SimonJack
This wonderful and wacky comedy pairs two of the best British comic actors of the 20th century. In their quite different characters, Peter Sellers and Terry-Thomas are hilarious for their antics. Thomas is Lord Mayley and Sellers is Sonny Macgregor. They are joined by Peggy Mount as Flora Ransom and Shirley Eaton as Melissa Right. These are just a pittance of the number of people across British society that have come under the spell of blackmail by Nigel Dennis. Dennis Price plays the straight man Dennis, and he is perfect for the role that he played a number of times in comedies. The tool of blackmail is threatened publication of some embarrassing or troubling thing of a person's past in Dennis's tabloid magazine, "The Naked Truth." While Lord Mayley finds it interesting and fun to read some of the dirt about other people, he's horrified to think of his past foible becoming known. The plot for this film is wonderful, and the crisscrossing of paths by the principles being blackmailed - before they get together, is hilarious. A very good supporting cast contribute to the comedy. Georgina Cookson as Lady Mayley and Joan Sims as Ethel Ransom are especially good. This is a very funny comedy that's sure to generate much laughter for adults. One of my favorite scenes is the lot of people drinking the Mickey Finns that Flora has made in all her liquor supply. Another is Sonny Macgregor in the gun shop when he orders 1,500 12-guage shotgun shells "for a day's rough shooting." Here are some funny lines from the film. For more humorous dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film. Nigel Dennis, "Don't bother to kick me out."Lord Mayley, "How do I look, Lucy?" Lady Mayley, "Very chick." Lord Mayley, "Chick? Thought the word was chic." Lady Mayley, "Yes, darling, it is; but not when applied to you."Lord Mayley, "Your mustache" Sonny Macgregor, "Oh, yes, sir. I I got the creeping alopecia, sir. Yes, sir, it crept all over my lip, it did. Yes, sir." Flora Ransom, "So called policemen, masquerading as ordinary citizens."Ethel Ransom, "I shall be hung." Flora Ransom, "The word is hanged, dear, and you won't be."Ethel Ransom, "Oh, my, what have you done?" Flora Ransom, "What have I done? You have murdered an innocent bystander, that's what."Lady Mayley, "I'll get Maria to lay out your frogman's suit."Lord Mayley, "Never seen her before. It's a lie." Lady Mayley, "What is?" Lord Mayley, "Whatever she says I've done."Lord Mayley, "I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Mayley, Lord Mayley." Rev. Bastable, "Oh." Lord Mayley, "And this is Miss Right." Rev. Bastable, "Oh, congratulations." Lord Mayley, "Oh, no, no! That's her name."Flora Ransom, "Yes, they're onto us all right. He's one of those plainclothes brutes disguised as an ordinary policeman."Sonny Macgregor, as he points toward the library, "I'm very sorry to trouble you at this hour, but, um, is your husband there?" Lady Mayley, "Not all there, I'm thinking."Sonny Macgregor, "Are you crazy? We've just been killing ourselves trying to murder him." Lord Mayley, "Good heavens. Sir Hutton Eastbrook. He's on the board of my directors. He'll have to go. We can't employ disgusting people like that."
writers_reign
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.
Spikeopath
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
LCShackley
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.
