London in the Raw
A 1964 documentary on London nightlife inspired by Mondo Cane.
London in the Raw is a 1964 British documentary that explores London's nightlife, directed by Arnold L. Miller and Norman Cohen, with Miller also handling the writing. The film was prompted by the popularity of the 1962 documentary *Mondo Cane*, and it was later followed by a sequel, *Primitive London* (1965). The documentary offers a series of superficial looks at the city's more sordid aspects, covering subjects such as prostitution, betting shops, health clubs, and a hair-transplant procedure. According to co-producer Tony Tenser, the film recovered its production costs within six months of its release. Critical responses were mixed: *Monthly Film Bulletin* described it as a *Mondo Cane* for London, with a focus on the unpleasant and murky, while *Variety* criticized its lack of courage and depth, calling its moralizing weak. Rob Young in *Sight and Sound* noted that the film, like the *Mondo* movies, offers voyeurism under a thin anthropological guise, featuring claustrophobic interiors and shocking scenes. *The Video Librarian* remarked that the filmmakers either missed or ignored the emerging "Swinging London" culture of the era. The British Film Institute released the film on DVD in 2009 as part of its Flipside series.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Arnold L. Miller / Norman Cohen
- Producer
- Michael Klinger / Tony Tenser / Stanley Long
- Writer
- Arnold L. Miller
- Narrator
- David Gell
- Cinematography
- Stanley Long
- Editing
- Stephen Cross
- Studio
- Searchlight-Troubadour Productions
- Distributor
- Compton Cameo
- Released
- 1964
- Runtime
- 76 mins
- Language
- English
- Country
- United Kingdom
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
London in the Raw was produced by Tony Tenser, who stated that the film recouped its cost within six months of release. The documentary was inspired by the Italian mondo film Mondo Cane (1962) and adopts a similar approach of presenting sensational or sordid subject matter under a veneer of anthropological observation. The film's content includes scenes of off-course betting, prostitution in Soho, women using exercise machines, a clinical hair-transplant operation, a Cypriot club, Jewish theatre, a German students' club, cabaret, pub entertainment, after-hours roulette clubs, meths drinkers, and drug addicts waiting at an all-night pharmacy.
Reader's Guide
London in the Raw is significant as an early British example of the mondo documentary genre, capitalizing on the success of Mondo Cane. Its reception was mixed: the Monthly Film Bulletin described it as a 'Mondo Cane of London town' with a bias toward the unpleasant, while Variety criticized its 'catchpenny' title and lack of depth, noting that the moralizing was weak. Rob Young in Sight and Sound compared its voyeuristic style to the Mondo films, highlighting its claustrophobic interiors and grotesque close-ups. The Video Librarian observed that the film-makers were either too early or slipshod to acknowledge the 'Swinging London' culture. The film was released on DVD by the British Film Institute in 2009 as part of its Flipside series, ensuring its preservation as a historical artifact of 1960s British documentary filmmaking.
Did You Know?
- The film was inspired by the success of Mondo Cane (1962).
- The film includes a sequence showing a clinical operation to check baldness.
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