Top Ten Contributors - Naked Kiss (1964)
One of my favorite writers and director created this noir classic - Samuel Fuller. Here are the major contributors that brought this film to the screen.
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- Writer
- Director
- Actor
At age 17, Samuel Fuller was the youngest reporter ever to be in charge of the events section of the New York Journal. After having participated in the European battle theater in World War II, he directed some minor action productions for which he mostly wrote the scripts himself and which he also produced (e.g. The Baron of Arizona (1950)). His masterpiece was Pickup on South Street (1953) for 20th Century Fox, but at the end of the 1950s, he regained his independence from the production company and filmed many other movies of note, including the controversial White Dog (1982).Wrote the screenplay and directed this film.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Paul Dunlap was born on 19 July 1919 in Springfield, Ohio, USA. He was a composer, known for The Big Boss (1971), The Dreamers (2003) and You Were Never Really Here (2017). He died on 11 March 2010 in Palm Springs, California, USA.provided the musical score- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Visual Effects
Stanley Cortez was born Samuel Krantz in New York City, New York, the son of Sarah (Lefkowitz) and Moses/Morris Krantz, Austrian Jewish immigrants. His famous actor brother, born Jacob Krantz, changed his name to Ricardo Cortez in order to acquire a more suitably romantic Hollywood image. Stanley changed his name accordingly. After studies at New York University he embarked on a photographic career, first as assistant to noted portrait photographers Streichan and Bachrach (he designed many of their lavish background sets), then as camera assistant for Pathé Revue and for various Manhattan-based film companies. Grabbing the chance to join Gloria Swanson Productions, Stanley then spent a lengthy apprenticeship in the 1920s and early 1930s learning the intricacies of his craft from such established Hollywood cinematographers as Lee Garmes and Hal Mohr. After moving from studio to studio, either as a camera assistant or shooting screen tests, he was signed to a seven-year contract by Universal in 1936, albeit consigned to its "B" unit. His first film as full director of photography was Four Days Wonder (1936). During World War II, he was assigned to the Army Pictorial Service of the Signals Corps.
Much of his subsequent career was spent on fairly routine and undistinguished second features and it was not until he started working for charismatic filmmakers like Orson Welles and David O. Selznick that he was able to fully develop some of his experimental techniques. One of his low-budget outings, a gothic old-dark-house horror/comedy entitled The Black Cat (1941), rather impressed the genial Mr. Welles who promptly hired him for The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). This was the first of two Cortez films generally regarded as visual masterpieces, with beautiful lighting effects, clever angles and lingering close-ups. Of particular note are the staircase scene and the famous long shot -- via hand-held camera -- of the abandoned mansion. Despite critical plaudits, "Ambersons" was a financial disaster for RKO (it cost $1,1 million and lost $624,000 at the box office) and Cortez was partly blamed for costly delays and extravagant scenes, some 40-50 minutes of which were cut by direct orders from studio boss George Schaefer without consulting either Welles or Cortez. The latter ended up being indirectly censured by receiving lesser assignments. What remained of "Ambersons" has become more appreciated as a sublime visual experience with the passing of time.
The second outstanding Cortez contribution was the chillingly dark, haunting thriller The Night of the Hunter (1955)--a brilliant allegory of good versus evil masterminded by Charles Laughton in his sole directorial effort. Cortez's lighting and use of irises are reminiscent of German expressionist cinema, or, at least, the work of Karl Struss and Charles Rosher on Sunrise (1927). Among many indelible images are the flowing hair of drowned Shelley Winters in the underwater current and the lights flickering across the water in what is an almost surreal nightly landscape.
A third Cortez effort deserving of mention is the superior psychological drama The Three Faces of Eve (1957), his differential lighting for the face of schizophrenic Eve White (Joanne Woodward) effectively contrasting the multiple personalities within her psyche. Sadly, by the end of the decade Cortez's career went into a decline. It continued that way through the 1960s, the quality of his assignments fluctuating wildly between the occasional "A" picture (The Bridge at Remagen (1969)) and Z-grade turkeys like The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966) and The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966).was cinematographer for this effort.- Actress
- Soundtrack
This elegant, lovely blonde singer/actress initially had designs on becoming an opera singer. Born in Montana on May 20, 1933, and christened Constance Mary Towers, she appeared on radio as a child singer. Her family moved to New York where she subsequently studied at the Julliard School of Music and the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts (AADA). A chance casting in a summer production of "Carousel" led her away from her operatic aspirations and into the musical theater arena.
