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| In 1961’s “Go Naked in the World, ” Gina Lollobrigida’s working girl can’t even go to Acapulco without being recognized! |
MGM’s Go Naked in the World is one of those mid-century movie soap operas
that have one foot in the fuddy-duddy ’50s and the other in the sexy ’60s. And
the disparity shows in this schizophrenic story. The 1961 slick sudser stars
Gina Lollobrigida as high class call girl Julie and Tony Franciosa as returning
GI Nick Stratton, who’s gaga for Lollo. Standing in the way is his overbearing
father, Pete Stratton, overplayed to the hilt by Ernest Borgnine.
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| Sizzling romance, followed by gloomy guilt, is the wash, rinse, repeat formula of 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” With Gina Lollobrigida & Tony Franciosa. |
If this plot seems
vaguely familiar, MGM had just released BUtterfield 8 the year before, with Elizabeth Taylor as a high
class girl who has an ill-fated love affair with one of her admirers. Later in
’61, Metro would also release Ada, starring
Susan Hayward, as a working class hooker who propels her hubby to congress—doesn’t
sound so absurd today, does it?!
If classy MGM seemed
preoccupied with prostitutes during this time, legend has it when Elizabeth
Taylor was on the hook for one last film they offered her all three roles in
succession to cash in on her then scandalous image. She grudgingly settled on BUtterfield 8, which became their
highest grossing film of the year. The other movies were not hits. Frankly, all
three are just entertaining trash, but Taylor was at her zenith, and the public
flocked to see her sinner soap opera.
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| Gina Lollobrigida as a hot & haughty call girl, 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
Like Taylor’s fiery
call girl, Gina’s Julie is similarly independent, and also brought low by love
in Go
Naked in the World. They both meet smooth-talking men, fall head
over stiletto heels, yet feel tortured by their sinful lifestyles, all while
slinking around in Helen Rose cocktail dresses. And yes, to pay for their sins,
these ladies of the evening gowns pay the ultimate price. And the men who loved
them get off the hook scot-free save for some noble tears.
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| Tony Franciosa & Gina Lollobrigida flirt/fight, 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
In the case of Go Naked in the World, the sinful
set up seems silly from the get-go. Franciosa‘s
returning soldier brags that he knows how to make love in 12 languages, yet
doesn’t recognize a call girl when he sees one. Tony is made out to be boyish
and his Nick is constantly referred to as a “kid.” From the same name
novel, Nick’s 23, but Tony’s 33 here, with Gina, who was 34. So his naiveté
seems false. He first sees Julie, all dolled up at a cocktail bar with an older
man, who suddenly must stand her up. Later, at her apartment, Nick comments
that her phone is always ringing and that her apartment seems impersonal, with
an empty fridge, save for champagne and olives. Clue, she’s not a librarian! On
Julie’s part, she knows that his father was one of her former clients, not to
mention all his business pals! With Sonny Boy instantly falling in love, why
even go there? Romance and regret ensue, natch.
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| Tony Franciosa’s soldier thinks working girl Gina Lollobrigida’s swanky pad is sterile in 1961’s “Go Naked in the World. “ |
Aside from Tony being
too old as the young swain, he’s also only 10 years younger than Borgnine. As
his pop, Ernie’s the Greek buffoon/tycoon, forever yelling that he’s an old
dying man. He clutches his hollering heart attack more than Fred Sanford!
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| Ernest Borgnine’s Greek papa has more heart attacks than Fred Sanford, in 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
The moment we see Ernie’s
Pete, he’s waiting for Nick in his hotel room, irate he hasn’t returned
immediately to the family home. The minute Pete sees his son, he yells louder
than Seinfeld‘s Frank Costanza! Bellowing,
berating, belittling—all because he wants what’s best for son Nick. The
fatherly demonstrations of love to his family have to be seen to be believed! Ernest’s
carrying on like an old man at 43 is especially absurd.
