Male nudity in the cinema

Since the earliest days of filmmaking male nudity on screen has been a topic of great interest as well as heated debate. Early XXth century mainstream opinion had it that male nudity was devoid of all eroticism.

If the well-defined borders of this taboo were even slightly tampered with, then the clearly visible male genitalia ruled out frontal nudity. But a closer search in the film archives reveals may exceptions to this rule, which for that very reason tickled the public’s imagination. That the gay community has a special interest in male nudity in film is beyond dispute. Those few moments actors or extras showed some of their naked physique were a sure cause for arousal. Contemporary society doesn’t raise an eyebrow at these images anymore, but in a period in which erotic pictures of men were few, the sight of a naked back or nude buns was a instant turn on.Some time ago, the not so up-to-date Movie Buff Checklist by Marvin Jones was published in the US. A lavishly illustrated reference book outlining the history of male nudity in film. The subject also inspired Dietmar Kreutzer, whose Starstrip - Der nackte Mann im Film (Starstrip - The naked man in film) was recently published by the German publishing house ‘Querverlag’. Even more lavishly illustrated than his American counterpart, the author has divided his book in several parts. Starting off with a historical survey, continuing with some 30 pages of colour pictures and separate reviews of a number of films. Kreutzer also devotes special attention to a number of remarkable actors and gives an alphabetical survey of dozens of films in which actors showed frontal nudity.

To start at the beginning, it was Eadweard Muybridge who in 1878 developed an apparatus which could move pictures. For his movement studies he regularly used nude male models. In Germany, Ottomar Anschütz traveled the country with a fair and a circus to show the first predecessor of cinema. Max and Emil Skladanowsky applied for a patent for their ‘cinema apparatus’ and the brothers Lumière did the same in France. In 1896, America witnessed the birth of cinema by the skilful hands of Thomas Edison. It was considered a public disgrace, an evil invention, and an ideal black sheep for moralists and religious fanatics. Murder, bloodshed, divorce, temptation, abduction, cautious eroticism .... reasons enough to demand an official ban. But despite this opposition, cinema was here to stay and soon filmmakers were sailing close to the wind. NudityEarly XXth century society was so riddled with moralistic claptrap, that even the smallest hint at eroticism on the silver screen demanded an acceptable excuse. ‘Instruction’ being one. Thus Traffic in Sounds was made in 1913, a movie about white slavery; cause enough for openly showing sexually laden images. Antiquity also offered ample opportunity for much thinly veiled eroticism. Ancient Egypt, the Romans, the Greeks were a sure guarantee for some naked skin, wrapped in a historical tale. Just think of Ramon Navarro in “Ben Hur” (1925). But since 1918 also the many Tarzan movies, for which public attention only began waning in the seventies when male nudity was fast becoming an accepted part of the art of filmmaking. Since the early twenties, nudity spotting can be divided into two parts. Anonymous nudity, with hundreds of examples in thousands of movies, and the famous nude. Around 1930 the star cult began in the film industry. The naked torso of Rudolph Valentino caused more hearts to skip a beat with both men and women than the well shaped torso of an unknown extra in the umpteenth historical movie. Despite the discretion of most of the filmmakers, censorship couldn’t be stopped from doing its nasty job. Nevertheless, nude scenes could be appreciated with some regularity on screen, scenes which should have ended on the floor of the montage studio.

In The Big Parade (1925) Tom O’Brien and Karl Dane can be admired bathing in the nude and in Wings a number of recrutes can be seen totally naked (not frontally of course) in the background. Also nude pictures of famous movie stars started circulating. Blond Venus (1932) with Marlene Dietrich signalled the end of this era of openness. US film tycoons and politicians decided they’d better put a stop to all this blatant display of failing morality. But nudity was not to be banned from the silver screen. Famous actors were thinking twice about shedding outer garments, but big productions like Dante’s Inferno show a wealth of voluptuous ‘functional’ nudity. Europe sailed a different course. In France for instance Jean-Louis Barrault could be seen totally naked in Drôle de Drame (1937). In the American version the scene has simply been cut. Not all European countries were as liberal as ‘la douce France’, but in general the Old World granted the (partially) naked body more visiblity. As long as it could be excused as art.

