What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?

This is one of those films where you come expecting titillation and end up getting educated. As mentioned in the other post, people are set up in situations where they unexpectedly encounter nudity-- elevators, classrooms, roadside, etcetera. Then Funt discovers an interesting thing, that when people ARE expecting nudity, in an art class or museum gallery, when the rules change people get flustered. In the art class, for example, the women who were calmly drawing the male nude seem unable to have a conversation with him when he talks to them.

There is an unexpected section of the film, one that Funt admits in the film even surprised him. It is a frank discussion with a call girl, Funt and the woman sitting by a hotel pool talking about prostitution. Funt was posing as a client; the woman is surprising and refreshing in her candor.

People may wonder why the film was rated X. At the time the Film Ratings board had a firm rule that if penises were shown, the film was given a X rating.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO A NAKED LADY is basically a risqué "Candid Camera" episode stretched out to feature length with, um, lots of full-frontal action from both genders.

But that's not (really) the interesting part. It's a fascinating glimpse into the public's newly relaxed attitude towards sex, circa the sexual revolution, covering the public's opinion towards everything from public nudity to interracial dating. Truly a time capsule, with wildly varied reactions from a cross-section of Americans - racial, ethnic and age differences are all included.

The most revealing segment was the one with the college instructor. (Do I need to mention she was naked?) Interesting that the "mature" older women were reduced to giggling schoolgirls while the young students kept their poise. Or were both groups aware of the ruse but the elders weren't compelled to respect authority as the kids might have been?

Anyway, my favorite victim was the woman who kept her cool while chatting with the nude male model. Loved her reaction when the jig was up. What a stitch.

My new wife and I saw "What Do You Say To A Naked Lady" in the theater back around 1970 when it was released. Thirty or so years later, I bought the VHS release of this film. Although I certainly don't claim to recall everything I saw in this film in 1970, I do recall some scenes that are omitted on the VHS release. Also, the VHS release seems to have more talking and other less interesting content, such as original reactions of the test screening audience.

In particular, I recall several iterations of the man knocking on the door, which falls in, to reveal a naked lady on the phone, who then asks him to put the door back. In the VHS release there is only one brief episode.

Also, the scene where the man is sent to wait in a room, and all other occupants are naked ladies. That is completely omitted in the VHS release. My complaint is that these scenes, which depict how different people react, contain much of the value of the lesson this film teaches.

I rate the VHS release only about 6 or 7 of 10 because of these omissions. Still, it represents a great lesson in how people react to these unusual situations, and worth seeing.

This film is the famous "Candid Camera" television show in a feature format, and much more Risqu'e that could have been broadcast. But beyond the amusing laughs of Alan Funt's situations lies a surprising glimpse into the uncensored attitudes of American culture in the midst of social upheaval.

Prevailing sexual and racial attitudes are both surprising and tantalizing. Taboo subjects are tackled in an unflinching way, without comment by the filmmakers - leaving you an unobstructed view on our past culture.

• Andy Somers

This movie remained a hysterical look at sex that i could not help but enjoy. The editors cut the footage perfectly in the "Spray can scene" and made me break out in laughter just watching the difference between the girls' orgasms. Different sequences with different sex related themes made this a documentary great. This docu-comedy is pure genius ***1/2 out of ****