Sunday, January 2, 2022

HIDEOUT IN THE SUN (1960) **

Hideout in the Sun was Doris Wishman’s first film.  Even though she was only credited with writing the story and producing, she also co-directed.  It has a few touches that would soon become her hallmarks, namely lots of nudity and tons of shots of feet, but other than being notable for her first feature, it’s not very good.  

Two thieves make a daring getaway after staging a bank heist.  When they learn the cops are watching their getaway boat, they decide to take a hostage and head to a nudist camp to lay low while the heat cools off.  While the one guy barks orders and worries about the cops, his partner and the hostage enjoy all the amenities the nudist camp has to offer.  

The first half hour or so is really slow going.  The cops and robbers stuff is a chore to get through.  The obvious Wishman touches aside, it’s dull and tedious.  Things improve once the action switches over to the nudist camp.  It’s here where things lighten up a little and the movie starts to have some fun with the silly premise.  

Among the nudist activities featured:  Swimming, volleyball, sunbathing, nature walks, picnicking, birdwatching, badminton, drinking from a water spigot, sitting in a fountain, sniffing flowers, and my favorite… NUDE ARCHERY!  Hawkeye, eat your heart out.

It’s easy to see why many nudist movies had as little plot as possible.  This one is so plot heavy in the early going that you might doze off even before you get to see one naked lady.  Credited director Larry Wolk was probably responsible for the dull stuff.  I can’t say that for sure, but I want to say it just because I’m a big Wishman fan.  So, if you can make it past the boring crime plot, the nudity in the second half is pretty much nonstop, so that’s something at least.

The title tune (sung by Ralph Young of Sandler and Young fame) is a straight-up banger too, which is good since they play it often.

AKA:  Beauties in the Sun.

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