The Half-Naked Truth
Encyclopedia
The Half-Naked Truth is a pre-Hayes Code comedy directed by Gregory LaCava and featuring Lee Tracy
as a carnival pitchman who finagles his girlfriend, a fiery hoochie
dancer played by Lupe Vélez
, into a major Broadway
revue under the auspices of an impresario portrayed by Frank Morgan
.
They head to New York City. Bates has always bragged about his close friendship with powerful theater impresario
Merle Farrell. Bates promises to make Teresita a star, but it soon becomes clear that Farrell has never heard of him. Undaunted, Bates promotes Teresita as "Princess Exotica", an escapee from a Turkish harem
, complete with a eunuch
servant (Achilles) and a lion. Bates informs the reporters that she will be starring in Farrell's show. At first, Farrell is outraged, but when he hears about the sharp increase in ticket sales, he signs Teresita to a contract.
Farrell insists, however, that she perform a slow Middle Eastern-style dance, which bores the audience. Bates rushes onstage and has her drop her pretense and sing a modern song. This proves to be a hit, and Teresita becomes a star, while Bates becomes Farrell's new publicity manager.
However, while Bates is away on a business trip, she starts seeing the married Farrell. When Bates finds out, he quits and promises to make the first girl he sees into a bigger sensation to eclipse his treacherous girlfriend. That turns out to be blond hotel maid Gladys, whom Achilles is trying to romance. Bates has Gladys pretend to be "Eve", the leader of a group of nudists. He blackmails Farrell (with a compromising photograph of him and Teresita) into signing Eve to his show. Meanwhile, the public has started to tire of Teresita.
Achilles decides to return to the carnival life, and purchases Colonel Munday's business. Bates calls him a fool, but after a while, he too becomes dissatisfied with New York and goes to see his friend. There, he finds Teresita singing as one of the carnival's attractions.
Lee Tracy
William Lee Tracy was an American actor.- Early life :Tracy was born in Atlanta, Georgia.After graduating from Western Military Academy in 1918 he studied electrical engineering at Union College, and then served as a 2nd lieutenant in World War I. In the early 1920s he decided to work as an actor...
as a carnival pitchman who finagles his girlfriend, a fiery hoochie
Hoochie coochie
The Hoochie coochie was a sexually provocative belly dance that originated at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. It became wildly popular during and after the Chicago World's Fair in 1893...
dancer played by Lupe Vélez
Lupe Vélez
Lupe Vélez was a Mexican film actress. Vélez began her career in Mexico as a dancer, before moving to the U.S. where she worked in vaudeville. She was seen by Fanny Brice who promoted her, and Vélez soon entered films, making her first appearance in 1924. By the end of the decade she had...
, into a major Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
revue under the auspices of an impresario portrayed by Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
.
Plot
Fast-talking Jimmy Bates (Lee Tracy) takes over as publicity agent for a struggling carnival owned by Colonel Munday. His latest scheme to bring in customers involves promising to reveal the identity of the father (allegedly one of the local town's residents) of his hot-tempered girlfriend, "hootch dancer" Teresita (Lupe Vélez), at that night's performance. However, when the local sheriff learns that it is all a con, Bates, his friend Achilles and Teresita have to flee.They head to New York City. Bates has always bragged about his close friendship with powerful theater impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Merle Farrell. Bates promises to make Teresita a star, but it soon becomes clear that Farrell has never heard of him. Undaunted, Bates promotes Teresita as "Princess Exotica", an escapee from a Turkish harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
, complete with a eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
servant (Achilles) and a lion. Bates informs the reporters that she will be starring in Farrell's show. At first, Farrell is outraged, but when he hears about the sharp increase in ticket sales, he signs Teresita to a contract.
Farrell insists, however, that she perform a slow Middle Eastern-style dance, which bores the audience. Bates rushes onstage and has her drop her pretense and sing a modern song. This proves to be a hit, and Teresita becomes a star, while Bates becomes Farrell's new publicity manager.
However, while Bates is away on a business trip, she starts seeing the married Farrell. When Bates finds out, he quits and promises to make the first girl he sees into a bigger sensation to eclipse his treacherous girlfriend. That turns out to be blond hotel maid Gladys, whom Achilles is trying to romance. Bates has Gladys pretend to be "Eve", the leader of a group of nudists. He blackmails Farrell (with a compromising photograph of him and Teresita) into signing Eve to his show. Meanwhile, the public has started to tire of Teresita.
Achilles decides to return to the carnival life, and purchases Colonel Munday's business. Bates calls him a fool, but after a while, he too becomes dissatisfied with New York and goes to see his friend. There, he finds Teresita singing as one of the carnival's attractions.
Cast
- Lupe Vélez as Teresita
- Lee Tracy as Bates
- Eugene PalletteEugene PalletteEugene William Pallette was an American actor. He appeared in over 240 silent era and sound era motion pictures between 1913 and 1946....
as Achilles - Frank MorganFrank MorganFrank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
as Farrell - Shirley Chambers as Gladys
- Franklin PangbornFranklin PangbornFranklin Pangborn was an American comedic character actor. Pangborn was famous for small, but memorable roles, with a comic flair. He appeared in many Preston Sturges movies as well as the W.C. Fields films International House, The Bank Dick, and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break...
as Hotel Clerk - Robert McKenzieRobert McKenzie (actor)Robert McKenzie was an Irish film actor. He appeared in over 310 films between 1915 and 1946.McKenzie was married to actress Eva McKenzie until his death from a heart attack in 1949. The two appeared as husband and wife in The Three Stooges film The Yoke's on Me...
as Colonel - Mary Mason as Farrell's Secretary