Your Past Is Showing (1957)
"The Naked Truth" (original title)

A very British comedy about a blackmailer and his victims.

Director:

Mario Zampi

Writer:

Michael Pertwee

Stars:

Terry-Thomas, Peter Sellers, Peggy Mount

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Terry-Thomas	...	Lord Henry Mayley
Peter Sellers	...	Sonny MacGregor
Peggy Mount	...	Flora Ransom
Shirley Eaton	...	Melissa Right
Dennis Price	...	Nigel Dennis
Georgina Cookson	...	Lady Lucy Mayley
Joan Sims	...	Ethel Ransom
Miles Malleson	...	Rev. Cedric Bastable
Kenneth Griffith	...	Porter
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Mactavish
Bill Edwards	...	Bill Murphy
Wally Patch	...	Fred - paunchy old man
Henry Hewitt	...	Gunsmith
John Stuart	...	Police Inspector
David Lodge	...	Constable Johnson

Storyline

Nigel Dennis publishes a scandal magazine. But for each story he writes, he first approaches the person whose scandalous behavior is described (or rather implied, to avoid any libel suit) and says he will suppress the story in return for money. Several of his victims first decide individually to kill him instead of paying, but fail in amusing ways. Then they find that to protect their various secrets they must now join forces for a rather different purpose...

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Plot Keywords:

attempted suicide | farce | attempted murder | revenge | satire | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1957 (France)

Also Known As:

Your Past Is Showing

Filming Locations:

Walton Studios, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mario Zampi Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Minister: In reply to the honourable member's question, I can only say... Uhh...
[collapses]

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Crazy Credits

Ends with "The End... OR IS IT?"

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Connections

Referenced in The Unknown Peter Sellers (2000)

User Reviews

Aged well.

A particularly impressive and downright screwball Ealing farce. Not sure if it was made in Ealing, but it seems like it. It's such a shame that with the advent of "Kitchen Sink" gritty realism, beginning in the late '50s, Britain just seemed to stop making movies that were charming and fun. Our flair for droll comedy dried up in the '60s and give or take Mike Leigh's work, "Orphans" or "Withnail & I", hasn't returned. The characters are so well defined, with master character actor Peter Sellers again showing his virtuoso talents for adopting various persona. Terry-Thomas and the smooth Dennis Price are brilliantly assured with the material, but Sellers does steal the show, portraying a cynical yet whimsical celebrity perfectly. I love the bit where he does the Irish accent, and cliched talk and the Irishmen react with bemusement. This is only the second film I've seen with Sellers (Dr Strangelove being the illustrious other), but it seems few can match his acting range and comic touch. It would seem that "The Naked Truth" has been, to some extent, forgotten. A state of affairs as farcical as the film. Rating:- **** (out of *****)