Your Past Is Showing (1957) User Reviews

The Problems of Dealing with Blackmail

[theowinthrop · 8/10 · 5 September 2005]

This film solidified Peter Sellers' stardom as a comic actor of the first rank. He had appeared in other films prior to it, but THE LADYKILLERS was the only one prior to this that showed him to any advantage, as an inept "teddy boy" type.

Here he is "Wee Sonny MacGregor" a popular young entertainer on television, whose variety show has mostly elderly viewers who think of Sonny as the son or grandson they always dreamed about. Unfortunately for Sonny, one Nigel Dennis (Dennis Price) publishes "THE NAKED TRUTH", a tell all scandal sheet like "Confidential" or (despite their disclaimers) "The Enquirer". Mr Dennis has a nice, somewhat legal, offer. If you will help defray the expenses of his magazine, he will refrain from publishing details of what you don't want known. In his best, intelligent scoundrel style, Price reveals to dear "Wee Sonny" that he knows about the large amounts of rent money "Wee Sonny" has been making with some rotting tenements in London. The audience for "Wee Sonny" would not feel very comfortable with his image knowing about this.

Price has similar pieces of information regarding Peggy Blount, playing an "Agatha Christie" novelist - apparently one of her plots may not have been so original. Also Terry-Thomas, as Lord Mayley, is not as respectable as he lets on - he seems to have had several affairs his wife does not know of (although Georgina Cookson - Lady Mayley - has her occasional suspicions). Soon all three are considering the last resort for dealing with blackmail - doing in the blackmailer. Their problems are more than dealing with a brainy adversary. Blount tries to commit a murder (after all she's an expert in killing as a creative writer), only to come a cropper (all I'll say is Price ups his demands for payment as a result). Terry-Thomas seems to keep stumbling into the schemes of Blount and Sellers, to his own discomfort.

Best is Sellers though - he is certain he can commit the perfect murder because he is a "master of disguise". His assistant Kenneth Griffith keeps warning him that he has a tendency to overact, but "Wee Sonny" dismisses this. He tries to spy out Price playing an elderly dock expert, and only annoys the latter and makes Terry-Thomas suspicious. He flusters a gun shop owner by appearing as an Edwardian style country squire ordering enough ammunition for a regiment, not for a hunt. My favorite moment is when he tries to impress possible IRA members by speaking to them (as a fellow member) in perfect Welsh.

How they finally get rid of Price and his demands is as funny as one can expect, given the rest of the film. It is a comedy that will pay handsome dividends of laughter.

Good fun

[winstonnc-1 · 7/10 · 20 July 2005]

Apparently released both as "The Naked Truth" and "Your Past Is Showing" (the name on the title card and title I remember in the U.S. run), this bustling little comedy about tabloid blackmailer is still jolly good fun going on 50 years later. Credit an amusing script and some fine casting that captures a gaggle of top-flight '50s British comedy talent in top form. Terry-Thomas and a young Peter Sellers (filmed here just before he gained fame with "The Mouse That Roared") are at the pinnacle of their Brit-comedy game and are ably abetted by the redoubtable Peggy Mount, luscious Shirley Eaton (a few years before her turn as the "golden girl" in "Goldfinger"), a caddish Dennis Price (as the oily blackmailer) and assorted classic British comedy stars, a number of whom seem to have had recurring bits in the "Carry On" series. The humor here is not as low and juicy as the "Carry On"s or as high and dry as the classic Ealing Studio Ealing comedies of the period - a pleasing mix. By contemporary standards, the film is a little slow - especially the set-up through the opening reels - but it all pays off very nicely with an avalanche of chuckles and a few great belly laughs. Keep a close eye on Sellers: although he plays a single character (a cheesy TV variety show emcee), he dons multiple disguises through the film, warming up for future roles in "Mouse" and "Dr. Strangelove" (where he played three parts in each) and those later "Pink Panther" comedies.

Aged well.

