Welcome to a new series here at Mr. Skin where we take a look at Hollywood's Golden Age...its NUDE Golden Age. We are considering The Golden Age of Nudity in film to be the 1980s, specifically the early 80s. After our weekly deep dive, you will be inclined to agree. This week we are going to take a look at 1984's Bolero and its iconic nude scenes.
How did Bolero get made? And what was its reception? One thing at a time! Let's talk about Bo and her relationship to the director, John Derek. Yep, that's right. This film was directed by her hubby!
Bo Derek became a big star after her stunning role in 1979's 10. Bo's performance nailed two things: running on the beach and seductively asking Dudley Moore "Did you ever do it to Ravel's "Bolero"? She wasn't predicting the future and talking about her movie. She was seducing Moore with a classic piece of music called "Bolero". People remembered this scene very well at the time!
Bo was thrust into the spotlight as a sex symbol, but that wasn't necessarily what she wanted. She wanted to be an actress who would act in a variety of genres, but she was a perfect 10 AND her husband was a regarded photographer for Playboy. The man knew who to photograph gorgeous women, so it made sense that he would direct Bo Derek in Bolero.
John wasn't just a photographer. Older than Bo, he had been acting in old Hollywood first. He pivoted to directing in the 60s with his first film Nightmare in the Sun starring Ursula Andress (whom he married). He put directing aside to photograph gorgeous babes, but Bo inspired him to direct again! With his new muse, he directed the blonde babe in Fantasies and Tarzan, the Ape Man.
Those films got negative reviews, but people loved watching Bo's bodacious bod on the big screen. John wasn't as thrilled as the public. He told Bo: "Every project that you're offered is just another version of the scene from 10. They just want to see a fuck to Bolero - let's go make a movie about Bolero!" So he did!
The sort of trippy Bolero takes place in the Mediterranean in the 1920s. Bo plays a young virgin who wants to lose her virginity, so she goes on a journey of sexual awakening where she meets a lot of men in soft-core scenes.
Fun fact concerning those sexy scenes: Bolero was released ratingless. They did not want to be slapped with an X-rating, so Derek managed to release his movie "Unrated". It's wild that he avoided an X-rating because there is A LOT - and I mean A LOT in all caps - nudity and sex in this film. Bo Derek does all kinds of things like have sex with a matador, and a Moroccan sheik, ride a horse naked, and have honey poured all over her nude boobs.
Watch Bo Derek go on a naked ride here:
