''The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield'' is a 1968 mondo

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

chronicling the travels of actress

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...

. It was directed by Charles W. Broun, Jr., Joel Holt and Arthur Knight.

Synopsis

''The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield'' began production in 1964 and continued shooting sporadically through 1967 as the budget was limited. The film consists of Mansfield visiting various locations throughout Europe and the United States. The European footage, shot in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, features Mansfield observing Italian roadside

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

, running from the

paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

and attending the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

. She is also filmed visiting "unusual" European locations such as a French naturist community, strip clubs, a

gay bar A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term '' gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities. Gay bars once serv ...

and a

massage parlor A massage parlor (American English) or massage parlour (Canadian/British English) is a place where massage services are provided for a fee. In the 19th century, the term began to be used in English as a euphemism for a brothel. Context In 189 ...

. The footage shot in the United States features Mansfield judging a

transvestite Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western ...

beauty pageant in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

along with footage of dancers at a

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

topless bar. Musical performances by the all-girl topless band The Ladybirds( es) and Rocky Roberts & The Airedales (to which Mansfield does the Twist) are also included. Rounding out the film are clips of Mansfield's nude scenes from the 1963 sex comedy '' Promises! Promises!'', the 1964 Italian film ''Primitive Love'', and shots of her ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'' magazine pictorial. Production ceased after Mansfield died in a car accident in June 1967. Upon her death, the film's producers added news footage about her death and photographs from the scene of her fatal car accident. The film concludes with a tour of Mansfield's Los Angeles home, the Pink Palace, given by her ex-husband

Mickey Hargitay Mickey Hargitay (January 6, 1926 – September 14, 2006), born Miklós Karoly Hargitay, was a Hungarian-American actor and the 1955 Mr. Universe. Born in Budapest, Hargitay moved to the United States in 1947 and eventually became a U.S. citi ...

and a video tribute.

Production notes

Working titles for the film include ''Jayne Mansfield Reports'', ''Mansfield Reports Europe'' and ''Mansfield By Night''. As the film was edited and released after Mansfield's death, actress

Carolyn De Fonseca Carolyn De Fonseca (25 May 1929 – May 2009) was an American actress based in Rome. She worked extensively as a voice actress for the English-language dubbing of several hundred foreign (mostly Italian) films from the early 1960s and onwards. She ...

(who was Mansfield's official voice dubber for European productions) was hired to mimic Mansfield's voice for the narration. Distributed by Blue Ribbons Pictures, ''The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield'' premiered on April 18, 1968 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was released with an

X rating An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...

("for adults only") due to its adult content and nudity.

Home media

In September 2003, Something Weird Video released ''The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield'' along with another mondo film ''The Labyrinth Of Sex'' on Region 1 DVD.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wild Wild World of Jane Mansfield 1968 films 1968 documentary films American documentary films Documentary films about actors Films shot in Los Angeles Films shot in Paris Films shot in Rome French documentary films German documentary films Mondo films West German films Jayne Mansfield 1960s English-language films 1960s American films 1960s French films 1960s German films English-language French films English-language German films

Synopsis

Production notes

Home media

See also

References

External links