My review was written in February 1985 after watching the movie on Monterey video cassette.
"Tigers in Lipstick", which has gone through various title changes including "Wild Beds" and "Hijinks", is a made-in-1979 Italian throwback to the multi-part sex comedies that flourished in the early 1960s. Okay film is interesting for never having obtained a U. S. theatrical distributor, instead belatedly surfacing via home video after rights were acquired by Julian Schlossberg's Castle Hill Prods.
Lack of U. S. theatrical release can probably be traced to the fact that Laura Antonelli, then at the peak of her U. S. popularity, does not disrobe in the film. Nudity is provided by Sylvia Kristel, but overall package tips the balance towards comedy, neglecting the obvious voyeuristic potential of the material (which remains an important factor for European imports, even those of the arthouse variety).
Seven segments of various lengths emphasize the woman as aggressor, with various Continental actors and comics playing second fiddle to the attractive leading ladies. Most effective routine is "The Pickup", in which Antonelli has a field day a a nonstop businesswoman who makes an assignation with a young orchestra conductor who approaches her on the street, but keeps putting him off and getting him into slapstick situations as she runs around wheeling and dealing with lawyers, real estate men, etc. Unfortunately, this funny segment ends abruptly, lacking a satisfying or ironic payoff.
Monica Vitti is also amusing in "The Shell Game", getting to pose as a nun and as a doddering olf lady as she competes with Michele Placido in trying to steal an expensive necklace from a lady at a casino. Kristel is lovely but wooden in her turns, while Ursula Andress is the sexiest performer in the film. As with Antonelli, Andress avoids nude footage.
Vet neorealist director ("To Live in Peace") Luigi Zampa is merely marking time here, with film helped by a bouncy Riz Ortolani score.
