The Naked Kiss **** (1964, Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley, Michael Dante) – Classic Movie Review 3490

Writer-director Samuel Fuller’ s extraordinary 1964 film noir crime drama movie stars Constance Towers, who gives a towering performance as the former hooker Kelly, who comes to look for redemption in the town of Grantville. Naturally, the road to redemption is typically bumpy.

Though traumatized by a past experience, she finds a caring job as a nurse in a hospital for handicapped children. She meets police captain Griff (Anthony Eisley) but finds happiness in Grant (Michael Dante), her fiancé and Griff’s partner. But, despite her attempts to fit into middle-class society, she witnesses and gets picked up for a shocking murder, which threatens her happiness and her mental health.

Director Fuller is on fine form in this hard-driving movie, savagely made and performed with great conviction. It is a typical Fuller melodrama with a strong dose of the writer-director’s personal political views thrown in for good measure.

Also in the cast are Virginia Grey, Patsy Kelly, Betty Bronson, Marie Devereux, Linda Francis, Barbara Perry, Karen Conrad, Walter Mathews and Betty Robinson.

When Kelly arrives in Grantville, a movie marquee displays the title of Fuller’s previous film, Shock Corridor (1963). Both movies were rejected for UK cinema certificates and remained unavailable until 1990. Kelly is seen reading Fuller’s 1944 novel The Dark Page that was the basis for his Scandal Sheet (1952).

Despite its quality and high reputation, it is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Movies Ever Made in The Official Razzie Movie Guide.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3490

Link to home page for more reviews derekwinnert.com