secretary who doesn’t powder her nose nor curls her hair. Simple beauty triumphs over olive oil treatments, reducing diets and moisturizing mittens.

When I watch movies, I always take pictures of the kissing scenes!!

Returning the gaze.

I think he is wearing a dressing robe, from the silky collar and the funny print. Also, this is Joan Crawford (I can tell by the eyebrow).

Red Headed Woman (1932). I love this movie because she kisses so many people!

Red Headed Woman (1932)

From Battle of the Sexes (1928) This was a VERY very lusty scene.