The Naked Kiss

Alaston suudelma. US 1964. PC: F & F Productions. A Leon Fromkess - Sam Firks Production. P+D+SC: Samuel Fuller. DP: Stanley Cortez. M: Paul Dunlap. ED: Jerome Thoms. S: Bert Hallberg. AD: Eugene Lourie. Cost: Einar H. Bourman, Hazel Allensworth. Make-up: Harry Thomas. Cast: Constance Towers (Kelly), Anthony Eisley (Griff), Michael Dante (Grant), Virginia Grey (Candy), Patsy Kelly (Mac), Betty Bronson (Miss Josephine), Marie Devereux (Buff), Karen Conrad (Dusty). 93 min. A DFI print with Danish subtitles viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 8 Dec 2010. - Revisited the first half-an-hour of Samuel Fuller's low budget masterpiece with a strong performance by Constance Towers, great cinematography by Stanley Cortez, and engaging music by Paul Dunlap. An interesting parallel film to Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie of the same year, both stories of wandering women outside the law. But in Fuller's story the independent Kelly is not helped by any men, on the contrary, she has to fight the injustice of men. The Naked Kiss is more topical now than then because of the more widespread recognition of pedophilia. - As a director, Fuller was still at his best in The Naked Kiss, but the production circumstances became too unfavourable, and his continuously exciting oeuvre was interrupted. - Fine definition of light in the used print.