Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan proved to be a surprise hit in 1984, by putting an unusual spin on the familiar tale of a Caucasian baby who gets lost in the jungle, is raised by local animals, and grows up to be a noble savage with incredible strength, cunning, and bravery.
A few months later, another film mined the same material, but it flipped genders and seemingly took skinspiration from Bo Derek’s Tarzan the Ape Man, as well.
The result was Sheena, which starred a naked Tanya Roberts and, T&A-mazingly, was rated PG.
Sheena opened 24 years ago on this date and, yes, those were the times.
Sheena was actually a big-screen adaptation of the ’50s TV series Sheena: Queen of the Jungle starring va-va-voomtastic pin-up Irish McCalla. Sex was the core of the vine-swinging vixen’s success back then, and it got pumped up even more explicitly in the up date.
Nudity in PG-rated movies was not entirely uncommon in the 1970s, but it became increasingly rare throughout the years (although Splash showcased Darryl Hannah's mermaid seat-meat a few months before Sheena).
Summertime 1984, in fact, contained the two films whose violence prompted the institution of the PG-13: Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Later that year, The Woman in Red took advantage of the new rating by including fantastically fuzzy muff footage of Kelly LeBrock.
However, Sheena was sold primarily as family entertainment, with sexy Tanya’s to keep Dad awake while Mom focused on bohunk co-star Tedd Wass and the kids enjoyed the adventures among the jungle critters. That’s what makes Tanya’s skinny-dip 18 minutes in all the more astounding with its fully bare boobs, butt, and bush revelations. And then she shows off rack and rump again at the 54-minute mark.
Plus there's some tittage from France Zobda.
And all this really was rated PG!
Sheena, Mr. Skin will always beat his jungle drums for you.
Sheena Opens Starring Tanya Roberts Nude -- August 17, 1984
Tagged in: skinny-dip, Daryl Hannah, Splash, Tanya Roberts, Irish McCalla, Sheena, Kelly LeBrock, The Woman in Red, PG, PG-13