Top 10 Most Romantic Kisses in Classic Hollywood Movies | Articles on WatchMojo.com (2025)

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#10: Donald “Don” Lockwood & Kathy Selden

“Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)
Throughout this Hollywood musical, the romance between Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden has its ups and downs. The finale stokes those flames once again and involves a scheme to reveal the villain’s lip-syncing tendencies. This threatens the central relationship, but prompts a dramatic reunion and a passionate conclusion. Don and Kathy come back together in a major way before the movie shifts to their big kiss. In front of their brand new billboard, the heroes celebrate in one of the happier endings of its kind. It packs even more of a punch with the fantastic music underneath.

#9: Mary Kate Danaher[a] & Sean “Trooper Thorn” Thornton

“The Quiet Man” (1952)
John Ford’s “The Quiet Man” is an Ireland-set romance starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. With these two brimming with tension, they prove that it’s only a matter of time before their feelings burst out. Wayne’s character, Sean, takes this to another level as he swings Mary Kate in for a kiss. It’s an iconic interaction that leaves us breathless, the howling winds only contributing to this earth-shattering sequence. With memorable choreography, both performers shine in a romantic gesture for the ages. Ford’s vision makes for a moment that’s inspired future filmmakers, even prompting an homage from Steven Spielberg.

#8: John “Scottie” Ferguson & Judy Barton / Madeleine Elster[b]

“Vertigo” (1958)
This trippy plot takes you through all kinds of surprises, but it also features a complicated love story. Ex-policeman Scottie is asked to tail his friend’s wife, Madeleine. That is, until he falls in love. Before the hero discovers her true identity, he kisses her by the sea in a moving, passionate display. Bernard Herrmann’s score and Alfred Hitchcock’s direction only elevate an already-moving scene. While he might be kissing an imposter who’s actually named Judy, the detective is left smitten. Hitchcock doesn’t let viewers off easy here as he mixes romance and thrills into one imaginative project.

#7: Dwight Towers & Moira Davidson

“On the Beach” (1959)
With a little romance to lighten the mood, “On the Beach” is about what happens following a nuclear war. Before the fallout heads toward Australia, Dwight and Moira spend a meaningful night together in a hotel room. The atmosphere is warm and charged inside the room, contrasted pleasantly with the pouring rain outside. As the camera swirls around them, you get the sense that these characters have been eager to be alone together, and the context of their rendezvous only makes the embrace that much more monumental. With a future so uncertain and likely headed for disaster, the fervor between these two is palpable.

#6: Harry “Steve” Morgan & Marie[c] “Slim” Browning

“To Have and Have Not” (1944)
Despite the age difference, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall had an undeniable screen chemistry. It’s clear in this scene from “To Have and Have Not” that their relationship went well beyond the fictional world of film. Harry and Slim fill the room with tension you could cut with a knife. It all builds to a couple of steamy smooches, with clever banter that makes us want to holler and swoon at the same time. If you needed a reminder of the unbridled chemistry between Bogart and Bacall, this sequence is it.

#5: Rhett Butler & Scarlett O’Hara

“Gone with the Wind” (1939)
Throughout this classic tale, Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler have nothing short of a toxic romance. Clark Gable’s character has his work cut out for him as an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Before going off to war, the man gives his partner an ardent kiss. With the beautiful backdrop, the moment is only made better by the scenery and the score. It also comes with mixed emotions as the two are unsure whether they’ll see each other again. This isn’t the only memorable “Gone with the Wind” embrace either, with Butler joining O’Hara during a rocky proposal.

#4: Alicia Huberman[d] & T. R. Devlin

“Notorious” (1946)
Known to sometimes push the envelope, Alfred Hitchcock explored the main relationship of “Notorious” in detail. This included putting the characters Alicia and T.R. in a scene that didn’t hold back on romance. When the two get close, they show that their passion couldn’t be more clear. The censors of the time allegedly wouldn’t let actors kiss for more than three seconds. This inspired a more dynamic scene, with the filmmaker mixing amorous lines in between their liplocks – and an entire phone call. In the end, the sequence is even more notable as it’s intimate in an interesting, grounded way. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman make you believe that they’re in love.

#3: Karen Holmes & Milton Warden

“From Here to Eternity” (1953)
As these two characters enjoy the beach, they become the perfect example of serenity. Karen and Milton make out as the waves crash over top of them. It’s a stirring image, capturing two people so completely in love with one another that absolutely nothing can separate or distract them from the moment at hand. With the movie heading towards the attack at Pearl Harbor, this sequence represents the kind of kiss that simply blinds you. It’s not all brainfogged affection, either. That “adding machine” line gets us every time.

#2: George Bailey & Mary Hatch

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
It wasn’t always perfect for this cinematic couple despite the film’s holiday cheer. George and Mary almost didn’t happen. It took a fateful phone call to literally and figuratively bring them together. After the phone drops, the exchange between them is electrifying. George grabs her, his actions completely negating his words as he plants kisses all over her face. It’s one of the steamier moments of “It’s a Wonderful Life” or any Christmas classic for that matter. You can’t help but feel that these two are overcome with emotions, making this a scene that you can’t look away from.

#1: Ilsa Lund & Rick Blaine

“Casablanca” (1942)
Of all the fictional couples in Hollywood history, Ilsa and Rick might be the best. Their complex story comes as the former pair reunites in the title city. The heroine is married to someone else but needs her ex’s help to get to safety. This prompts an emotional sequence where Ingrid Bergman’s character reveals her true feelings. She finally cracks the hero’s tough exterior, with the two kissing in a breakthrough moment. It comes after we see the two in a flashback in another compelling display of their love. “Casablanca” is made better by these kinds of scenes that give an authentic portrait of a troubled romance.

Which kiss from Hollywood’s Golden Age did we forget? Let us know in the comments below.

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