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Full Frontal Nudity Was Fairly Common, But.....

posted 13 years ago by ABetterDay
2 replies | jump to latest

Films with nude females were fairly common before 7/1/34, and still fairly common in imports after the Breen Office, but a stigma was attached to those who appeared in them that prevented such actors from being worth the risk to Hollywood. It was very rare for an actress to be seen fully nude in a film of this day and then go on to be a Hollywood star. The societal norms of the day in the U.S. made such highly unlikely. Appearing nude certainly damaged Lamarr's career but, unlike all the others, didn't extinguish it. At this time, it was still illegal for women to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts in most American cities. An actress appearing nude in a film in 1933 was committing professional suicide. Lamarr is one of the few to survive it.

Kudos to TCM for having the courage to show this film.

Remember When Movies Didn't Have To Be Politically Correct?

[–] Royalcourtier 10 years ago

You write as if all films are made in the USA. Don't forget that this is a Czech film.

[–] Mathias001 9 years ago

You have to remember that American society of the 30's was very prudish. Nudity was considered obscene therefore no movie contained it. Unless it was one of those underground films that were shown in back rooms and "private clubs".

This is a foreign film and they've always been more relaxed about nudity "across the pond". There's a French movie that was made in the 50's. Its name escapes me ATM but it is one of those "women in prison" films and there is one scene where the lead takes a shower and you see some brief full frontal nudity.

Had that been shown in American theaters it would have caused a major uproar from the "morality police" as I like to call them. Go back even further to 1911 and watch Dante's Inferno. There are some scenes of nudity in that but it too is a foreign film. Geez, my grandfather and grandmother were only 7 and 4 respectively when that was made.

It's always been the case. European movies past and present tend to show more nudity and less violence. Here it's the opposite. Not so much now but up until the late 60's early 70's nudity was considered bad. And yet John Wayne, Roy Rogers etc. could shoot countless numbers of bad guys and that was okay.

*scratches head*

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Long live the 70s!