Dan Sonney

A documentary about the history of exploitation films that focuses on the careers of legendary producers David F. Friedman and Dan Sonney.

Before the advent of modern-day pornography, a vast and rapidly-paced world of smut peddling was the norm, complete with its own secret history. This documentary reveals the untold story of American cinema's gloriously sordid cinematic past. Starting in the 1920s, expert exploiteer David F. Friedman and Henenlotter navigate us through more than five salacious decades of skin flicks. It's the true story of dirty movies, traced in elegant detail from the bizarre locations where these nudie shorts were screened to the ongoing legal battles fought by their promoters. And of course there are the stories of the innovators themselves, people who often risked their own security and livelihood to make these films, believing in some way that what they were doing wasn't a 'bad' thing - and that it could rake in some dough.

Actor Ned Beatty hosts a look at the genre known as "exploitation" films. Interviews with some of the producers and directors of these films are shown, along with scenes from and trailers for some of these films.

During the Prohibition era, Steve Desmond runs the biggest bootleg liquor distribution operation of Chicago's east side, while dealing with rival Fats Percelli and Temperance Union reformers raiding speakeasies, plus plenty of sex and violence.

Reclining on her chaise lounge in a see-through robe, Lili St. Cyr decides she needs a bubble bath. In a gilded tub fit for Marie Antoinette, she bares all that the law will allow. Then she squeezes into an evening gown and mink coat to paint the town red.

A man is in bed reading Sci-Fi mags, and his wife seduces him. He then falls asleep, and the rest is his dream. He is from an alternate world, and disguises himself as an alien, then boards their ship, to keep them from attacking his planet. The captain is a woman, who has two lesbian encounters with her crew, and whips one of them for trying to have sex with our hero. All of the women are anxious to seduce our hero, as the other two men on the ship are not very exciting. Our hero forces a landing on an asetroid (actually the outskirts of Palmdale, California) and everyone runs around topless and has sex. He then blows up the alien ship in the worst special effects explosion.

A burlesque stage show at the Follies Theater in Los Angeles, California, featuring the original Hubba-Hubba Girl, Evelyn West.

A private detective journeys to Africa to find a legenday white gorilla. The gorilla turns out to be an escaped Nazi war criminal.

Two naturist girls spend an afternoon in the sun.

Kissy Hill, the daughter of a notorious madam in 19th Century London, follows in her late mother's footsteps with prostitution in catering to various upper class gentlemen.

People engage in recreational activities outdoors while naked.

A short burlesque act with comedians and strippers, shot in 3D

Filmed record of a burlesque show, with Sunny Knight ("The Golden Girl of the Golden West") as the headliner.

Man takes Hindu potion to make himself invisible.