Avanti! (1972)

Avanti! (1973) comes at the tail end of a series of screwball comedies from director Billy Wilder and star Jack Lemmon. Unlike the earlier flicks of the 1950s and ’60s, this one takes titillation one step further by adding female nudity! As Wendell Armbruster Jr., Lemmon is a stiff American businessman who is in Italy to claim the body of his late father. Yeah, his dad died while making whoopee to his mistress. Apparently, the apple (or banana) doesn’t fall far from the tree since said stiff businessman gets a stiffie for the mistress’s daughter Pamela Piggott (Juliet Mills). And it’s no surprise, what with the British babe flashing her rack and crack while in the sack with Jack! If that’s not erotic enough, Ms. Mills shows off her bare breasts to pleased seaman passing by on a boat called Tempestra. Too bad Lemmon covers her nips with his socks. But at least we get to view Juliet’s nude boobs, bush and booty as she lounges around on a rock after a skinny-dip. Needless to say, the naked leading lady made a splash on screen — and in our jeans! The American/Italian skinternational co-production also includes Clive Revill, Yanti Somer, and Giselda Castrini’s bare breasticles! No wonder the Hollywood Foreign Press honored the racy romp with five Golden Globe nominations and a Best Actor in a Comedy win for Mr. Lemmon. But if it were up to Mr. Skin, the movie’s topless actresses would be presented with the statuette in his pants!