KISS ME, STUPID

While driving his Dual-Ghia from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, lecherous, heavy-drinking pop singer Dino is forced to detour through Climax, Nevada. There, he meets the amateur songwriting team of Barney Millsap, a gas station attendant, and piano teacher Orville J. Spooner, a man easily given to jealousy. Hoping to interest Dino in their songs, Barney disables the "Italian" sports car and tells Dino he will need to remain in town until new parts arrive from LA or possibly even Milan.

Orville invites Dino to stay with him and wife Zelda, but becomes concerned when he learns the singer needs to have sex every night to avoid awakening with a headache. Anxious to accommodate Dino but safeguard his marriage, Orville deliberately provokes an argument with his wife Zelda that leads to Zelda fleeing in tears. He and Barney then arrange for Polly the Pistol, a waitress and prostitute at a saloon on the edge of town called the Belly Button, to pose as Orville's wife and satisfy Dino.

That evening, after the three have dinner, Orville plays his tunes for Dino on the piano and Polly requests a particular song. It is one she knows he wrote for his wife when trying to persuade her to marry him. Doing so, Orville is overcome with emotion, as is Polly, who has fallen a little for the dream of a domestic life that she does not have. Under the influence of wine and song, Orville starts thinking of Polly as his wife and gets Dino to leave them. He then spends the night with Polly.

Dino seeks shelter at the Belly Button, where Zelda earlier had gone to drown her sorrows. When she became drunk and rowdy, the manager deposited her in Polly's trailer to sleep. Hearing about the talents of Polly the Pistol and declaring himself eager "to shoot it out with her", Dino goes to the trailer and finds Zelda there, mistaking her for Polly. A longtime fan, she succumbs to Dino's charms and allows him to seduce her, while simultaneously convincing him of how perfect Orville's song would be for him. Zelda meets Polly the next morning and figures out the trick Orville played on her. She gives Dino's money to Polly, who uses it to leave Climax and start a new life.

A few nights later, Orville is distraught knowing that Zelda intends to divorce him, with Barney serving as a witness for her. Suddenly, Orville and Barney hear Dino performing one of their songs on national television. Orville is at a total loss as to how this could have happened, and as he seeks an explanation, Zelda simply orders him: "Kiss me, stupid."

Orville hears Dino singing his song on national television and, bewildered by the turn of events, is told by Zelda to 'Kiss me, stupid.'

The ending brings a full circle of misunderstandings and swapped affections back to the central marriage, with Orville’s ambition unexpectedly realized by having his song performed by Dino. Zelda’s final command, 'Kiss me, stupid,' signals forgiveness and a return to domestic stability, all while poking fun at the convolutions required to get there. It’s classic Wilder: resolving chaos with a deadpan punchline and a wink at the absurdities of love and showbiz.