[HenryHextonEsq · 8/10 · 26 May 2000]

A particularly impressive and downright screwball Ealing farce. Not sure if it was made in Ealing, but it seems like it. It's such a shame that with the advent of "Kitchen Sink" gritty realism, beginning in the late '50s, Britain just seemed to stop making movies that were charming and fun. Our flair for droll comedy dried up in the '60s and give or take Mike Leigh's work, "Orphans" or "Withnail & I", hasn't returned. The characters are so well defined, with master character actor Peter Sellers again showing his virtuoso talents for adopting various persona. Terry-Thomas and the smooth Dennis Price are brilliantly assured with the material, but Sellers does steal the show, portraying a cynical yet whimsical celebrity perfectly. I love the bit where he does the Irish accent, and cliched talk and the Irishmen react with bemusement. This is only the second film I've seen with Sellers (Dr Strangelove being the illustrious other), but it seems few can match his acting range and comic touch. It would seem that "The Naked Truth" has been, to some extent, forgotten. A state of affairs as farcical as the film. Rating:- **** (out of *****)

Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers at their absolute Best

[philip.lander · 13 May 2000]

This is a wonderfully English tale of Blackmail, Attempted Murder and various other dirty deeds, Terry Thomas, playing the kind of upper-class Scoundrel that he does so well absolutely classic . And the crooked game-show host superbly underplayed by a pre Hollywood Peter Sellers who is definitely at his peak , The scenes with Kenneth Griffith as his camp disapproving dresser are sheer class (this is the first of the five or six films they made together). The scene where Sellers slides effortlessly into the Irish character demonstrates perfectly his genius.

Dennis Price is wonderfully cast as the smarmy blackmailer who bites off more than he can chew when he attempts to expose the main characters dodgey pasts.

The only flaw for me is Peggy Mount, she just doesn't seem comfortable with the character and never really settles in. But this is a small moan about what is a delightfully entertaining film.

Very Funny

[LeaBlacks_Balls · 7/10 · 21 February 2010]

Released in America as 'Your Past Is Showing,' this amusing black comedy concerns a group of English celebrities and nobility who are being blackmailed by Nigel Dennis, an unscrupulous tabloid reporter. Four of these people, a Lord (Terry-Thomas,) a television host (Sellers,) an author (Mount,) and a model (Eaton) decide to fight back and kill their blackmailer. The catch is, none of them are aware anyone else is targeting Dennis. What follows is a series of humorous attempts to off Nigel Dennis.

Peter Sellers gets to dress up in various disguises and do impressions. Watching him is watching a true genius at work. But the movie is stolen by Peggy Mount, who plays the daffy author. She and her hilariously skittish daughter, played by Joan Sims, concoct a plan to poison Dennis, lock him in a trunk and dump him in the river. But things go wrong on several levels, and the way these two cope is hilarious.

As all the characters come together for the final act, things escalate and become even funnier. So if you enjoy British comedy, a fan of Peter Sellers, or just in the mood for a laugh, then don't hesitate to watch this film.

A very funny British farce

[MOscarbradley · 7/10 · 7 December 2016]

A genuinely funny British farce dealing with blackmail and murder and splendidly played by a great cast of British comic actors, (Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers, Peggy Mount, Joan Sims and Dennis Price). Price is the blackmailer and Sellers, Terry-Thomas and Mount, together with model Shirley Eaton, (long before someone thought of painting her gold), are his victims who plan to murder him but, as with any good farce, things don't go quite according to plan. The underrated Mario Zampi directed from an original and highly ingenious script by Michael Pertwee. Perhaps you need a very British sense of humour to really appreciate this but if you are blessed with such a thing, it's a real treat.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 7/10 · 30 November 2005]

An interesting premise is worked on well in this delightful British comedy. It has a number of amusing moments, and Peter Sellers is as good as ever in it. Joan Sims, on the hand, has a tendency to overplay her role, but the performers generally do quite well with their roles. It is a bit slow in the build up, but it is great once it gets moving. Some of the shots are definitely too dark though, even if set at nighttime, in that it is hard to see what is happening. I am not sure what, but something in the lighting set up could have surely been changed. With the plot of foiling the plans of a blackmailer, the different unsuccessful attempts start to get repetitive, but they are still amusing. It is a good film overall, even if a bit of a silly one.

