Search - Naked in the Night (aka Madeleine Tel. 13 62 11) (English-Dubbed Version) on DVD

Lurid German exploitation drama with Eva Bartok

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 05/16/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"NAKED IN THE NIGHT (aka "Madeleine Tel. 13 62 11" in it's native Germany) is a good but not outstanding exploitation thriller set in the world of high-class hookers and their corrupt managers.



Criminology student Karin (Sabine Sesselmann) goes undercover as a call-girl when she discovers that her old school chum Madeleine (Eva Bartok) is mixed up in the shady prostitute ring run by opportunistic Madam Clavius (Ilse Steppat). It's a thin plot but the performances are fine. The English-language dubbed version is quite excellent, with only marginal differences in the original dialogue.



The print featured on Alpha's DVD is very basic, with lots of duping and haze. I've got a sneaking suspicion that a couple of reels are out of order too, because the movie doesn't make sense in a few scenes (eg: Madeleine and her boyfriend break up and in the next scene they go on an outing together; and there's no scene where Karin approaches Clavius for a job). However, you can still follow the story so it's not a big issue in the long run.



Good title for Eva Bartok and "krimi" fans."

CARELESS DVD HIDES GOOD FILM !

Marcos | 09/13/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"[...].



In this release of "Naked in the Night" a first viewing will probably leave you puzzled. Somebody transposed the order of the film and you'll have to re-arrange the plot on your head. This is plain inexcusable! They ought to be ashamed at Alpha Home for pushing crap like that. On the other hand both the video and sound are acceptable and you find yourself wondering what could have been if the manufacturer had exercised a little tender loving care on the product.



You see, "Naked in the Night" without being classic fare is an interesting 1958 West Germany production dealing with call girls, prostitution and the complexities of love and friendship. I suspect that the producers just aimed at a quickie sex-exploitation film for the drive-in crowds. This is back in the days when the film industry was experimenting with a more relaxed censorship which allowed the handling of taboo subjects and the showing of more bare skin. In this movie the only naked person is an exotic dancer who does her thing topless. Surprisingly, "Naked in the Night" boasts a sensible script, sensitive direction by actor-director Kurt Meisel and excellent performances by the beautiful Eva Bartok and the rest of the cast resulting in a film that will capture your interest and leave you satisfied. If only they would provide a restored, re-mastered version....and yes, with all the scenes in the proper order! By the way, the notes on the case describe Miss Bartok as a German actress... actually she was Hungarian."