September 11, 2025
FILM: NAKED AMBITION
DIRECTED BY: DENNIS SCHOLL, KAREEM TABSCH
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
If the name Bunny Yeager means nothing to you then you are not alone. In fact, the focus of the documentary Naked Ambition is to profile the now forgotten 20th Century photographer who is said to have opened up the doors for women to be seen as sexual beings. Okay, you might ask, “is that a good thing?” Well, filmmakers Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch make the case that Yeager gave women a chance to be something outside of their homes. During the 1950s, when popular culture seemed to suggest women belonged in the kitchen, Yeager allowed them an outlet to express themselves in an entirely new way.
Yeager was a model in the 1940s before she became interested in photography. One of her most famous subjects was Bettie Page. Yeager’s photos of her were noticed by Hugh Heffner of Playboy Magazine and soon she was shooting a number of women, often in the nude. As such, School and Tabsch suggest that Yeager was at the forefront of the evolving depiction of women in the magazine and our culture in general. Eventually, her time in the sun faded as both Playboy and Hustler took their photos to new levels of what some might deem as “pornographic.”
The filmmakers do a fairly nice job of showing some of the highlights of Yeager’s career, from a myriad of her photos to various archival and home movie footage. Particularly interesting is a clip from the old TV game show To Tell the Truth in which Yeager is interviewed and labeled a “cheesecake photographer.” The chronology of events in her life gets a bit muddled at times though, moving back and forth throughout the 1950s and then leaping ahead by more than a decade. There’s also a lack of detail about any other women that might have photographed their own gender before Yeager. She is said to the be first but we do know that there were plenty of women filmmakers, for instance, from earlier decades that have only recently been given credit for their work behind the camera.
Nevertheless, it’s clear from the documentary that Yeager had an impact on the culture. Several former models, burlesque performers, and other photographers are interviewed to add to Yeager’s story. Also discussing her are the now late Heffner as well as Larry King who seemed to know a lot about Yeager. Some of her descendants also discuss her legacy and share their own stories about her, including the tragic death of her husband, financial hardships, and legal troubles. While these are not given a lot of detail they present a wider picture of how hard it was for someone like Yeager to sustain her initially lucrative career.
While the film may not leave a lasting impression on some viewers, it does offer a history of a particular woman doing some niche and overtly sexual photography in a fairly conservative climate. The filmmakers suggest that she may have influenced entire generations of people who have created specialized moods and settings in their own photos. Because she also shot pictures of herself, she may have, for better or worse, initiated in the era of selfies we now find on playgrounds such as Instagram.
Naked Ambition is opening in limited release this weekend, including the Music Box Theater in Chicago where there will be a special screening on Monday, September 15th including a “burlesque” pre-show. For details, go to https://musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-events/naked-ambition.
FILM: NAKED AMBITION
DIRECTED BY: DENNIS SCHOLL, KAREEM TABSCH
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
If the name Bunny Yeager means nothing to you then you are not alone. In fact, the focus of the documentary Naked Ambition is to profile the now forgotten 20th Century photographer who is said to have opened up the doors for women to be seen as sexual beings. Okay, you might ask, “is that a good thing?” Well, filmmakers Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch make the case that Yeager gave women a chance to be something outside of their homes. During the 1950s, when popular culture seemed to suggest women belonged in the kitchen, Yeager allowed them an outlet to express themselves in an entirely new way.
Yeager was a model in the 1940s before she became interested in photography. One of her most famous subjects was Bettie Page. Yeager’s photos of her were noticed by Hugh Heffner of Playboy Magazine and soon she was shooting a number of women, often in the nude. As such, School and Tabsch suggest that Yeager was at the forefront of the evolving depiction of women in the magazine and our culture in general. Eventually, her time in the sun faded as both Playboy and Hustler took their photos to new levels of what some might deem as “pornographic.”
The filmmakers do a fairly nice job of showing some of the highlights of Yeager’s career, from a myriad of her photos to various archival and home movie footage. Particularly interesting is a clip from the old TV game show To Tell the Truth in which Yeager is interviewed and labeled a “cheesecake photographer.” The chronology of events in her life gets a bit muddled at times though, moving back and forth throughout the 1950s and then leaping ahead by more than a decade. There’s also a lack of detail about any other women that might have photographed their own gender before Yeager. She is said to the be first but we do know that there were plenty of women filmmakers, for instance, from earlier decades that have only recently been given credit for their work behind the camera.
Nevertheless, it’s clear from the documentary that Yeager had an impact on the culture. Several former models, burlesque performers, and other photographers are interviewed to add to Yeager’s story. Also discussing her are the now late Heffner as well as Larry King who seemed to know a lot about Yeager. Some of her descendants also discuss her legacy and share their own stories about her, including the tragic death of her husband, financial hardships, and legal troubles. While these are not given a lot of detail they present a wider picture of how hard it was for someone like Yeager to sustain her initially lucrative career.
While the film may not leave a lasting impression on some viewers, it does offer a history of a particular woman doing some niche and overtly sexual photography in a fairly conservative climate. The filmmakers suggest that she may have influenced entire generations of people who have created specialized moods and settings in their own photos. Because she also shot pictures of herself, she may have, for better or worse, initiated in the era of selfies we now find on playgrounds such as Instagram.
Naked Ambition is opening in limited release this weekend, including the Music Box Theater in Chicago where there will be a special screening on Monday, September 15th including a “burlesque” pre-show. For details, go to https://musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-events/naked-ambition.