The Half Naked Truth

The now almost forgotten Lee Tracy, a wonderfully fast-talking, sour-looking, wisecracking star of the 1930s, is here at the top of his form as an unscrupulous publicity man. This delectable comedy, classily directed by Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey, Stage Door), has Tracy scheming to make fiery carnival dancer Lupe Velez into an instant celebrity by blackmailing neurotic producer Frank Morgan. The cast also included frog-voiced Eugene Pallette and prissy Franklin Pangborn. Velez, known as the "Mexican Spitfire", soon to marry Johnny "Tarzan" Weissmuller, was to kill herself in theatrical style, aged 36, in 1944.