''Hypocrites'', also known as ''The Hypocrites'' and ''The Naked Truth'', is a 1915 silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...

written and directed by

Lois Weber Florence Lois Weber (June 13, 1879 – November 13, 1939) was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, producer and director. She is identified in some historical references as among "the most important and prolific film directors in the ...

(1879–1939). The film contains several full nude scenes, and is said to include the first appearance of full frontal nudity in a non-pornographic film by an American actress (Margaret Edwards). The film is regarded as

anticlerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

, and the nudity was justified by its religious context.

Cast

* Courtenay Foote as Gabriel, the Ascetic / Gabriel, a minister *

Herbert Standing Herbert Standing (13 November 1846 – 5 December 1923) was a British stage and screen actor and the patriarch of the Standing family of actors. He was the father of numerous children, many of whom had careers in theatre and cinema. Toward the ...

as The Abbot / A pillar of the church * Margaret Edwards as Truth *

Myrtle Stedman Myrtle Stedman (born Myrtle Lincoln; March 3, 1883 – January 8, 1938) was an American leading lady and later Character actor, character actress in motion pictures who began in silent films in 1910. Biography Stedman was born Myrtle Lincoln ...

as a nun / A choir singer *

Adele Farrington Adele Farrington (1867 – 19 December 1936) was an American actress of the silent film era. Biography Born Anna King in Brooklyn, New York, Farrington was a stage actress before appearing in 74 films between 1914 and 1926. She was a relatively ...

as The Queen / An aristocrat * Dixie Carr as a Magdalen *

Nigel De Brulier Nigel De Brulier (born Francis George Packer; 8 August 1877 – 30 January 1948) was an English stage and film actor who began his career in the United Kingdom before relocating to the United States. Biography De Brulier was born in Frenchay, a ...

as a member of the choir / monk * Matty Roubert as Boy kneeling beside cradle * Charles Villiers as the Minister *

Vera Lewis Vera Lewis (June 10, 1873 – February 8, 1956) was an American film and stage actress, beginning in the silent film era. She appeared in more than 180 films between 1915 and 1947. She was married to actor Ralph Lewis. Biography She was ...

as Parishioner ''(uncredited)'' Cast notes: * Margaret Edwards was 17 years old when she was discovered by Lois Weber.

Production

Writer-director

attributed Adolphe Faugeron's painting ''La Vérité, or The Truth'' as the inspiration for the film. During shooting, production had to be moved three times, due to the lack of a permanent studio. Edwards' scenes, in which she appeared nude, were shot on a closed set, with only Weber, who directed the scenes, Edwards and a cameraman. Dal Clawson devised special photographic techniques for the film, which was shot by George W. Hill. Sometimes six exposures were involved. The use in the film of traveling

double exposure In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be ide ...

sequences of the woman is considered impressive for 1915. It is thought that Weber may have re-edited the film after early review were published, before its official opening on January 20, 1915 at the Longacre Theater in New York City.

Reception

The film was passed by the

British Board of Film Censors The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of fi ...

. However, because of the full and recurring nudity through the film, it caused riots in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, was

banned A ban is a formal or informal prohibition of something. Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some bans in commerce are referred to as embargoes. ''Ban'' is also used as a verb similar in meaning ...

in Ohio, and was subject to censorship in Boston when the mayor demanded that the film negatives be painted over to clothe the woman.Lindsay, Kitty (November 6, 2014
"Forgotten Women of Film History: Lois Weber"
''

Ms. Ms. (American English) or Ms (British English; normally , but also , or when unstressed)''Oxford English Dictionary'' online, Ms, ''n.2''. Etymology: "An orthographic and phonetic blend of Mrs ''n.1'' and miss ''n.2'' Compare mizz ''n.'' The pr ...

'' The film was re-issued in 1916. Most of the film has survived, though some scenes have suffered from some serious nitrate decomposition in places especially at the beginning and cannot be restored. A print of the film is kept in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the '' de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

Further viewing

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References

External links