[Bounci]

This film I came across just by chance when TalkingPicturesTV in the UK broadcast it a few weeks ago. Originally it was from a documentary on the film studio Danziger that I actually knew of it's existance and what is remarkable about this is that it included genuine aspiring English actresses, rather than nudists to play the roles. The film was The Nudist Story (also known as Pussycat's Paradise, and For Members Only in the USA) from 1960 and it is a time capsule of sweet gentile British films on the tail end of the 1950's (oh, if only they'd got Susan Stephen for the part!). As it is, the actress cast for the lead role was Shelley Martin in what was her first - and seemingly only - role.

To give the jist of the plot, Shelley played a prim uptight woman who inherited her grandfather's fortune and land, one of which she discovers is a nudist camp whose lease grandfather has failed to renew. She is horrified when one of the men from the nudist camp, Brian Cuddy, turns up (clothed, I may add) to ask her to extend their license, only for her to refuse. However, he asks he to at least look at the place and judge for herself and despite her misgivings she goes and begins to change her mind - partly due to the fact she secretly fancies him.

There is a lot of nudity for a film of this age, and a genuine mainstream film at that. So much so I decided to compile separate videos of the three main actresses who bare all on here - Shelley Martin, Carol Sutton and Jacqueline D'Orsay - as well as a video of clips of the other naked extras. Shelley Martin is first and she totally fits the prim English rose role in this. There is one scene when she first goes to the nudist camp where she asks Brian Cuddy if she will have to take her clothes off. Oh yes, she will and she does and the nervousness when she first undresses is beautifully judged. What is also enjoyable is knowing from an interview with Brian Cuddy that all of the cast tried to keep it quiet on their CV that they had ever done this film, due to their embarrassment of the nudity. As a film itself, it may be dated but it is beautifully sweet and old fashioned, and it makes seeing actresses from the tail end of the 1950's baring all in an era when they would never of expected to do so.