From producer Dick Randall (ESCAPE FROM WOMEN’S PRISON, PIECES) comes the notorious Mondo mash-up in which a Jayne Mansfield sound-alike narrates footage of Jayne being chased by paparazzi in Rome, wearing bikinis in Cannes and partying with drag queens in Paris, before suddenly veering into graphic photos of her horrific accident and a posthumous tour of her Hollywood mansion. Mickey Hargitay co-stars in this “deranged kaleidoscope of titillating insanity” (Film Threat), scanned from the 35mm Something Weird archival print.

Tyler’s Take (3 / 5)

If you are looking for a fluffy exploration of the life and adventures of one of America’s first sex symbols, the first 95% of this film might be for you.

Shot entirely in 35 MM on location in Paris, Rome, New York and Los Angeles, this 4K transfer to Blu-Ray flows in the vein of mondo-documentary films, which spiked in popularity in the late 60s. The genre saw a brief resurgence in the late 70s and 80s, especially with the release of the Faces of Death franchise but has mostly gone by the wayside in terms of mainstream popularity since then. In typical mondo fashion, most of the scenes are filmed to look like a documentary but are actually staged moments with actors.

Directors Charles W. Broun, Jr., Joel Hold, and Arthur Knight successfully add to the canon of mondo-documentaries with The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield. The transfer itself is beautifully done, transporting viewers to what I can only imagine is an authentic feel of being in a 1968 movie theater. The film is cracked with lines running throughout, which was a common side effect of 35MM, especially when shot on an extremely low budget. But enough about the tech; let’s get into the sex.

Jayne Mansfield was known as one of America’s original “dumb blondes.” Her wispy voice and hourglass figure almost exactly mirror that of Marilyn Monroe, the “other” sex symbol of the time. Her appearance in Playboy Magazine and her numerous films highlighted her…um….assets. As one can expect of a movie about Mansfield in 1968, it is chock full of nudity. So. Much. Nudity. The film actually garnered an X rating at the time, even though all the exposure is primarily from the waist up. If released today, this would be an R rating from the MPAA.

The topics covered in the film are decades ahead of their time, as Mansfield narrates over her experiences in various countries and cities. From hetero and homosexual prostitution in Rome, to visiting in a bar in Paris where men and women dress as the opposite sex, to a “bust competition” in Paris where women representing different countries displayed their ta-tas (I disagreed with the judge’s decision), to a friend teaching her how to be a stripper in New York, to a “Transvestite Ball” beauty contest in Los Angeles. While some of this was silly and fun, there were some poignant moments of progressive thinking that reflected the 1960s perfectly and foreshadowed some of the tense subjects of discussion occurring today. Through all these visits, Mansfield constantly reminds us that people who want to be different have every right to be different. In once instance during the beauty contest when the winner is crowned, Mansfield expresses her struggle with determining how to address the person. Finally, she states, “Let’s call him a girl. That’s what he wants to be.” Even in 1967 people understood the significance of trying to address people by the proper pronouns based on how they identified.

That’s the first 95% of the film. Watching Mansfield and her dog, Choo-choo navigate the underworld (and overworld) of some of the most high-profile cities in the Western world at the time. The movie then sharply turns dark, as the last ten minutes review the tragic death of Mansfield in a car accident in 1967 at the age of 34. In typical mondo fashion, there are real pictures from the crime scene included, and real shots of her loved ones struggling to move on. The pictures are gruesome and include shots of everyone who was in the car when the accident occurred, including her dogs. Be prepared for that because I was not. The extras include an interview with biographer Blanche Barton called, “The Devil and Jayne.” Besides finding out that Mansfield was studying to become a witch (true story), it also discusses her marriage to her lawyer, Sam Brody, who was apparently a jerk and controlling. He was in the car with Jayne and her dogs when the accident happened. Everyone in the car was killed.

Overall, this was a unique type of film for me to review. There was no plot of course, but the “twist” at the end was damn good. The entire vibe changed. If I were to go back now and re-watch it, I’m sure it would have a more haunting feel. As it was, the topics were interesting, but knowing most of it was likely staged takes away some of the shock value. I think this genre requires that you suspend belief and accept it as real. The extras were so-so, as the interview was really short and didn’t get into the details of Mansfield’s fascination with the occult, and the other extra was a bonus feature called, Wild, Weird, Wonderful Italians, another mondo-documentary about—you guessed it—Italians. This one is a bit more dated, as the topics reinforce all the stereotypes of Italian men that you’ve ever heard, and also has one disturbing scene where the men in the family are pushing a virgin female family member, with the narrator explaining the various methods of courtship in Italy. The entire focus is on women having children and men showing how physically strong they are. It just felt uncomfortable and creepy.

Overall, an interesting look into what made Jayne Mansfield tick, and then a graphic look at what made her stop ticking at the end. The extras are disappointing, but the film fits snugly in this genre. If you’re already a mondo fan and enjoy stalking celebrities on Instagram and twitter, then this may be the movie for you.

Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?

Tyler says: Hidden Treasure!

Tyler's Take:	(3.0 / 5)
Blu-ray Extras:	(2.0 / 5)
Average:	(2.5 / 5)

• SD Video Master Version of Feature
• The Devil & Jayne: Interview with Anton LaVey Biographer Blanche Barton
• BONUS MOVIE: Wild, Weird, Wonderful Italians (966 Italian Mondo, scanned from 35mm print from the Something Weird archives)
• Trailer