YOUR PAST IS SHOWING aka THE NAKED TRUTH (1957). Director: Mario Zampi.
A man named Mr. Dennis (Dennis Price) pays a call on several individuals and tells them that they either pay him ten thousand in two weeks or he'll publish an embarrassing expose of their exploits in his new paper The Naked Truth. Some of his victims individually decide that the only way to take care of Mr. Price is to kill him -- with varying but always comical results. Terry-Thomas (pictured) and Peter Sellers are two of the victims, and a very funny team-up they are. Peggy Mount is a scream as writer Flora Ransom (who was "indiscreet" in her youth) and Joan Sims as her daughter Ethel is even funnier. Miles Malleson (Ransom's future husband), Georgina Cookson (Terry-Thomas' wife), and Shirley Eaton (another blackmail victim) add much to the fun. The movie goes in a lot of amusing directions which won't be revealed here. Suffice it to say, it's a lot of macabre fun with some really memorable sequences. And it provides more proof that Sellers was a comic genius.
Verdict: A darkly comic romp indeed. ***.
A man named Mr. Dennis (Dennis Price) pays a call on several individuals and tells them that they either pay him ten thousand in two weeks or he'll publish an embarrassing expose of their exploits in his new paper The Naked Truth. Some of his victims individually decide that the only way to take care of Mr. Price is to kill him -- with varying but always comical results. Terry-Thomas (pictured) and Peter Sellers are two of the victims, and a very funny team-up they are. Peggy Mount is a scream as writer Flora Ransom (who was "indiscreet" in her youth) and Joan Sims as her daughter Ethel is even funnier. Miles Malleson (Ransom's future husband), Georgina Cookson (Terry-Thomas' wife), and Shirley Eaton (another blackmail victim) add much to the fun. The movie goes in a lot of amusing directions which won't be revealed here. Suffice it to say, it's a lot of macabre fun with some really memorable sequences. And it provides more proof that Sellers was a comic genius.
Verdict: A darkly comic romp indeed. ***.
4 comments:
Excellent Brit comedy with Sellers and Terry-Thomas in top form. To be honest, I can't think of a Terry-Thomas movie which I haven't enjoyed. If you enjoyed this I'd also recommend checcking out Too Many Crooks.
I will do so -- thanks for the tip. And thanks for your comment.
Yeah, Terry-Thomas is always a lot of fun, and he and Sellers made a great team.
You've got a great western movie blog, by the way!
William
Thanks William. It's not really meant to be a dedicated western blog but I seem to end up writing about a lot of oaters all the same. :)
Back to Terry-Thomas, I don't know how you're fixed for playing non R1DVDs but if you have the ability there's a fine boxset of six of his movies (comprising School for Scoundrels, His and Hers, Private's Progress, Make Mine Mink, Too Many Crooks & The Naked Truth) available in the UK via Amazon.
Thanks for the info. I think most of these are in the library of Turner Classic Movies and I can catch them then. Best, Bill
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