The 1970s were a transition period from the Woodstock years of the 1960s.
There was a sexual revolution that continued to grow and became more evident in New York City.
In 1977, Larry Levinson, a man with very little money, managed to get a loan to start a straight swingers club in New York City called Plato’s Retreat. It was a place to socialize and meet new people. It was also a place to dance to the rhythm of the disco. But what it was most famous for was being a sex club.
American Swing is a documentary featuring candid interviews with former club attendees, former club employees, and friends (now decades older) of the club’s owner (Larry Levinson). You’ll also see plenty of real-life footage of the actual activity that was the norm at the club.
Many of the interviews were extremely candid in a sense, but also humorous recollections of his experiences at the club.
Plato’s Retreat garnered local and national attention from shows like The Phil Donahue Show. Larry seemed to be enjoying the attention and was on top of the world.
Plato’s Retreat was a secret world brought to the public. It was the talk of the town and was a hot spot for celebrities. Larry’s vision was to market the swingers club to the general public by opening clubs in various cities across the country.
As ambitious as his vision was, the United States simply wasn’t ready.
In the 1980s, Americans began to have different views on sex, especially when AIDS became a concern. The very sad and ridiculous decline of Plato’s Retreat and its owner has come to an end. It was the end of an era.
From the point of view of watching an interesting documentary for entertainment purposes and general information about the club, this would be a great documentary to watch. It’s definitely not a family movie, but it’s great to watch with your adult partner or friends who you might think might be interested in learning about this very interesting club.
Don’t expect to be blown away by this documentary. But what I feel like this movie is a wonderful throwback to a very interesting time period that will never be duplicated.
This movie can be purchased or rented on Amazon. You can also rent this movie on Netflix or Blockbuster.
