Having finished my “The Boobs of Yesteryear” articles, which described, in general terms, the popularity of vintage busty women in the realm of visual arts, I decided to start a new series that discusses in greater detail particular models, movies or magazines. (This is a new Guest post by Johnny)

The articles in this series will likely be shorter than those included in my previous one, but you can count on a wealth of subjects shedding light on the beauty, elegance, fun and femininity of what I call the “breast renaissance” of the mid-twentieth century.

As for this first article, I decided to focus on an emblematic picture in boob history.

Introduction

Russ Meyer’s “Mondo Topless” is (almost) as interesting as a product of its time as it is for its content. It is called a “mondo” film because it is a pseudo-documentary focusing on a taboo subject. The latter, in this case, is basically how topless dancing started (or rather, became normalized) in San Francisco and spread throughout Europe, becoming particularly popular in Paris.

Something of a spiritual sequel to “Europe in the Raw” (1963), “Mondo” ditches the boring and bland descriptions of European cities from the first movie and replaces them with the tirelessly energetic voice of actor John Furlong narrating the entire film.

Content

The movie has no plot to speak of. It merely consists of several women dancing topless while classic rock music is playing and John Furlong is praising their curves. We also hear the models talk briefly about their views on toplessness and their taste in men.

Historical Context

The choice of highlighting toplessness in San Francisco of all places was likely not accidental. In 1965, strippers Yvonne D’Angers and Carol Doda, who worked in that city, stood trial for obscenity for showing their naked breasts during their performances. However, the court determined that their act was not obscene, thus paving the way for topless dancing to become legal throughout the United States.

For the record, Yvonne and Carol both had enhanced breasts and neither appears in this movie. However, a few signs advertising their shows are seen in it.

Naturally, the movie also alludes to the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s, which normalized sexual activities besides those practiced by traditionally married straight couples.

Review

In and of itself, “Mondo Topless” is hardly Meyer’s best effort. Just a repetitive film reminiscent of 50s nudist movies with some topless dancing. Plus, it actually recycles footage from the director’s previous flick, “Europe in the Raw”, especially the performance of Veronique Gabriel (better known as Joan Zinn). Be as it may, it is interesting to observe the contrast between the carefree and spontaneous dancing of the American girls and the more artistic and choreographed acts of European strippers.

What the women say is somewhat politically incorrect by today’s standards (for example, early in the picture, one says she feels her main purpose in life is to be alluring to men), but otherwise not very interesting, generally speaking. Arguably the best monologue is that of Lorna Maitland, who discusses her experience of starring in one of Meyer’s best movies, “Lorna” (1964), a performance for which she was praised, even though her acting career never really took off.

In any case, symbolically, “Mondo Topless” was at heart an over-the-top celebration of being able to see beautiful women bearing their breasts strictly and unapologetically for our personal enjoyment. It was made by a boob man for boob men.

In the grand scheme of things, seeing a woman’s breasts is a very trivial event. Nevertheless, we as men still act like it’s comparable to the moon landing in terms of importance. This joy is thus given a voice in Furlong’s ecstatic narration.

The movie is definitely worth seeing for Candy Morrison and Lorna Maitland’s lovely figures and full breasts, as well as for Veronique Gabriel and Abundavita’s elegant performances.

The world desperately needs another Russ Meyer, especially since Hollywood seems to have forgotten it’s normal for women to have boobs.