Excellent film with a stellar cast

[johnson50 · 10/10 · 5 December 2003]

A truly wonderful film, highly recommended.

Starring Terry-Thomas, as one of several blackmail victims of the ever urbane Dennis Price, it marks one of a number of successful collaborations between the young Peter Sellers and himself. Sellers is also brilliant, as another victim, no doubt an early forerunner of the infamous Inspector Clouseau. The film also stars Peggy Mount, Joan Sims and Shirley Eaton.

The whole film is rather silly, no part more so than the ending, but is very entertaining and very funny as the bungling victims try to kill either themselves or their tormentor, each with an equal lack of success.

Great Fun!

[davyd-02237 · 7/10 · 10 November 2020]

A wonderful cast with a very different plot-one chap out to make money by blackmailing those in the "public eye" for their indiscretions. Sadly, the ending came a little too quick, as they could have made a bit more out of this. Sellers dons lots of disguises, Terry-Thomas does his usual. Peggy Mount as the writer is quite wonderful, Shirley Eaton just looks glamorous. Well worth watching, even if its just the once

Top-drawer early Sellers

[LCShackley · 8/10 · 26 November 2008]

There's not a false move in this charming British comedy featuring Peter Sellers in multiple disguises, and Terry-Thomas in top form.

The script concerns a muckraker who's blackmailing several citizens by threatening to expose their dirty secrets in a new tabloid (which he assembles in a tacky houseboat on the Thames). Some of his victims decide to fight back, with humorous results, ending with a wacky scheme that ends with multiple twists.

The casting is perfect, including Peggy Mount, Kenneth Griffith, and a very young Joan Sims. And Michael Pertwee's script is ingenious and full of good lines. THE NAKED TRUTH (a/k/a YOUR PAST IS SHOWING) is a great example of the kind of film comedies that British studios were capable of turning out (seemingly effortlessly) in the 40s and 50s.

I'm a big Sellers fan and couldn't believe I'd never heard of this film (made shortly after SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH). Track this one down and enjoy a fun evening with some real characters.

A breezy affair

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 1 August 2021]

Another decent Rank comedy with Terry-Thomas headling an ensemble cast. Peter Sellers is pretty good here with his trademark accent and caricature schtick and it makes me wonder if Mike Myers based his whole career on him. The plot seems to be inspired by the likes of KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (the presence of Dennis Price pushing the similarities home) and THE LADYKILLERS, albeit with a lighter, more scheming tone. Plenty of good supporting performances, particularly from Peggy Mount and Kenneth Griffith, make this a breezy affair.

An enjoyable little dark comedy.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 4 October 2009]

This is one of the darker comedies I've seen in a long time and I really liked its wicked sense of humor. The film begins with several people committing suicide or at least attempting it. You have absolutely no idea why this is happening--it's like an epidemic! However, whatever the causes, they are awfully funny and never has suicide seemed so full of laughs. It later turns out that the reason for all this mayhem is because a horrid man is blackmailing people. In fact, the guy has a huge file on lots of people, though the film centers on four of them--four who are so desperate to keep their "naughty business" private that they contemplate taking extreme action.

Most of the movie consists of three of these four victims deciding that the best possible course of action is to kill the blackmailer because if they don't pay him off, he promises to publish a tell-all magazine detailing their peccadilloes. Seeing these folks planning and repeatedly botching the murder is pretty funny...and very, very dark.

Ultimately, however, the murder plans are scrubbed, as the blackmailer is caught by the police. But, what if he spills the beans? What can they do to stop this man from talking?! This all leads to an immensely clever final portion of the film when over 300 blackmail victims all work together to end this nonsense once and for all! The final scene is particularly enjoyable, though the gunshot at the very end was unnecessary and even a bit dumb.

In this film, there are many nice performances, though the one that stands out the most is Peter Sellers. He plays a TV star who changes costumes and personalities constantly as part of his job...as well as the plot to stop the blackmailer. In many ways, it's like a precursor to DR. STRANGELOVE--giving Sellers ample opportunity to try out his many accents and impersonations.

Overall, a very funny and clever comedy that is so good because it's so different.

