Hi Babe,

Have you seen that picture my mom has of me wearing nothing but my birthday suit? Well, I hope you haven't seen it (I've been bribing my mother every time she threatens to release it). I mean, even at six months, I wasn't too show-offish about doing nude scenes.

Now that almost all the movies playing have nude scenes in them, I've been pondering in my mind whether or not I'd do one if I was asked. Like I'm sure you won't see me on a bearskin rug in the next episode of "Here Come The Brides" - or any episode for that matter - but the day might come when I'd be asked to do a nude scene for a movie.

NUDE SCENES FOR ME? - I bet Michael Burns bit his lip more than once when he finally decided to do several scenes in the raw for "That Cold Day In The Park." Believe me, I'd go through so many changes I'd have trouble counting them. But in the final analysis, I think I'd take off everything and lay right there on a bearskin rug!

Ah ha! Got you upset, don't I? Let me explain before you go shrieking off to the nearest police station!

Yes, I would do a nude scene providing (maybe I should put that in capitals) PROVIDING that the picture was in good taste (that should go in capitals too) GOOD TASTE.

SPECIAL CASES - I would agree to take off my clothes in front of a camera if:

1. my appearing in the raw helps the story. I would make sure the nude scenes were absolutely necessary.

2. if it would help the audience to understand the character. In "Goodbye Columbus," for example, the boy and girl characters take a shower together, but it's purely to show the new self freedom they had over their parents' generation.

3. if the scenes were important in explaining the love between the characters. "Romeo and Juliet" is the movie which probably best explains what I mean by this.

On the other hand, I would not do a nude scene if the movie fell down on any of the above points. That's when nude scenes become pure exploitation instead of pure art. And that's no good. But what's the difference, you might ask, between a good love scene and a bad one?

GOOD AND BAD SCENES - Well, I've given you examples of good movies and now here's my version of an exploitation movie:

The plot centers around a peace demonstration at Berkeley. Most of the participants are long-haired and all are sitting-in to protest the involvement of the U.S. government in the Vietnam war. The kids sit there throughout the day. When night comes, suddenly everyone starts smoking marijuana and the real exploitation begins!

Bongos are somehow whipped into the crowd and pretty soon there's a heavy beat and girls start tearing their clothes off and soon the guys join them. Everyone is rolling around together, having a rather good time, and the camera focuses on one couple and what they're doing.

Now, see what I mean? That's exploitation! You don't have to include a nude love scene in a movie about peace demonstrations at Berkeley. It isn't that necessary to the plot or to understand the characters. And especially not in the midst of an orgy scene.

PICTURED TRUE LOVE - Compare a movie like the one I just described (don't worry - no one's filming it) with "Elvira Madigan." I think that movie was the ultimate in showing pure love between two people. In fact, thinking back on it, I remember how much in love the characters were, but I'm hard pressed to remember if there was a nude scene...that's how nude scenes should be handled. They should fit in so well with the story that they shouldn't be outstanding, just natural.

Like I said before, I'm not the type of person who would gladly strip in public just for the sake of doing so. I mean, there was actually a student at Berkeley who did that saying "I just wanted to take off my clothes for the sake of stripping in public...to prove that it's not nasty or ugly."

Well, he's basically right but people do wear clothes for a purpose and going around without them is illegal and frankly, I'd get very cold without mine. But still, if the part was presented to me and it was a good movie and an excellent part and it called for a nude scene, I'd do it.

Sure, I'd be embarrassed and all, but I am above all things an actor and I believe in my craft.

How would you feel if you were an actress? I bet, when it came right down to it, you'd do the same. Would you? Let me know how you feel about the subject!

Until we're together,

Love,
Bobby