For Members Only

THE NUDIST STORY is your garden-variety nudie flick, with a threadbare plot of sorts to keep the momentum going and more than half the running time devoted to cinema verite-style footage of men and women going about their business at a nudist camp. It was made by the 'British Sunbathing Association' and feels at times like a propaganda flick; you can guess the kind of viewers this type of film attracted.

Lead actress Shelly Martin puts in a surprisingly good performance in the leading role as a prim and proper young woman who treats the idea of nudist camps with the usual prejudice. When she inherits one and begins to learn more about it, her eyes are opened to a very different world. A love triangle sub-plot of sorts serves to drag out the short running time a little further, while topless nudity from woman after woman - not all of them young and nubile either - is the order of the day. It's nothing more than a forgettable fluff piece in retrospect.

From the outset I must recuse myself from any critical appraisal of this film. Because it is certainly not my type of film. It contains several song and dance routines which again are not to my taste.

So the background to my having seen the film is quite simply this. I attended a dinner party given by husband-and-wife couple. Have been my friends since teenage years.

So when their guests had departed, and they asked me to remain and watch a film with them. On seeing the title of the film I was placed in a painful predicament. I put my own feelings to one side so as not to offend them

So my observations and only observations are these. The film was made in Britain in 1960. Apart from social mores. Cinema and TV output very much reflected a conservative society.

So I was quite surprised to see full frontal nudity of both men and women in a substantial amount of the footage of this film. Children also depicted in some scenes, but their bodies were not exposed.

I could not find any information as to the location for the shooting. It appeared to be a large country house in Britain. Although that could have only been for the scenes of arrival at the centre. Most the footage was probably shot in a naturalist centre. And many of the persons would have been members of that centre.

Quite apart from my recused comments on the film itself. The production values as to regards the filming of it. Were very high indeed. The quality of the colour is not exceptional but fair considering the year in which it was shot and processed.

After further investigation, I was curious as to the certification of the original film.

There being in Britain at the time, only three classifications awarded by the British Board of Film Censors. If they awarded a classification. U fit for universal viewing, A . Adults only and children accompanied by an adult and X for any remaining films which the BBFC deemed fit for adult viewing only.

I was surprised to learn this film was classified as A. Effectively what we might deem today as PG.

A final comment. You will not be surprised to learn that the married couple hosted me and myself. Spent several hours discussing the film at its end.

Shelly Martin, the actress in the lead role, she dealt with Miscellaneous Crew for "Deep Throat", the famous porn film from 1972. Here, 12 years before, she found a pretext to show us her tits and her ass. That's all!

Although preceded on Talking Pictures by the usual disclaimer that it was rated 18 as "it dealt with adult themes" 'The Nudist Story' is possessed of a childish innocence that today seems quite charming; apart from the industrial-strength consumption of tobacco by many of the cast.

The title serves as a warning, but at first it all seems to start quite innocently with the prim young heroine addressing a group of shareholders around a boardroom table. Although the fact it's in Technicolor already sets it apart it and the eccentric jazz score by Tony Crombie serves as warning that when she goes down to the woods that day she's sure of a big surprise in the form of a group of well-spoken gentlemen and young ladies engaged in the most innocent of pursuits - complete with singalongs - who just happened to wearing no clothes.

Naturally it's all done in the best POSSIBLE taste...!!

This title has been available for quite some time from Something Weird Video under the title For Members only, The Nudist Story. This was the original complete title in the UK. Film quality is excellent. The opening credits briefly switch from the original to the title page of "Pussycat Paradise" and then back to the original. That was a brief alternate title in the mid to later 60s.

I don't have any idea how long this movie has been available, but it was a happy shock to learn of it's original British title, Google it, and discovery that it has been here for some time.

Beyond the opening credits, the film remains complete and beautiful quality. There is even a film trailer after the end of the feature.