In an age of tan lines and untrimmed pubic hair, on the corner of Broadway and West 73rd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in the basement of the ornate 19th century building that was and is the historic Ansonia, Larry Levenson opened Plato’s Retreat in 1977. It was and remains the most famous sex club in American history.

"American Swing," directed by Jon Hart and Mathew Kaufman, is an engaging and fascinating documentary about Plato’s Retreat and Levenson.  For historical significance and intrinsic charm, it ranks alongside the documentaries of Ken Burns and Errol Morris any day. The work done here is clearly the result of countless hours of exhaustive research and production. Refreshingly, the documentary makes the point repeatedly that all body types could be found at Plato’s, reminding us that all people are sexual beings. This movie needed to be made if only to promote that one message.

Click here for images from Plato’s Retreat. 

One is overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and fondness displayed for the place and time by practically all of the people interviewed. Notable exceptions include former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, who closed it and who never attended, and adult-entertainment journalist Al Goldstein, who not only attended but loved the buffet.

"American Swing" makes great use of rare material: some vintage and, at times, very explicit footage shot in the club; period television interviews conducted by David Susskind and Phil Donahue; and interviews with a cavalcade of celebrities, pundits and many of the people from the suburbs of Long Island and New Jersey, happily parading like a tableau from an X-rated Billy Joel song. 

The Grippos, a married couple who worked as managers for the club, in many ways represent the heart of most of those who attended the club, swingers and the curious alike, who arguably numbered in the thousands in the course of its eight-year existence.

Its success and notoriety would rival Studio 54’s. Levenson, who formerly worked for his family’s meat-packing business, would be catapulted into the role of a celebrity, which he embraced. He was the self-fashioned King of Swing, and his defense of the swinger’s lifestyle is smoothly and charismatically delivered again and again in clip after clip. 

Critics cite loveless narcissistic qualities of the club and how it reflected on Levenson’s own nature. While this impacted his own close relationships (his Queen of Swing, Mary, leaves after a time), his presence only seemed to catalyze the mood for everyone else. 

Even during his absence — serving almost three years for income-tax evasion from skimming Plato’s cash receipts — Plato’s endured. Problems with drugs and prostitution in the club developed, however, and soon after his release from prison, the AIDS epidemic prompted a closing of all bath houses in New York City. Levenson’s Plato’s Retreat permanently closed its doors on January 31, 1985.

Click here for images from Plato’s Retreat.