赤身的陌生人

　　Backin1969,theeditorialstaffofNewsdaymagazinewasamazedandappalledthatwriterslikeHaroldRobbinsandJacquelineSusanndominatedthebestsellerlistswiththeirtrashytell-all"romansàclef",sotheydecidedtodothemonebetterwitheachreportercontributingachapterofescalatingoutrageousnesstowhatwastobecome"NakedCametheStranger",asagabothsaucyandsoapyattributedtofictitious"PenelopeAshe".Ironically,itoutsoldmanyofthecompetitorsitsoughttosendup,salesfiguresbarelyinfluencedevenoncethehoaxwasexposed.　　Almostimmediately,rumorsofapossiblemovieadaptationbegantocirculatebutevenattheheightof"PornoChic"itremainedmostunlikelythatitwouldeventuallywindupasthesecondhardcoreprojectforrespectederoticauteurRadleyMetzgera/k/a"HenryParis"followinghiswell-receivedthoughunflinchinglyexplicitTHEPRIVATEAFTERNOONSOFPAMELAMANN.Perhapswithaneyetowardsmainstreamacceptanceofafilmformhehadlargelyembracedbecauseitwaswhatthedomesticadultmoviemarketplaceatleastdemanded,anillusionalltoocruellyexposedassuchoncethegenreshiftedtowardshomevideoameredecadelater,Metzgertoneddownthelevelofgraphicdetailonthisoccasion.Ascompensation,helavishedmoretimeandattentiononthecentralcharacterizationsofradiotalkshowhostsWilliamandGillian("Billy&Gilly")Blake,sortofa'70sNickandNoraCharleswhosesparklingreparteeconsiderablyenlivenstheirextra-maritaleroticencounters.　　Aswithallofhisfullcolorpenetrationfilms,Metzgerwrotethescreenplayunderhisusual"JakeBarnes"pornpenname,trulyoutdoinghimselfwithaplethoraofgenuinelywittyonelinersthatechothesophisticatedbrillianceofanErnstLubitschorBillyWildercomedyclassicofwhichthisisascloseanapproximationastheadultgenrecouldeverhopetoachieve.Thankfulforanopportunitytoshowoffmorethantheirphysicalprowess,DarbyLloydRainsandLeviRichardsrisetotheoccasionbeautifully.Alreadysomethingofanindustryveteranby1975,Rainswasoneofthefinestearlyadultactressesandhasneverbeenbetter.HermimedshockwhenshecatchesherhusbandstickingittohissecretaryPhyllis(adelightfullydizzyMaryStuart)onadailybasis,whichnaturallyevolvesintoarousalandastaircasesolobothsexyandextremelyfunny,isabsolutelypriceless.　　TheirNewYorkmorningshowasmashhit,BillyandGillyappeartheperfectcoupletoallwhoknowthem.Onceshelearnsofherhusband'sfrequentinfidelitywithhis"LoveBunny"(atermofendearmentwhichprovidesthemoviewithoneofitsbestrunninggags),Gilliandecidesthatwhat'sgoodforthegandermightalsobenefitthegooseandembarksonasexualspreewithintheircircleofjetsetfriendsandcasualacquaintances.Tiedtogetherbyamaskedballwhereallcharactersmingle,thesevariousepisodesofplannedseductionsupplythemoviewithmostofits,albeitfewerthantheindustrynorm,accomplishedsexscenes.ParticularlymemorableisRains'orallyservicingofAlanMarlow(thevilewomanizerwhowastoforcedtoreturntoearthPostMortemASRainsinRobertaFindlay'sANGELNUMBER9!)asharriedinvestmentbankerMarvinGoodmanforwhomtimeequalsmoneyonadoubledeckerbusactuallywhizzingthroughthestreetsoftheBigApple!Upper-crustbosombuddyTaylor(well-playedbyGeraldGrant,whojuggledlegitstageworkwithexcursionsintobisexualerotica,includingMetzger'sSCOREandJerryDouglas'BOTHWAYS,therebypresumablyscratchingapersonalitch)providesGillianwithashouldertocryonwhenshedecidesenough'senoughandbrieflyfleesherhomestead.Inarefinedsilentmoviespoof,hewines,dinesandromancesheringloriousblackandwhitewithsillyinter-titlesattemptingtoputasophisticatedspinonGilly'sbluntcome-on(readherlips!),switchingbacktocolorbythetimetheyreachthebedroomstage.　　Savingthebestforlast,Gillianmovesinonherhusband'sobjectofaffection,circlingaroundthefecklessPhyllisasshedancesaloneinanemptyswimmingpool,anotherarrestingimageinafilmfairlyrifewiththem.TheirslowSapphicexplorationprovidesthesexualshowstopperandleavestheyounggirlhopelesslyinlovewithhererstwhileparamour'sbetrothed.Convenientlyquittingthesceneratherthanremainingthecouple'sdirtylittlesecretevenwhileswitchingcamps,PhyllisleavesBillyandGillytokissandmakeup.NowI'mnotsurehowupfrontMetzgerwasabouthiscareerchangefromsuchloftyeroticepicsasTHELICKERISHQUARTETto,well,basicallydocumentingthedirtyforrealatthisstagebuthecertainlythrewinacuteinsidejokewhenhissimulatedCAMILLE2000isseenplayingonthecouple'sbedroomTVsetandBillybemoanshowthey'reshowingthis"trash"rathertheGarboversion!　　ProductionreflectstheperfectionismMetzgerhasshownthroughouthisdistinguishedcareerwithmainstream-worthycameraworkbythereportedlypseudonymous"RobertRochester",whoadultactressGloriaLeonardinsistsisactuallyanOscar-winningdocumentaryfilmmaker.RitaDavis,aminorstarletalsoinShaunCostello'sLOVEBUSandCarterStevens'HOTOVEN,appearsasDarby'ssocialiteacquaintancedressedasaharemgirlduringthemaskedballsequence,goingdownonbewhiskeredwaiterJohnBuco,C.J.Laing'scoploverfromCostello'sindelibleWATERPOWER.ThelateMarcStevensbrieflyappearsashimselfinanon-sexcapacityandthealwaysenthusiasticHelenMadiganplaysthepornstarguestontheradioshow.　　Onapracticalnote,thismoviehasbeenreleasedonregionODVDbyVCA,missingasubstantialamountofmostlynon-sexualfootage.FarpreferableistheItalianregion2discfromSchendene,asLASTRANIERANUDA,unfortunatelysaddledwithirremovablesubtitles,withsoftbutwatchableimagequality,atleastsourcedfromacompleteprintsuppliedbythedirector.