The Naked Truth is a 1958 British farce that benefits most from an excellent performance by Peter Sellers. Sellers plays Sonny Boy MacGregor as a comedic Lon Chaney. Each of Sonny’s characters is a complete package from the makeup to the accents. Moments of the inspired genius that would be better displayed in The Pink Panther films make this average production something more. The comedy is decidedly European in flavor and probably not for everyone. Most of the film slows when Sellers is not on the scene
Synopsis
The Naked Truth is a new London tabloid which is in reality a front for blackmail. When TV legend Sonny Boy MacGregor (Sellers) becomes the paper’s next target he decides the only way to get out is to kill the publisher. Unfortunately he’s not alone in his schemes. Soon the assassination plot turns into an elaborate jail break.
Audio
This 1958 production is given a very modest Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. Fortunately there really isn’t much need for anything dynamic. Unfortunately even the dialogue is lost at times in this mix. The audio won’t satisfy even the barest minimum of standards.
Video
The Naked Truth is presented in a rather unusual aspect ratio of 1.66:1. It is boxed on all four sides. My DVD player allows custom framing and I was able to nearly fill my wide screen monitor without losing anything significant on any side. I am left to assume this might have been a European standard, at least in the 50’s. The black and white print is actually quite impressive. Contrast is considerably more developed than I would have anticipated. There are quite a few specks and artifacts, but they are not dominant enough to distract from the clarity of the print.
Special Features
Not a bloody thing.
Final Thoughts
Fans of Sellers or this particular era of films will probably want to add it to their collection. I suspect this is not the kind of film likely to remain long in print or be offered numerous times. If you do not fit in either of those categories, I strongly suspect a rental if you have some interest in the film. One I might adequately describe as “a real sizzling humdinger”.
