The First Nudie Musical
| The First Nudie Musical | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by |
Mark Haggard Bruce Kimmel |
| Produced by | Jack Reeves |
| Written by | Bruce Kimmel |
| Starring |
Alan Aberlew Leslie Ackerman Diana Canova Bruce Kimmel Stephen Nathan Cindy Williams |
| Music by | Bruce Kimmel |
| Cinematography | Douglas Knapp |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $200,000 |
The First Nudie Musical is a 1976 American musical comedy film directed by Mark Haggard and Bruce Kimmel.[1]
Overview
The movie is a comedy starring Cindy Williams and Stephen Nathan. Nathan plays Harry Schechter, heir to a Hollywood studio forced to make a musical comedy porno in order to stave off bankruptcy. The movie features a series of farcical lewd musical numbers in the style of classical Hollywood musical comedies including: "Orgasm", "Lesbian Butch Dyke", and "Dancing Dildos." The movie has low-budget feel, with a "musical-within-a-movie" theme in the tradition of Singin' in the Rain but with satirical sexual humor.
An early staple of Cinemax, it has become a cult classic since its initial release and was released on DVD in 2001 and is currently available on Blu-ray on Kritzerland. It was one of several farcical musical-comedy collaborations between Kimmel (who also co-starred in the movie) and Williams, along with The Creature Wasn't Nice in 1981. Originally distributed by Paramount Pictures in 1976, it was picked up by World-Northal in 1977 and re-released to great acclaim, first in New York, where it opened the same week as New York, New York and got much better reviews, played for three months exclusively at the 68th Street Playhouse, and then went into wider distribution - the week it went wide it was the fourth highest grossing picture in the United States.
Production notes
- Cindy Williams had started appearing in her hit series Laverne & Shirley when she was called back to film an added slapstick scene involving a camera crane. She wore a hat to cover her longer hair which would not have matched her previously filmed scenes. Although the movie does include a good deal of nudity, Cindy Williams does not appear nude in the film, nor do any of the leading players, save for Alexandra Morgan and Alan Abelew.
- The video cover promoted a guest appearance by Ron Howard, although his contribution was a very short appearance near the start of the film.
- Diana Canova, who would later appear on the TV comedy Soap, sang for the film's soundtrack and appeared in the film as the character Juanita ("Eets yust so beeg!").
Alexandra Morgan plays Mary LaRue, the sultry star of the movie within the movie. A veteran of experimental LA theater, she fronts the Chorus of Dancing Dildos, throws primadona tantrums about the "unprofessional production," and chews the scenery with gusto.
- The run down studio used for exterior scenes was Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. The studio, then called Producer's Studio, underwent a renovation shortly after filming.
References
- ↑ Maslin, Janet (July 25, 1977). "The First Nudie Musical (1975) 'First Nudie,' New Film, Sets Sex to Music". The New York Times.