Funny and often savage comedy

[funkyfry · 7/10 · 29 June 2014]

While those looking for a rather typical 50s British comedy will not be disappointed, this film also offers some more biting social commentary than usual. An ensemble cast plays out a zany caper story about a creepy amoral grifter (Dennis Price) and a group of assorted loonies who try in various ways to undermine his attempts to blackmail them. It's not dis-similar from other excellent comedies of the era such as "Lavender Hill Mob" and "Kind Hearts and Coronets", but this film from the "Rank Organization" lacks the dry quality of the Ealing Films. Also there is no presence as compelling as Guinness' in the best Ealings. Peter Sellers, second-billed below Terry Thomas (who, as usual, has perhaps one too many scene with certainly one too many eye roll), of course tries his best to steal the film and every scene in it, and Peggy Mount is very funny as a mystery writer intent on acting out her own story. But none of the characters are given the chance to really center the film, and as a result it comes off with less heart than the very best films of this type.

Sellers plays a kind of corrupt game show host, in danger of being exposed as a slumlord to the very elderly audience who adore him. I thought that was a nice, if obvious, bit of social statement. Neither Sellers nor any of the other people being blackmailed is a lily-white innocent, so you wonder as you watch it whether Price's character will get his comeuppance or not. That gives it more suspense than some comedy, but not really enough to make it compelling. Still, it's a quality film with good contributions from everybody.

The Naked Truth

[henry8-3 · 5/10 · 4 July 2019]

Price is the slimly owner of the titular scandal rag and is blackmailing Thomas, Sellers, Eaton and Mount, who in turn mount plans to murder him with varying degrees of success.

A fairly fun idea reasonably well carried out thanks to good turns from both Thomas and Mount, the latter well supported by a young Joan Sins. It is a bit all over the place and Sellers is given too much rope for scenery chewing and 'hilarious' character inventions, but overall worth catching on a rainy afternoon.

A truly definitive British comedy

[spiderspit · 12 March 2001]

Although this movie greets you with a seedy beginning it quickly blossoms into a delightful and rip-roaring comedy. Watching this movie at the impressionable age of 14, i immediately saw what made British comedy movies so different and, in my opinion, so much more worthwhile than those made across the Atlantic. Peter Sellers is definitely at his best as one of the blackmailees (?) and the rest of the cast is at the worst above average. A truly definitive British comedy!

Sellers and Thomas have blackmail problems.

[hitchcockthelegend · 6/10 · 2 October 2009]

The Naked Truth is a funny and wicked satire of the tabloid-press industry and celebrity culture. The story follows four celebrities Sonny MacGregor {Peter Sellers}, Lord Mayley {Terry-Thomas}, Melissa Right {Shirley Eaton} and Flora Ransom {Peggy Mount}. Each of them being blackmailed by unscrupulous magazine reporter Nigel Dennis {Dennis Price}. Who if his demands aren't met will publish damning stories that will kill of the respective careers off the celebrities.

Cue a unified target of the four, one thing in common, to kill the oblivious Dennis. This is wonderfully set up for a number of excellent, and well constructed attempts at assassinating the bounder and cad reporter. But naturally, not all is going to go to plan, with the assassins being their own worst enemy at times. As can be expected with this cast list {Joan Sims also appears} it's acted with no little comic gravitas and the direction from Mario Zampi is smooth and at ease with the material. A tidy enough British comedy, that's even black at times, even if it fails to truly reach the great heights that its cast list suggests it should. 6/10

Uneven but a funny premise

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 22 September 2009]

A blackmailing tabloid publisher (Dennis Price) becomes the target of various murder plots by his victims in "Your Past is Showing," also known as "The Naked Truth," a 1957 British film starring Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas, Peggy Mount, Shirley Eaton, and Joan Sims. Price is Nigel Dennis, whose paper, The Naked Truth, is prepared to print damaging stories unless Nigel receives a 10,000 pound contribution to his favorite charity - himself. Among his victims are a lord (Terry-Thomas), an entertainer (Sellers), a murder mystery writer (Mount), and a model (Eaton). The writer decides on murder by drowning, the entertainer wants to plant a bomb, and the model wants to go to the police.