Lustobject

Meanwhile in the US, the Hays Office had been set up. A bathing scene got cut from All Quiet On The Western Front (1932) and a phallic shaped tower disappeared from Casablanca (1942). As long as sexuality remained in the safe borders of monogamy it could be referred to. All other nudity was strictly banned. Except, strangely enough, in military instruction films showing naked recrutes. Also kissing was subject to strict rules. When filming a kiss, representatives of the Hays Office were present in the studio, stopwatch in hand. But creativity could not be stifled. Sex bomb Raquel Welch is fondling quite a number of phallic shaped objecrs in her movies and beer foams effervescently when Rita hayworth struts her stuff in Miss Sadie Thomson (1953). Censorship fanatics could not control audience reactions though. Thousands fainted at the mere sight of Valentino’s brooding good looks and scenes of similar intensity could be witnessed when wild one Marlon Brandon or rebel James Dean spread their male charm in the early fifties. Both were oozing sex appeal from every pore, without having to shed one piece of their clothing. The public began licking its chops over actors as lust objects. For the time being they had to make do with a dozen half-naked gymnasts gayly prancing around Jane Russell when she chants her way through this for the period more than delectable display of male charm in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Yet more than a naked male torso now and then, like Yul Brynner in Solomon and Sheba (1959), wasn’t shown. Hairy legs weren’t a turn on, as unfortunately they still aren’t. Besides, the camera would then also have to register the inevitable bump pressing promisingly against the cloth covering the male groin. With the jeans this problem disappeared quickly, since now could be suggested what couldn’t be openly shown. The audience had to make the best of a naked set of male buns now and then, but more often than not male actors remained respectably dressed while women in the same scene were prancing or lounging around in their birth suits.

Feeling out

But the lure of male nudity could not be put on hold. More and more often well known actors showed more and more skin in sometimes mere splits of a second. Christoffer Jones in Three in the Attic (1968), Malcolm McDowell in If (1968) and last but certainly not least the to die for Alain Delon. Followed suit by Mathieu Carrière, and Robert de Niro together with Gerard Depardieu (Novecento, 1976). At times special editions were made for the American market. If, for instance, in which as punishment McDowell is put under a cold shower, has another less nude version for jealously guarded US eyes. But one day some daring actors took the big step and went for frontal nudity: Jan-Michael Vincent, Perry King, Peter Firth. And eventually no attractive young actor on the rise could get away without giving the cinema audience at least a taste of his physical ‘talent’. Nude scenes were added even after contracts had been signed. These days a young actor better has some of his nude self present in his portfolio. Parts can be gotten quicker with some promise of erotic delights. Once the role has been landed the fight over how much, or better how little nudity can begin. Undressing remains fascinating. Andy Warhol loved to play with general decency boundaries. In Europe filmmmakers like Luchino Visconti and Pier Paolo Pasolini displayed tasteful male nudity in their masterpieces. Swedish films even have a reputation to defend of uninhibited display of nudity, though up north they aren’t that uninhibited any longer. Although boundaries of the permissible have shifted, male frontal nudity will still make a noticeable stir.

The same taboo still prompts directors to cut frontal shots just above the pubic hair. Or to ask the actor to give us his rear. Director Larry Clark has deicided to do things differently and in his latest production gives it to us in all its pornographic detail, erections and all. Of unknown actors, admitted, but who knows one day we’ll behold Brad Pitt rise from his bedside, his family jewels risen likewise in salute of the morning sun.

Starstrip

With born and bred German profundity, the author of Starstrip gives us an in- depth analysis of the naked man in cinematic history in clear, chronological order. There’s enough to enjoy. Certainly also the short biographies of world famous stars are worth reading. The author did have his eye turned internationally; the number of for us unknown German actors is negligible. The biggest problem Starstrip poses is that all the movies have been classified according to their German title. Which asks for a search machine on your pc to trace each movie’s original title. By means of different examples, a part of cinematic history is sketched in a surprisingly entertaining, informative way. After the scientific approach, the book shows a series of colour pictures. Unfortunately the number of colour photos of frontally nude actors are few. In the third part of the book, classifying dozens of movies with frontally nude actors alphabetically, also dozens of stamp sized pictures have been printed. Starstrip, der nackte Mann im Film by Dietmar Kreutzer, published by Quer Verlag in Berlin (www.querverlag.de)