QUEEN OF THE DEUCE

USA 2023 - DCP - 78 minutes, in English

Director: Valerie Kontakos

Screenplay: Valerie Kontakos, Despina Pavlaki

Producers: Ed Barreveld, Valerie Kontakos, Despina Pavlaki

Print Courtesy: Greenwich Entertainment

Do you think you have an interesting and unusual life story? Whatever it is, it’s got nothing on Chelly Wilson’s. She was a Greek immigrant, Jewish grandmother, and a proud owner of porn theaters—both straight and gay—in 1970s New York City. Through audio recordings, Chelly recounts her pre-war escape from Greece up through her unlikely motherhood and rise to wealth as a shrewd businesswoman on New York’s infamous 42nd Street, aka “The Deuce.” Fascinating WWII and NYC archival footage illustrates this entertaining story of a family and its matriarch, a truly unique character with chutzpah in spades, in director Valerie Kontakis’ remarkable biography of a remarkable woman. —KE