Fionnula Flanagan very naked in James Joyce’s Women (1985) and topless in Mr. Patman (1980)

I thought Fionnula would provide the ultimate answer to a previous discussion:

Actresses with a long career but only one real nude one… but that nude role VERY nude. They only did it once but that once was all in.

In this one she masturbated on camera for nine minutes, while reciting a long monologue from Ulysses. Now, THAT is commitment to a role. This is another film that should have a 4K release. There is no HD version, to my knowledge.

Unfortunately, I had had to rule her out for the category. I had forgotten that she was topless in Mr. Patman. In its way, this is a very similar scene, with Fionnula reciting a monologue the entire time. For me, Fionnula, a terrific actress, telling naughty stories in that beautiful Irish accent is unbelievably hot! How could I have forgotten this great scene?

(And there’s no HD version of that one either, to my knowledge.)

Mr. Patman represents an odd lull in James Coburn’s career. Earlier he had been popular as the smug tough guy in a variety of tongue-in-cheek westerns and spy flicks. Nearly two decades later he won an Oscar for his dramatic role as an abusive father in Affliction. This one came in between, when he was trying to transition from the snarky confines of his established screen persona into mature dramatic roles. Although his performances are not generally known for sensitivity and compassion, this low-budget Canadian film gave him the opportunity to stretch his range a bit by playing a tender, charming night orderly who treats mental health patients with a gentle, matter-of-fact grace. That may not have been great casting, but Coburn did bring a certain charisma and a touch of his characteristic swagger to the part, and that gave the character some nuances that were not on the written page.

Although the Patman character has the respect of patients and doctors alike, and enough of a grasp on reality to seduce two competent women, it is apparent that the line between the sanity of this orderly and that of his patients is a thin one. In a surprise ending that surprises nobody since it has been telegraphed in many ways, he ends up checking himself in as a patient.

Author Tom Hedley has an odd resume at IMDb. He is credited with scripting more than one film per year in the early 80s, but wrote absolutely nothing for the screen afterwards, having turned his talents to live theater. The acme of his film career, such as it was, was sharing a Razzie nomination with the legendary Joe Eszterhas for their co-authorship of Flashdance. Some thirty years later, Hedley finally realized his dream of creating “Flashdance, The Musical,” which had quite a successful run in the UK, was popular in Europe, and had a multi-year tour in the USA, although it never reached Broadway.

Flashdance may have been nominated for a Razzie, but it also won Oscar nods, resonated with audiences, and had legs. On the other hand, Mr. Patman accomplished virtually nothing. If you don’t remember this film, you are a member of a very large club. As these words are typed, Mr. Patman has a whopping 76 votes at IMDb, which is one of the lowest totals I’ve ever seen for a feature film starring a major actor. To add some perspective, the obscure Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness has 329 votes! Patman has been forgotten for good reason. The script is just not particularly engaging. The whole production has a sincere, indie vibe, and is obviously intended as a character study, but it doesn’t really have a clear story line to buttress the character development enough to hold the interest of audiences. In other words, don’t expect “Mr. Patman, the Musical” any time soon.

By the way, Fionnula Flanagan is still alive, and still working full-time at age 83.