I Watch Films: Lady Godiva Rides Again
Marjorie Clark wins a local competition to be Miss Lady Godiva (though as it turns out she’s not nude). She’s talent spotted for a national beauty competition to be the face of Fascination Soaps, with a prize for £1000, a mink coat and a three month contract for a film studio. The competition is a fix; Dolores August (Diana Dors) is going to be the winner for £150, not including the mink coat. However her escort (who doesn’t know it’s fixed) promises her a mink coat if she loses so she gives the identifying black swimsuit to her roommate Marjorie who is the winner.
Marjorie goes on to have some ridiculous adventures. There’s a fair number of recognisable faces in small roles including George Cole, Sid James, Alistair Sim, and amongst the beauties at the pageant, Joan Collins and Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in England. For local interest much of it was filmed in Folkestone.
The film has somewhat mixed thoughts on nude modelling. A promoter notes that the Lord Chancellor lets you see nudes on stage so long as they don’t move, so that’s what he’s going to give the public. Another nude model tells Marjorie that she wouldn’t do it if it was wrong, so it’s alright. Nevertheless [SPOILERS] the film comes down on the side of the tall good-looking Australian Pineapple Magnate who takes Marjorie out of show business and marries her for a happy ending.
Watch This: For a quite funny satire on entertainment and show business
Don’t Watch This: For actual nudity or any real thoughts on it.
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