“The Kissing Bandit” is a funny spoof on all the old bandito movies that came out of the era of the early West. Frank Sinatra stars as Ricardo, son of the original Kissing Bandit. He didn’t know of his father’s secret identity – he thought his father was an innkeeper in the territory of California. When he writes to the inn and tells Chico, his father’s good friend, that he intends to come to California and run the family business, Chico believes that Ricardo is coming to become the new Kissing Bandit. However, Ricardo has been to hotel management school in Boston, and that’s much more up his alley.
When Ricardo reaches the inn and learns what Chico has planned, he’s not too adverse to the idea. After all, what could be more fun than robbing a stagecoach and afterward, kissing all the women? For a shy guy like Ricardo, it seems the perfect way to meet women.
The day has come for Ricardo’s first heist. He and his men overtake their first stage coach, to discover that it carries Teresa, daughter of the Governor of California (Kathryn Grayson). He’s so overcome by her beauty that he can’t bring himself to force a kiss on her, instead choosing to ride off into the sunset.
Teresa, meanwhile, is highly insulted. Isn’t it rumored that the Kissing Bandit kisses every woman, old or young, ugly or pretty – why wouldn’t he kiss her? Was she beyond ugly? Was she so repulsive?
She gets her answer when Ricardo infiltrates the Governor’s mansion, masquerading as an ambassador from Spain, just to see her again. We are treated to great musical numbers from both Grayson and Sinatra, as well as Spanish dancing performed by none other than Ricardo Montalban, Ann Miller, and Cyd Charisse. The humor is high (and corny) in this fun, unrated romp.
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