A very funny concept with some good scenes, "The Naked Truth" suffers from uneven performances and a script that could have been a lot better. Peggy Mount and Joan Sims are way, way over the top in their portrayals of the writer and her nervous daughter. Sellers and Terry-Thomas, on the other hand, give very balanced performances and are quite funny.

Enjoyable, but one wishes it was just a notch or two better.

Freedom of Smear.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 7 January 2011]

Great cast in this story of a publisher, Dennis Price, who threatens to publish a tabloid magazine spelling out the peccadilloes of many prominent celebrities, including Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas, Peggy Mount, and Shirley Eaton. Their reputations and happiness are at stake. Price gives them two weeks to come up with a blackmail sum that none can manage.

It has its funny moments but the script isn't what it might be. The story is mostly disjointed because the victims don't know one another, so we wind up with four separate threads of victims trying to prevent Price from implementing his scheme.

And the humor is all spelled out. Nothing is left to the imagination. If the mystery writer, Peggy Mount, tries to drown the blackmailer, she knocks the wrong man out and tries to drown him in a pond. The attempted drowning is all drawn out and devolves into slapstick. The sprightly musical score tries desperately to underline the comic features of each scene.

Among the funnier scenes is Peter Sellers (in one of several disguises) hiding under the bunk he assumes belong to the blackmailer. Instead, a young couple of newlyweds show up and kick off their shoes and kiss voluptuously. Sellers, scooched back against the wall, looks at the two pairs of feet, glances up at the bed, and stares in exasperation at the camera, breaking the fourth wall. (Dissolve.) The show really belongs to Dennis Price, who plays the role of suave villain with aplomb. Even unconscious he seems to wear a superior smirk. He has the cleverest lines too, at times harking back to his splendid performance in "Kind Hearts And Coronets." "I do hope this isn't an appeal to my better nature because I haven't one." It's Sellers who quotes the happy villain of Richard III -- "Why, I can smile, and murder while I smile" -- but it's Price who embodies him.

I wish the script had been more taut and the direction less explicit. As it is, it's not a failure, but it's a loose-limbed and lowbrow success.

Now here are the figures McGregor have a look at them

[sarah-tarrant · 8/10 · 13 September 2008]

Go on we all like to read a bit of gossip about people in the media spotlight. But what if someone has uncovered something decidedly unflattering that the person concerned does not want to be revealed. Welcome to the delightful black comedic premise of late 50s 88 min comedy film "The Naked Truth". With his typical iconic roguish person it's another excellent performance from that British cad Terry Thomas as Lord Mayley. His pivotal scene exemplifying the premise occurs during his conversation with Nigel Dennis (played with well educated, unscrupulous brilliance by Dennis Price) when he looks over a copy of the scandalous publication, initially salivating at the prospect of what he might read. His demeanour soon changes when he finds that surreptitiously he is the main object of intrigue. For me, good though he is, he is easily overshadowed by the acting genius of Peter Sellers whom excels as television audience favourite 'Wee Sonny McGregor' a fake Scots entertainer with an ability to create a wealth of characters. Amongst the ones we see are the elderly canal boat inspector and a quite ridiculous over the top Irishman, no wonder he gets punched by a Dublin pub customer for taking the micky! Also worthy of praise is Peggy Mount as the anxious, desperate authoress Flora Ransom and her extremely nervous daughter Ethel played by Joan Sims. Delighted to finally nab a DVD copy of this bright and breezy comedy (which benefits from a jaunty moving incidental music score) earlier this week and was pleasantly surprised that you also get an approx 2 min trailer which perfectly captures the manic mood of a movie whose premise is as relevant today as it was on its original release. Definitely one of the best black and white British film comedies and is well worth adding to your collection!

