Documentary
United States of America
The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield is a 1968 documentary film that follows the actress and sex symbol Jayne Mansfield on her world tour. The film is a compilation of footage shot by various crew members during her travels, including stops in Rome, Cannes, the nudist colony on the Isle of Levant, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles.
In Rome, Mansfield is shown visiting historical sites such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. She also shares a fantasy about Roman athletes and muses on the decadence of ancient Rome. Later in Cannes, she attends a film festival and parties with various celebrities.
The most controversial section of the film follows Mansfield to the nudist colony on the Isle of Levant, where she is shown sunbathing topless and almost joins in on a game of beach volleyball. This section of the film caused outrage and was cut from many releases.
In Paris, Mansfield gets a beauty treatment from Fernand Aubrey and attends some racy dance revues. In New York and Los Angeles, she visits some topless clubs and listens to a topless all-girl pop band.
The film ends with some posthumous footage of Mansfield's family in mourning after her tragic death in a car accident in 1967. Overall, The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield is a voyeuristic look at the life of a Hollywood sex symbol during the 1960s.
