Aarcflick

There's nothing like discovering that a place I once considered a dangerous dumping ground for humanity actually represented resistance, resilience, and survival. The first time I walked down 42nd Street was in the 1980s, when it had become, as someone said, “more dangerous than being a soldier in Vietnam.” I should have known there was much more to the story of The Deuce, as 42nd Street is called, than the drug addicts, sex workers, peep shows and street violence that plagued it at the time. In the documentary Queen of the Deuce, director, writer and producer Valerie Kontakos reveals the importance of a pioneering woman, tough Greek immigrant Chelly Wilson, in its development as a porn mecca. She also puts into perspective how Wilson's success represented much more than simply making a lot of money in a business that the average American considers immoral or distasteful. Director: Valerie Kontakos Writers: Valerie Kontakos, Despina Pavlaki, Christos Asteriou Stars: Chelly Wils...