The Price Is Wrong

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 11 December 2016]

Mario Zampi made at least two gray rather than 'black' comedies, both featuring fine ensemble casts; first came Laughter In Paradise and then, a few years later, The Naked Truth, and both of them hold up rather well. In the former the cast were linked by an eccentric Will which called for each beneficiary to fulfil a bizarre request in order to qualify for a share in the will whilst here the characters are linked because they are all victims of attempted blackmail at the hands of Dennis Price, owner, editor and publisher of a 'scandal sheet' The Naked Truth, who notifies each victim of the skeletons in their respective closets and offers them the Hobson's Choice 'pay in a fortnight or I publish in a month'. Inevitably the victims, after failing individually to see off Price, join together to get rid of him which results in a neat ending. Still capable of offering divertissment some seventy years later.

Publish - and be killed!

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 12 March 2012]

Mario Zampi does not appear to have enjoyed the kind of respect bestowed on other British comedy directors such as Charles Crichton, Henry Cornelius or the Boulting Brothers, which is strange when one considers he made a number of excellent movies in the late '50's/early '60's, including 'Laughter In Paradise' starring Alistair Sim, 'Happy Ever After' with David Niven, 'Top Secret' with George Cole, and this. Unscrupulous publisher 'Nigel Dennis' ( Dennis Price ) plans on launching a scandal magazine in Britain. Entitled 'The Naked Truth', it will implicate high-profile public figures in major financial or sexual scandals. Among the victims are toff 'Lord Henry Mayley' ( Terry-Thomas ), bestselling mystery writer 'Flora Ransom' ( Peggy Mount ), model 'Melissa Right' ( Shirley Eaton ), and television presenter 'Wee Sonny McGregor' ( Peter Sellers ). To save their reputations, each must pay Dennis £10,000. Naturally, they don't want to do this, so they concoct separate plans to do away with the blackmailer. Much of the first part of the picture is concerned with these varying murder attempts, which range from blowing Dennis up to knocking him out with a Mickey Finn before tossing him in the Thames. Needless to say, they all fail, and the would-be killers then pool their resources in order to stop Dennis from telling the naked truth.

It is a sprightly black comedy in the mold of 'The Ladykillers', deftly written by veteran comedy scribe Michael Pertwee ( cousin of Jon ) and well directed by Zampi ( it turned out to be one of his last pictures - he died in 1963 ). The cast are marvellous, particularly Sellers whose 'McGregor' keeps slipping into disguise, including an old man with a 'creeping alopecia' problem and who sounds like 'Willium Mate Cobblers' from 'The Goon Show', along with a country gent who could be a distant relative of 'Hercules Grytpype-Thynne' from the same series. McGregor's television show ( which resembles a geriatric version of 'The X Factor' ) was allegedly inspired by a real one starring Wilfrid Pickles. Popping up in minor roles are Joan Sims as Flora's nervous daughter 'Ethel', Miles Malleson as a befuddled vicar, Wilfrid Lawson as a veteran soldier with a fondness for playing a penny-whistle, and Kenneth Griffith as McGregor's confidante.

Funniest moment - the finale in which all of Dennis' victims - including a scout master - band together to spring him from police custody, culminating in an airship escape. If the final gag is a little predictable, well, it hardly matters.

Second funniest moment - McGregor trying to buy gelignite from I.R.A. terrorists. His convincing Irish accent is let down when he tries to speak gaelic, and instead utters the name of a Welsh town ( 'Llanfairpwllgwyn...etc., etc.' )!

quite funny, but doesn't make the top tier

[rupie · 6/10 · 15 September 2022]

I have a special fondness for British comedies, and I was drawn to this one by the presence of Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers and Dennis Price. Any movie with a cast like that, plus an assortment of other fine British character actors, can't be all bad, and indeed this isn't. The script is full of clever witticisms and the performances are certainly fine (if you can't quite place where you've seen "Miss Wright" before, she was Jill Masterson in Goldfinger). However the comic premise is just a tad far-fetched and at the end, the movie descends into nonsense. But it's worth watching just for the great actors doing their stuff.

sable-black comedy

[myriamlenys · 9/10 · 19 November 2017]

Black comedies don't get much funnier than "The naked truth". The plot is both witty and inventive and there are memorable characters and lines. I've got a weak spot for the hapless Ethel, a citizen of the most blameless moral character, who gets dragooned into crime in order to defend her mother's honor, or what's left of it. (Watch out for the scene where Mumsy describes her Youthful Indiscretion : "I fell into a wrong crowd, times were easy and so was... Never mind.")

