For Members Only

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 popped up on youtube. I'm sure it was marketed for its titillating subject, a throwaway "adult" low-bill title. It's actually fairly well made, with decent acting and production values. The story is exactly what you might expect, but it's not bad. Except for the skin, this could be Disney film.

There is some padding in the middle, where we're treated to not one but two full-length songs. Maybe they were giving the drive-in audience a chance to go to the snack bar. Also, being very English and very 1960, it's extra shades of whiteness.

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!

Contrary to a previous review on IMDB from 2006, the recent 2017~2019 re-release of this film under the title Pussycats Paradise (1960) by Sprocket Flicks for Amazon Prime Video is of terrible quality with film grain, scratches and splotches, and has been SEVERELY cut down to a mere 69 minutes from its original 90 minute runtime. As you can imagine, it has been scrubbed clean of smut, but also a great deal of continuity and story. You are taken on a wild journey of "how did we get here now?" around every bend, with entire segments of the character's lives obliterated for the sake of preserving their modesty. Especially the female characters in the camp, who can barely get in a speaking role on screen because their chests are so naughty.

I rate this as 6 stars, out of respect for the film as a whole as it was clearly well written and directed, with a quality cast and nice storyline. I just hope to see it some day, in its full unabashed glory. I'm very disappointed, because it was otherwise rather good.

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.