Inspiration (1915 film)

Inspiration is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by George Foster Platt and written by Virginia Tyler Hudson and starring Audrey Munson,[1] an artist's model known at the time for posing for several statues in New York City and the 1915 San Francisco Panama–Pacific International Exposition.

It is believed to be one of the first non-pornographic American films to feature full nudity, with Munson frequently appearing naked as a sculptor's model.

Producer Edwin Thanhouser wrote a letter to the editor of The Morning Telegraph to correct that impression: "I wish to state that our five-reel Mutual Masterpiece Inspiration was viewed and passed on by the National Board of Censorship without a single alteration.

The newspaper's reviewer then addressed more directly the controversial elements of the film:Miss Munson's classic beauty and her remarkable poise absolutely remove every suggestion of the objectionable...George Foster Platt, who directed the picture, has used the utmost delicacy producing the picture, and it would have to be a very prudish person who could find any serious objection to the film.

The story is too insignificant to sustain the interest for five reels, but the many beautiful poses of Miss Munson will do more than make up for the lack of a good plot.

"[3] Critics praised the third reel of the film, which details the difficult process of molding Munson's body in plaster for the casting of a sculpture.

"At last true art has stepped into the motion field and it is all due to Audrey Munson, the Panama-Pacific model who has gained much fame about of late owing to her shapely figure," wrote Variety.

Interior of the promotional brochure