The Half Naked Truth
(1932)
75 or 77 mins | Comedy | 16 December 1932
Cast:
Lupe Velez, Lee Tracy, Eugene Pallette [ More ]Director:
Gregory La CavaWriters:
Gregory La Cava, Corey Ford, Ben Markson, H. N. SwansonCinematographer:
Bert GlennonEditor:
Charles L. KimballProduction Company:
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.The working title of this film was Phantom Fame. The Anatomy of Ballyhoo was an account detailing the exploits of late press agent Harry Reichenbach. According to reviews, Bartlett Cormack was a co-screenwriter on the production. His name, however, was apparently removed from the final film credits. According to a FD news item, Jay Eaton and Hal Crane were cast members, but their participation in the final film has not been confirmed. An early draft of the film's screenplay elicited many censorship suggestions from Jason S. Joy of the MPAA, who wrote to producer David Selznick in Sep 1932. According to Joy's letter, the lines, "I'll spank your bottom," "There used to be, but it went Republican," "I ain't got that far with her yet," "I will not turn my tail and run" and "Plant these where they will do the most good," were questionable, as were the words "eunuch" and "punk." In addition to many other suggestions, Joy recommended that "the nudist business" be shot in a way as to assure "no exposure" or views of leering faces. Most of Joy's suggestions were taken by Selznick, and very few of the "objectionable" lines or bits were left in the script. According to RKO production records, during filming, actor Lee Tracy provoked the ire of Selznick because of his repeated late arrivals and absences from the set. In a "strictly confidential" 8 Oct 1932 inter-office memo, Selznick recommended that, "for the good of the company and the industry," a legal suit be brought against Tracy for the total amount of monies he had cost the studio. ...
The working title of this film was Phantom Fame. The Anatomy of Ballyhoo was an account detailing the exploits of late press agent Harry Reichenbach. According to reviews, Bartlett Cormack was a co-screenwriter on the production. His name, however, was apparently removed from the final film credits. According to a FD news item, Jay Eaton and Hal Crane were cast members, but their participation in the final film has not been confirmed. An early draft of the film's screenplay elicited many censorship suggestions from Jason S. Joy of the MPAA, who wrote to producer David Selznick in Sep 1932. According to Joy's letter, the lines, "I'll spank your bottom," "There used to be, but it went Republican," "I ain't got that far with her yet," "I will not turn my tail and run" and "Plant these where they will do the most good," were questionable, as were the words "eunuch" and "punk." In addition to many other suggestions, Joy recommended that "the nudist business" be shot in a way as to assure "no exposure" or views of leering faces. Most of Joy's suggestions were taken by Selznick, and very few of the "objectionable" lines or bits were left in the script. According to RKO production records, during filming, actor Lee Tracy provoked the ire of Selznick because of his repeated late arrivals and absences from the set. In a "strictly confidential" 8 Oct 1932 inter-office memo, Selznick recommended that, "for the good of the company and the industry," a legal suit be brought against Tracy for the total amount of monies he had cost the studio. Selznick suggested serving Tracy with the lawsuit "on the set as soon as the last scene has been finished, and in front of the entire company." As threatened, RKO withheld $3,500 from Tracy's final paycheck and then filed a $10,000 "conciliation" suit against him through the Conciliation Committee of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on 14 Oct 1932. Dr. Frederic Bergstrom, speaking to the press on behalf of Tracy, stated that Tracy was suffering from a nervous breakdown and that his set absences had been the result of stomach disorders. In spite of Selznick's stated desire to run Tracy "out of the industry," RKO finally settled the suit out of court. By agreement, RKO paid Tracy $1,500, half of his withheld salary, and promised that, if he behaved himself during production, he would be rewarded with the other half as a bonus upon completion of his next RKO movie. In Oct 1936, Tracy completed filming on Wanted! Jane Turner and requested his promised bonus.
To help Colonel Munday's ailing carnival, barker Jimmy Bates stages a scene with Teresita, an exotic dancer, in which he announces that the name of the local scoundrel who had deceived Teresita's mother years before is to be revealed during her next performance. After collecting "hush" money from various men in the town, Jimmy, Teresita and Achilles, an escape artist, are exposed as phonies by the sheriff. Having barely escaped arrest, the trio drives to New York, where Teresita, who is still dressed in her "harem" costume, attracts much attention. Inspired by the crowd's reaction, Jimmy announces the arrival of Princess Exotica from Turkey and tricks his way into a suite at the Savoy Ritz Hotel. There Jimmy plots publicity gimmicks to promote the "princess" and, with the help of a stunt airplane, a lion and thirty pounds of raw meat, finagles a generous contract for Teresita with Broadway producer Merle Farrell. When Teresita's austere Turkish dance number in Farrell's "Follies" show flops, however, Jimmy rushes onto the stage and improvises a little drama that segues into Teresita's performance of a jazzy carnival song. An overnight success, Teresita suddenly cools her relationship with Jimmy, who is on the verge of proposing to her, and makes plans with the married Farrell. Jealous but proud, Jimmy leaves Teresita and, after taking a compromising photograph of Farrell in Teresita's hotel room, hunts for a new "discovery." Jimmy introduces a woman named Gladys as "Eve," a neophyte nudist, to the New York press, blackmails Farrell into signing her to a contract by plastering various enlargements of the compromising photograph all over Farrell's office, then establishes himself in his ...
To help Colonel Munday's ailing carnival, barker Jimmy Bates stages a scene with Teresita, an exotic dancer, in which he announces that the name of the local scoundrel who had deceived Teresita's mother years before is to be revealed during her next performance. After collecting "hush" money from various men in the town, Jimmy, Teresita and Achilles, an escape artist, are exposed as phonies by the sheriff. Having barely escaped arrest, the trio drives to New York, where Teresita, who is still dressed in her "harem" costume, attracts much attention. Inspired by the crowd's reaction, Jimmy announces the arrival of Princess Exotica from Turkey and tricks his way into a suite at the Savoy Ritz Hotel. There Jimmy plots publicity gimmicks to promote the "princess" and, with the help of a stunt airplane, a lion and thirty pounds of raw meat, finagles a generous contract for Teresita with Broadway producer Merle Farrell. When Teresita's austere Turkish dance number in Farrell's "Follies" show flops, however, Jimmy rushes onto the stage and improvises a little drama that segues into Teresita's performance of a jazzy carnival song. An overnight success, Teresita suddenly cools her relationship with Jimmy, who is on the verge of proposing to her, and makes plans with the married Farrell. Jealous but proud, Jimmy leaves Teresita and, after taking a compromising photograph of Farrell in Teresita's hotel room, hunts for a new "discovery." Jimmy introduces a woman named Gladys as "Eve," a neophyte nudist, to the New York press, blackmails Farrell into signing her to a contract by plastering various enlargements of the compromising photograph all over Farrell's office, then establishes himself in his own publicity company. Without Teresita and Achilles, who has bought Munday's carnival, however, Jimmy becomes bored and irritable. Consequently, when Achilles wires him and begs for help, Jimmy quickly takes off for the carnival. There he discovers that Teresita, who had been fired from Farrell's show, is singing her carnival song and is waiting for him.
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