Constance Towers, born in 1933, is an American actress known for her compelling performances in cult cinema. In The Naked Kiss (1964), she delivers a striking portrayal that captures the essence of the film's provocative narrative. With a career that spans several decades, Towers' work in this film exemplifies her ability to navigate the complexities of exploitation and giallo genres. Her role contributes to the film's reputation as a cornerstone of 1960s American indie cinema, solidifying her place in the annals of cult film history.
The Naked Kiss
Kelly is a prostitute who arrives by bus in the small town of Grantville, just one more burg in a long string of quick stops on the run after being chased out of the big city by her former pimp. She engages in a quick tryst with local police captain Griff, who then tells her to stay out of his town and refers her to a cat-house just across the state line. Instead, she decides to give up her illicit lifestyle, becoming a nurse at a hospital for disabled children. Griff doesn't trust reformed prostitutes, however, and continues trying to run her out of town. Kelly falls in love with J.L. Grant, the wealthy scion of the town's founding family, an urbane sophisticate, and Griff's best friend. After a dream-like courtship where even Kelly's admission of her past can't deter Grant, the two decide to marry. It is only after Kelly is able to finally convince Griff that she truly loves Grant and has given up prostitution for good that he agrees to be their best man. Shortly before the wedding, Kelly arrives at Grant's mansion, only to find him on the verge of molesting a small girl. As he grinningly tries to persuade her to marry him, arguing that she too is a deviant, the only one who can understand him, and that he loves her, Kelly kills him by striking him in the head with a phone receiver. Jailed, and under heavy interrogation from Griff, she must convince him and the town that she is telling the truth about Grant's death. Kelly tries to exonerate herself, but the little girl can not be located, and one disappointment follows another, as enemies old and new parade through the jailhouse to defame her. In despair, she is finally able to identify Grant's victim and prove her innocence. She is released, but, now notorious, has to leave town, boarding a bus to her next destination.