Before she settled into this, however, Constance gained early exposure on the chic nightclub circuit and fostered an attempt at stardom via films. She co-starred with Frankie Laine playing a school teacher in the modest movie musical Bring Your Smile Along (1955), and appeared in exceptionally strong ingénue roles in the movie dramas The Horse Soldiers (1959) starring John Wayne and Sergeant Rutledge (1960) opposite Jeffrey Hunter. Director Samuel Fuller cast her against type in some of his highly offbeat dramas in the early 1960s. She played a stripper girlfriend in Shock Corridor (1963) and in The Naked Kiss (1964) gave a no-holds-barred performance as a former prostitute trying to clean up her act. While TV guest appearances were frequent on such shows as "The Bob Cummings Show," "The Outer Limits," "Zane Grey Theatre," and multiple appearances on "Perry Mason," films were few and far between.
By this time she was starting to settle in as a pristine musical leading lady. After a 1960 performance as missionary Sarah in "Guys and Dolls," Constance made her Broadway debut in the title role of "Anya" (1965), in which she played the title role of the Russian princess Anastasia. Heralded performances in "Carousel" (1966) and "The Sound of Music" (1967), in which she won the Outer Critic's Circle Award as Maria, not to mention a Broadway revival of "The King and I" opposite Yul Brynner truly put her on the musical map. Her run with Brynner lasted nearly 800 performances. She had earlier played the school teacher Anna off-Broadway opposite Michael Kermoyan in 1972. Other sterling stage appearances included "Kiss Me Kate," "42nd Street," "Oklahoma!," "Camelot" and "Mame." She also starred in the musical "Ari," an adaptation of the Leon Uris novel "Exodus."
TV proved a sturdy medium as well. In her early days, she made singing appearances on Ed Sullivan's The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) and, in dramatic roles, was a frequent glamorous suspect on Perry Mason (1957). As she matured, her sharp, glacial, strikingly handsome features also worked very well for her in unsympathetic aristocratic roles on daytime. Winning regular spots on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1967), The Young and the Restless (1973) and Sunset Beach (1997), she did her most consistent work on Capitol (1982), in which she played Clarissa McCandless for five seasons. For nearly three decades she courted favor with audiences stealing scenes on a regular basis on General Hospital (1963), in which she plays the inherently wicked Helena Cassadine, a role originated by the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. Recent films have included The Next Karate Kid (1994), The Relic (1997) and A Perfect Murder (1998) starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow, in which she played Paltrow's mother.
Constance also enjoyed a resurgence on prime-time TV with a sprinkling of guest parts on L.A. Law (1986), Designing Women (1986), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), "Caroline in the City," Frasier (1993), Baywatch (1989), and Providence (1999). She received an Emmy nomination for her role in the single episode drama special on CBS Daytime 90 (1974) entitled "Once in Her Life." Millennium on-camera appearances have included the films The Awakening of Spring (2008) and The Storyteller (2018) and TV work on such shows as "Providence," "Criminal Minds," "The 4400" and "Cold Case."
Constance was married since 1974 to one-time actor and former Mexican ambassador John Gavin. It was the second marriage for both, and lasted for 44 years until his death in 2018. The handsome couple have two children: Cristina and Maria Gavin. Constance also has two children, Michael and Maureen McGrath, from her prior marriage to Panamanian businessman Eugene McGrath. As a result of husband Gavin's civic work, she became actively involved in a multitude of charities. "Project Connie" not only offered aid to those in need of medical and rehabilitation assistance after the Mexican earthquake of 1985, it has served as an adoption placement agency to hundreds of children from Mexico to El Salvador. She has also involved herself with the Children's Bureau of California, the National Health Foundation, and the Red Cross and the Blue Ribbon of Los Angeles.played role of Kelly- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
The future stage, screen and TV star (real name: Fred Eisley) was born in Philadelphia. His father was general sales manager and "troubleshooter" for a large company, and his work kept the family on the move (up and down the East Coast) throughout Eisley's young life. As early as the days of school plays Eisley knew that he wanted to be an actor, but because he lacked show-business contacts he felt nothing would come of his aspiration. He later took drama courses at the University of Miami, "not because I thought I could really be an actor, but because I was taking the easy way out to get a degree". Finally following up on his longtime ambition, Eisley landed a job with a stock company in Pennsylvania, where he worked opposite James Dunn in a stage production of "A Slight Case of Murder." Later roles in long-running plays like "Mister Roberts", "Picnic" and "The Desperate Hours" ensued, along with some early movie (Operation Pacific (1951), Fearless Fagan (1952)) and television (Racket Squad (1950)) work. Eisley later went on to TV and exploitation movie stardom.played role of Giff- Actor
- Writer