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| Tony Franciosa as prodigal son Nick is exhausted by his father’s overbearing personality, in 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
Tony’s Nick repeatedly
proclaims that he wants to be his own man, but he’s always hitting up his dad
for dough, or sponging off Julie. The one truly good scene in this sleazy soap
is when Ernie makes his son come out on a construction beam 20 stories high for
his handout.
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| Tony Franciosa’s Nick has to work hard for his handout from father Pete (Ernest Borgnine) in 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
Tony is head over
heels with Gina after one night—typical romantic movie scenario. He naively brings
her to his parents’ anniversary party, where she is all dolled up and sticking
out like a sore thumb. Well, Pops and all his aging buddies recognize her! When
Nick has his eyes opened, he goes through the typical wronged movie male
tropes, capped by flinging money in Julie’s face. From then on, it’s a cycle of
recriminations, reconciling, and regret. Their affair becomes exhausting!
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| What’s a sordid soap opera if the jealous lover doesn’t throw money in the face of his working girl, in 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
The cast are given
thankless roles, with illogical plot turns, and truly absurd dialogue. While
Ernest Borgnine is a great actor and has some touching scenes, he is encouraged
to go big, and certainly does!
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| Ernest Borgnine goes full tilt as a Greek tycoon, in ’61’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
Tony Franciosa, while
handsome and capable, played the weak charmer once too often and I think it
hurt his film career. I always found him glib and affected, with his line
delivery reminiscent of a smarmy Tony Curtis.
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| Tony Franciosa as the louche son, should put his “skills” to good use, but lives off his rich dad & working girl, in 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
Gina Lollobrigida
comes off best here. While Gina never had Sophia Loren’s natural fluid
emotional quality, she does well here, for the most part. Like Elizabeth’s call
girl Gloria, Gina’s Julie is the story’s whipping post for the phony morality
after wallowing in dirty soap suds. And like Gloria, Julie must pay for
her sins by death.
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| An intense scene when Gina Lollobrigida’s Julie instigates her lover’s jealousy and a subsequent gang rape, in 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
At the finale, Julie
debases herself in a dive bar to drive Nick away, and on the way home from her
walk of shame, takes a plain white dress she finds on a clothes line. Once home,
with makeup and hairdo washed away, garbed in a white death shroud, Julie jumps
to her death. Gina does a good job of giving Julie empathy.
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| Gina Lollobrigida’s final scene, where she comes clean of her prostitute persona and commits suicide. 1961’s “Go Naked in the World. “ |
This was one of
screenwriter Ranald MacDougall’s few directorial efforts. He is not in good
form at either in this campy outing. The storytelling in plotting and dialogue
are so bad that Go Naked in the World
plays like a SCTV spoof. The film is adapted from a novel, by Tom T. Chamales,
who also wrote Never So Few, which
later starred Frank Sinatra and Gina. Milton R. Krasner’s cinematography is
lovely, the MGM glam squad makes Gina look like a million, and Lollo’s in very
fine form in Helen Rose’s swanky creations. My guilty pleasure is Julie ‘s plush
pad, complete with a portrait of Gina that looks like a Keane!
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| Working girl Gina Lollobrigida’s phone number is busier than “BUtterfield 8.” From 1961’s “Go Naked in the World “ |
Go Naked in the World is fun if you’re in the mood for camp. The
dialogue must be heard to be believed. Maybe better to watch on mute!
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| Next on Jerry Springer!: “My Son’s Dating a Prostitute and Brought Her to Our Wedding Anniversary!” 1961’s “Go Naked in the World.” |
Gina Lollobrigida was 40 & fab in the 1968
comedy Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell.
Gina’s fiery, funny, & sexy as the mother of a daughter about to be
married, & has 3 long ago flings who each think they are the girl’s father.
Sound familiar?! My look at Gina as Mrs. Campbell here:
https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2021/11/buoyant-buona-sera-mrs-campbell-1968.html
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| Mrs. Campbell! |