The performances range from good to excellent. Peter Sellers, for instance, shines as a cunning bastard who divides his waking hours between hosting maudlin, patronizing TV-shows for the elderly on the one hand and exploiting the innocent as a slum landlord on the other hand. (One of the shows, by the way, includes a very special treat for opera lovers : a rendition of "Ombra mai fu" on a cheap whistle flute.)

A very British work of the polished and urbane school. Much recommended.

Delightfully comedy in the best British tradition

[VADigger · 7/10 · 25 August 2021]

A cohort of his victims keep getting in each other's way as they attempt to do away with the blackmailer who is making their lives a misery, until they finally join forces in an elaborate scheme to rid themselves of the blighter.

Things take a bit to get rolling, and never quite reach the heights of the truly great British comedies of the 50's. Still, with Peggy Mount, Terry-Thomas, and Peter Sellers on hand, how can you go wrong? And only the Brits can treat physical violence with such a droll touch. Very entertaining and well worth a look.

Lighter Than Ealing, But Not As Good

[slokes · 3/10 · 22 May 2007]

"The Naked Truth" (a.k.a. "Your Past Is Showing") is a good example of the dividing line between bad and awful. While never quite unpleasant, it is also a comedy that isn't funny, a caper film that isn't clever, and a showcase for talents who never manage to rise off the ground, even if they don't fall flat on their face.

Nigel Dennis (Dennis Price) is a journalist with a special calling. He self-publishes a magazine called "The Naked Truth" revealing the seamy underbelly of celebrity life in pre-Swinging, still-naughty London. He makes a special offer to those he gets the dirt on, like TV personality Wee Sonny MacGregor (Peter Sellers): Come across with a sizable donation to a charity called the Distressed Journalists' Association (sole beneficiary: Dennis himself) and we won't tell England the sordid details of your private lives.

"But I haven't got 10,000 pounds," protests MacGregor.

"Spoken like a true Scot," Dennis replies. "But where has the bonnie accent gone?"

The presence of Price immediately reminds one of the classic Ealing comedy "Kind Hearts And Coronets," which Price starred in to great effect. Though given the same kind of weaselly character to play, lashing out against the upper classes, he's not nearly as good here. In part that's because Price here is more detached and harder to pull for, but mostly because "The Naked Truth" doesn't have the craft of "Kind Hearts" when it comes for making the audience care about its array of base characters.

What makes "Naked Truth" more of a failure is the presence of Sellers, just gaining his chops in screen comedy and a year or so away from launching one of the most fertile five-year periods any screen actor ever had. He's not bad here, just a wasted opportunity. MacGregor dons an assortment of disguises trying to gain the upper hand on Dennis, the first of many such multiple role-plays for Sellers, but the laughs are few and faint.

That's a problem throughout the movie, actually. Michael Pertwee's script is full of double takes and misheard words but few laughs, especially as it starts things off with a suicide and a suicide attempt. Director Mario Zampi has a hard time shooting day-for-night scenes and lets Peggy Mount play to the cheap seats in an overly broad performance as a mystery novelist. Poor Joan Sims as her daughter overacts even worse, reminding one of how comedy is a business of degrees. Zampi does shoot some arresting floor-level shots now and then, but he doesn't do much for his cast from Price on down.

What's good about "The Naked Truth"? Terry-Thomas, in what amounts to a nominal lead performance as another of Dennis's blackmail victims, louche Lord Mayley, inhabits his character with his usual playful verve. Like tom-darwin noted here in an earlier review, T-T was a bit of a one-note Johnny but played his one note well. He does so here especially in exchanges with Price and Sellers and with Georgina Cookson as Lady Mayley, about as amiable a henpecker as you'll find on screen. The score by Stanley Black is busy but game. You wish you were having as good a time as he is here.

"The Naked Truth" is neither funny nor witty, but there are moments of engagement here or there. Mostly though, it's a chance to appreciate that British comedy wasn't always so golden even in its "Golden Age."