(2022) Award Winning Actor, Award Winning Author, Celebrity Radio Talk Show Host Michael Dante has starred/co-starred in 30 films, 150 television shows and was under contract to 3 major studios; MGM, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox. An ex-professional baseball player and winner of numerous prestigious awards, Michael has a street named for him in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, 'Michael Dante Way.' Michael Dante's autobiography, 'Michael Dante - From Hollywood to Michael Dante Way' was published in 2014 and he received the Ella Dickey Literacy Award. Michael hosted his own celebrity radio talk show, 'The Michael Dante Classic Celebrity Talk Show' interviewing the top classic names in entertainment and sports for 12 years on the radio in Palm Springs, California. His book, 'My Classic Radio Interviews With The Stars - Volume One' highlights 60 out of 200 classic celebrities he interviewed. Volume Two and Three will follow with the radio shows to be streamed through his website.He has become a legend in his field, through his westerns on TV and in films, dramas on TV and in films and always as Maab in 'Friday's Child' on the Original Star Trek series. Michael Dante played the title role in the classic film Winterhawk and wrote the sequel to the film in his book, 'Winterhawk's Land - Collector's Edition.' Michael was selected by the great director Sammy Fuller to play the part of Grant in his Film Noir cult film, The Naked Kiss. Michael Dante co-starred in two films with Audie Murphy, Apache Rifles and Arizona Raiders and starred in his first film Westbound with Randolph Scott and Virginia Mayo. Michael wrote a book entitled 'Six Rode Home,' dedicated to all soldiers, in all wars throughout history, not knowing what they are coming home to. He co-starred in Seven Thieves with Joan Collins, Edgar G. Robinson, Eli Wallach and Rod Steiger. His many awards include the Golden Boot Award, the Oscar of Westerns in 2003. It is a most prestigious award; a career award selected by his peers for his fine work in the western genre; not just for one performance, but based on all his fine work in westerns on television and in films. Also, the recipient of the Silver Spur Award, the Southern California Motion Picture Council Award, the Spirit of the West Award, Apacheland Spirit Award, Wall of Fame Henager American History Museum Award, 2014 Honoree of the Year Award by the Sons of Italy in America, to name just a few. Michael Dante has been invited to attend as a special celebrity guest at many Conventions and Festivals throughout the years. Go to his web site at michaeldanteway.com to see more and read more about Award Winning Actor, Award Winning Author, Celebrity Radio Talk Show Host Michael Dante.played role of Grant- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born into a show-business family--her father was a director and her mother was a film cutter--Virginia Grey made her film debut at age 10 as Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927). After a few more films as a child actress, she left the business to finish her schooling. Returning to films as an adult in the 1930s, she started out getting extra work and bit parts, but soon graduated to speaking roles and was eventually signed to a contract by MGM. The studio gave her leading parts in "B" pictures and supporting roles in "A" pictures. She left MGM in 1942 and went out on her own, working at almost every studio in Hollywood. She worked steadily in both films and TV, and retired from the business in 1970.played role of Candy- Actress
- Soundtrack
Patsy Kelly was born Bridget Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly on January 12, 1910, in Brooklyn, New York. She began performing in vaudeville when she was just twelve years old. Patsy worked with comedian Frank Fay and starred in several Broadway shows. She was discovered by producer Hal Roach, who paired her with Thelma Todd in a series of comedy shorts. They became a popular onscreen team and made thirty-five films together including Top Flat (1935) and Done in Oil (1934). Although Patsy never became an A-list star she continued to work throughout the 1930s. She had supporting roles in Pigskin Parade (1936), Merrily We Live (1938), and Topper Returns (1941). Patsy was a lesbian and she was always open with the press about her sexuality. She had a long-term relationship with actress Wilma Cox. By the early 1940s Patsy was drinking heavily and making headlines for her erratic behavior. She decided to quit show business and moved to New York City. She started dating Tallulah Bankhead and worked as her secretary. Eventually, Patsy went back to acting and appeared on numerous television shows. She also had small roles in the films Rosemary's Baby (1968) and Freaky Friday (1976). Patsy won a Tony award in 1971 for her performance in No No Nanette. After suffering a stroke she moved into a nursing home. She died from pneumonia on September 24, 1981. Patsy is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York.played role of Mac- Actress
- Additional Crew
Beautiful Marie Devereux was photographed partially nude when she was still a teenager. During the 1950s she became a regular nude model in magazines, but she also had a brief career in films, usually playing sexy girls in comedies, dramas and horror films, a few of which were directed by distinguished filmmakers. After appearing in Terence Young's "Serious Charge", she was seen to good advantage in three Hammer Film productions: first, under the direction of genre master Terence Fisher, she played a follower of goddess Kali in "The Stranglers of Bombay" (1959), and she was one of the "Brides of Dracula" (1960); these were followed in 1962 by John Gilling's "The Pirates of Blood River", in which she played a village girl. She was also in Guy Green's highly praised drama "The Mark (1961), and then traveled to Italy to work as Elizabeth Taylor's stand-in in "Cleopatra" (1963), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Devereux went to Hollywood after the production closed in Rome, and appeared in television and two cult movies directed by Samuel Fuller, "Shock Corridor" (1963) and "The Naked Kiss" (1964). After these roles she decided to marry and have children in the United States, and retired from films.played role of Buff- Karen Conrad is known for The Naked Kiss (1964), Shock Corridor (1963) and Evils of the Night (1985).played role of Dusty