‘Queen of the Deuce’ Review: A Fun Footnote About a Behind-The-Scenes Mogul of the Sexual Revolution
variety.comDennis Harvey Film Critic Over half a century ago, movies were changing at warp speed, with censorship boundaries falling and artistic ones expanding, as remembered from such game-changers as “Bonnie and Clyde,” “I Am Curious (Yellow)” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.” You probably do not remember the likes of “Whip’s Women,” “Come Ride the Wild Pink Horse,” “Once Upon a Body” or “Scare Their Pants Off!” — and good luck finding them now, since many such disposable late-1960s “adults only” features are assumed lost now.
But they, too, made the ’60s “swing,” while making fortunes for individuals like the subject of “Queen of the Deuce.” Valerie Kontakos’ documentary is about a singular character, one Chelly Wilson.
She was the unlikely queenpin of the 42nd St. porn emporiums that flourished for a couple decades, until home video and other factors led to their gradual demise.
Entering the biz when softcore had not yet turned to hardcore — though she was unruffled when it did — this larger-than-life Greek émigré had a history even more dramatic than her associates knew.
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