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For a very long time in Hollywood, it was impossible to show nudity onscreen.
But by the early 1960s, a few stars were willing to test the nude taboo.
One of them was Marilyn Monroe.
TheSomethings Gotta Givescene was a little more intentional.
Either scene wouldve made Monroe the first American star to go nude in a Hollywood movie in decades.
But in Monroes absence, it was Jayne Mansfield who shattered the long-standing tradition.
It was against that backdrop that Mansfield made her topless debut in the 1963 swingers cruise-ship comedyPromises!
Promises!The actress was in a bit of a career slump at the time.
Fox dropped her contract after yet another dud, the 1962 historical riffIt Happened in Athens.
Mansfield had always been famous for her crass publicity stunts, which often involved her accidentally losing her clothing.
Those cinemas were free to book whatever they pleased, eliminating the code censorss key method of enforcement.
In other words, there had never been a better time to push boundaries.
Mansfields nude scene arrives fairly early intoPromises!
Promises!, soon after the couples have settled into their cabins.
Her screen husband Jeff (Noonan) has just been to see the ships medic about his sperm.
The shot lingers for a few seconds before she closes the bathroom door to dress.
Despite Mansfields name,Promises!
you’re free to guess what the publicity team focused on.
Playboypublished its behind-the-scenes images in the June 1963 issue, promising The Nudest Jayne Mansfield on the cover.
Enterprising movie exhibitors were only too happy to join in the ogling.
Critics savaged the film, withVarietycalling it unsuitable for anyone whose mentality surpasses that of a 5-year-old.
But the topless scene did indicate where films were heading in respect to the policy against nudity.
Promises!could, setting a precedent that would make it easier for movies to include nude scenes.
Mansfield once told a gossip columnist, The real stars are not good actors or actresses.
