Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15795 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-05-27
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Black & White, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1957's The Naked Truth Terry Thomas plays a dodgy peer of the realm being blackmailed in the company of Peter Sellers, Peggy Mount and Shirley Eaton by a gutter press journalist, Dennis Price ("Don't try to appeal to my better nature, because I haven't one"). One fascinating element in this picture is the portrayal of those relationships that could be only suggested in a period of tighter censorship, such as Peter Sellers' TV personality and Kenneth Griffith as his dresser, whose gay relationship is only faintly etched in here. More overt is the characterisation of a masculine looking authoress, known only by her initials, but sporting Agatha Christie's hairdo. The moments of slapstick are brought off to a tee, as when the larger-than-life Peggy Mount attempts a suicide drop from her window to be saved by an awning on a shop front.

On the DVD: The Naked Truth comes to DVD in 4:3 ratio and with a mono soundtrack. The only extra feature is a trailer. More TT tomfoolery can be found in the three-disc Terry Thomas Collection. --Adrian Edwards

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
The greedy editor of a trashy scandal magazine is confronted by several of the individuals whose lives are erroneously and luridly described in the tabloid. Their attempts to stop the publication of articles concerning themselves lead to a series of amusing events.

Customer Reviews

A brilliant classic comedy
This is a brilliant film. Joan Sims portrayal of a panic stricken daughter is one of her best roles. The film is very funny and with stars such as Terry Thomas, Peter Sellers, Peggy Mount, Dennis Price and Joan Sims, it is a laugh a minute. The story is about celebrities who are being blackmailed. The ending is a classic. It is a must to watch if you have never seen it before and if you have seen it before, it is a treasure to watch again and again.

Overlooked and underrated masterpiece
Peter Sellers as Wee Sonny McGregor has to be one of the funniest and most venal characters in British films of the Ealing Period, one of his cleverest performances, switching from slapstick goonery to snide villainy in a display of his complete mastery of the craft of comedy.

In fact The Naked Truth is packed with the greatest British comedy actors playing ensemble farce to perfection. You may remember it and have hazy recollections of "Galloping Alopaecia", "Looking For A MIckey Finn" and a heavily disguised Sellers attempting to buy some explosives in an Irish pub ("Ooh my nose"). The plot is uneven, the premise far fetched - but only as much as the average Fawlty Towers. Honourable mention to Terry-Thomas, so adept at seemingly playing "himself" that his subtle artistry as an actor has long been overlooked. Peggy Mount is completely absorbing, the timing of her double act with Joan Sims a master class in character dynamics. The whole piece underpinned by the clever premise that none of the characters is particularly wholesome but none so wonderfully wicked as the suave and ever resourceful Dennis Price, who blackmails them with the threat of exposing their darkest secrets in his scandal magazine, "The Naked Truth" (a sort of LA Confidential but in a 50s British showbiz setting).

Buy the DVD, it's a classic, and you can replay the last five seconds of the Irish pub scene over and over without wearing out a VHS cassette!

Flawed reproduction mars classic
This is a fantastic film and I was looking forward to watching it in DVD quality but I was to be disappointed--twice so far.

This is the second DVD of this film that I have purchased from 'Borders' and this is the second version which has been spoilt. Where there is a dark background in the film with a character in darkness--eg. Terry Thomas as he makes his way across the gangplank of the barge--the foreground information blurs and melts and mars the image. This is not what DVD is about. I have taken one version back and I've just looked at the new one--exactly the same. Anyone else noticed this. Until they fix it don't buy.