Purple wigs and silver knickers

OK, let's get ready for another trip down memory lane. 1970's UFO was something of an oddity even by the standards of its time. Produced by Jerry and Sylvia Anderson (of Thunderbirds fame), the show was basically a live-action version of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, employing many of the same tropes and premises.

Running for a total of 26 episodes, the low-budget sci-fi series was aimed at a 'mature' audience, as implied by the presence of pretty young starlets in micro-minskirts liberally sprinkled throughout each storyline. The very first story featured a completely gratuitous striptease, allowing audience a peek at the futuristic under-fashions of the far-off year of 1980.

The two screencaps posted here depict a typical scene on Moonbase Alpha, as one of the female residents prepares for a date. The dressing-room resembles an aircraft capsule and comes equipped with a two-way mirror (presumably so the occupants can see who's lurking outside).

No explanation is offered as to why a dressing room would need a two-way mirror, but then again, we're talking about a space-faring civilization where purple wigs and silver knickers are considered  de rigeur. Obviously, some questions are better left unasked.

Screencaps from UFO, episode 1 (1970).

The Golden Age part 2

British comedies of the 60s and 70s often included completely gratuitous lingerie scenes, randomly dropped into the script for no apparent reason at all. Phenomenally popular in Commonwealth nations, they've since became a mainstay in the popular culture. It's no exaggeration to say that an entire generation of young men grew up checking the weekly news guide to see when the latest episode of Dick Emery or The Two Ninnies was coming out.

As mentioned elsewhere, Sid James probably started it all off with the Carry On franchise, of which 1961's "Regardless" is still one of the best known examples.

As suggested by the image posted above, the humor was similar to The Benny Hill Show and the girls just as beautiful. It's interesting to see how lingerie styles changed over the years. For example, in the early 1960s, the girls wore suspenders and stockings:

 

 

...while a few years later, they wore only bra and panties:

 

By the 1970s, fashions had changed completely:

 

 

Then suspender stockings made a brief comeback (for one film) in 1972...

In British comedies, young girls weren't embarrassed to walk around in their lingerie, even if there were men watching. They were completely innocent, and seemed to enjoy modeling their underwear in public. It's unfortunate they don't make movies like this any more.

Up to his old tricks again...

Yes, Benny Hill will do literally anything to meet a pretty girl. In this 'silent movie' sketch, Benny dresses up as an old maid then finds himself alone in a room with four sweet young things (apologies for the grainy screencaps):

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a good quality clip of this scene anywhere online. Feel free to post a link if you happen to have one.

Naughty and Funny Голые и смешные

OK, most of the gags are almost certainly staged, but Ukraine's Naughty and Funny (Голые и смешные) features some of the most beautiful women on the planet falling out of their clothes at inopportune moments.

The pranks usually revolve around pretty young girls undressing in public or being filmed by a hidden camera, supposedly without their knowledge. In other cases, regular working guys are suddenly confronted with a stunningly gorgeous blonde disrobing in plain sight (as in the video posted below) with the usual "hilarious" consequences.

Click on the "start" arrow to begin. You may need to click more than once.

Click on the "start" arrow to begin. You may need to click more than once.

Click on the "start" arrow to begin. You may need to click more than once.

Click on the "start" arrow to begin. You may need to click more than once.

Marina Lemishenko

Марина лемишенко

Rede TV: Joao Kléber Show

Another triumph from Rede TV, Brazil's foremost television network. The Joao Kléber Show features extremely voluptuous girls stripping down to their bras and panties in public venues (restaurants, laundromats etc), usually causing an uproar in the process:

The premise is similar to Ukraine's Naughty and Funny (Голые и смешные), though the content is somewhat less explicit. The practical jokes don't appear to be staged, as the victims (mostly jealous girlfriends) constantly loose their tempers with the host. Needless to say, the comediennes are perfectly willing to display their ample charms to add fuel to the fire.

Kind of begs the question: why can't we have nice things like this?

 

 

 

Models:  Amanda França, Gaby Rodrigues, Pri Lopes, Monique Bertolini et al.

Benny Hill Revisited

Presenting: one of my favorite closing scenes from The Benny Hill Show. I probably saw this around the age of  thirteen, and needless to say, it left a profound impression. Back in the early 70s, TBHS was well-known for its saucy double-entendres, but this was the first time I'd seen the show's voluptuous co-stars disrobe before the camera. At first I didn't realize what was happening, then was hit with the stunning revelation that the girls were stripping down to their bare knickers.

Summary: 

The Langley Base Army Camouflage Unit is a British special forces division specially trained in the art of camouflage. They are staking out a glade in the Heathrow countryside where when three young ladies (Sue Bond, Cheryl Gilham and Dennie Bayliss) decide to go sunbathing in front of them. The members of the unit take snapshots as the girls strip down to their lingerie and depart for the clearing, leaving their clothes hanging on some nearby branches.

The scene is interrupted by the arrival of Tredder and Son woodcutters (Bob Todd and Jackie Wright) who proceed to try to saw down one of the tree-trunks, sending the disguised troops into a panic. The unit takes off down the grassy slope chased by the woodcutters and the young women.

Summary by User:Thor2000 

French Frills!

For those of us with a  yearning for those sentimental days of yore: here's a quaint piece of vintage ephemera from the classic gentleman's magazine, French Frills: 

Ah, nostalgia...