INT. SUGAR SHACK - NIGHT - STAGE SHOW
Dana leaves the STAGE and reenters the dressing room to
reassure GUY and LARRY that everything will be alright.
The crowd is resoundingly receptive to Elliot's show.
DANA looks out on the stage from behind the curtain and a
reflective mood overcomes her face.
DANA (V.O.)
The rest of the show went so well
that there was no doubt in my mind
that I had stumbled onto something.
The ladies in the audience were
screaming and excited, but in a
wholesome way, more about play than
sex. The guys dancing for them
triggered something, opened a
release valve for them to vent
generations of pent-up frustration
at their role in society--so often
serving the needs of men. My guys
turned that around, feeding fuel
for their movement for gender
equality. If I was right, why
weren't more women coming to the
club. I had to keep my female
dancers because many of my
customers were coming from the
Playboy Resort just a few miles
from the Sugar Shack, so during the
week the gals danced for the guys,
but on the weekends we had
alternating shows featuring the
guys. On those nights I got an
earful from the men being seated in
the club along with the primarily
female audience as the male exotic
show begins.
CUSTOMER
You mean I've got to sit through
some fags on stage in order to see
some tits?
As more of the MALE CUSTOMERS joined in complaining Dana
takes the STAGE to calm things down.
DANA
Obviously the men in our audience
are not pleased with the show so
far. I’m going to make a special
exception this evening. You ladies
can pick out one of the men at that
table over there who you’d like to
see come up here to dance and take
his clothes off and then, if he
does, I’ll buy your table drinks
for the rest of the evening.
DANA (V.O.)
That usually did the trick,
shutting up the loudmouth hecklers,
especially if the ladies picked one
of them out and he refused to go on
stage. It worked, but more than
that, we all had fun with it. Our
male dancers even made a point to
talk to the hecklers after the show
in the spirit of everyone present
having a good time with what we
were doing. As our reputation
spread, I started getting calls.
VOICE 1
I heard about your place from a
woman who has recently been there.
DANA
Oh, really, may I know who it was?
VOICE 1
I can't really say, but, well, tell
me about it, what kind of place is
it, what kind of dancing do the
guys do?
While Dana is on the phone in her office, the audio shifts
to Dana's voice over explaining the confusing feelings most
women were experiencing during the early days of the Sugar
Shack MALE EXOTIC REVIEW. When Dana hangs up, the voice over
continues as Dana heads to the DRESSING ROOM to adjust the
costume on one of the dancers before heading to the stage to
direct changes to Elliot's routine.
DANA (V.O.)
I tried to make my description as
enticing as possible, but it wasn’t
like actually watching Elliot, Guy,
or Larry strut their sassy stuff on
stage. It was all somehow naughty
and innocently forbidden—like
sneaking into a speakeasy during
prohibition. People were routinely
whispering and concealing their
identities when speaking to me
about the club. Women were having a
difficult time admitting to
themselves, and others, that they
wanted to experience male
stripping. I wanted to tell them,
hey, don’t you realize your
husbands have been doing this sort
of thing forever? Now, it’s our
turn! It amounted to admitting to
being sexually curious—a trait only
sanctioned for men in our culture.
Despite their inhibitions, the
calls kept coming in and the crowds
kept growing for each show. It was
becoming obvious that women wanted
to stroke their sexual fantasies
just like men. The Sugar Shack was
providing a public forum to do just
that. There was strength in numbers
and women felt more secure as part
of a group enjoying this new outlet
for their sensual passions and
their growing sense of equality in
a society finally learning from
feminist values while also reaping
the rewards of the recent civil
rights legislation. The concept of
male strippers had proven itself,
but I couldn’t say it had really
caught on yet. I felt that given
proper media exposure we could make
it in a big way. I wrote a letter
to Rick Kogan of the Chicago
Sun-Times explaining the innovative
thing we were doing at the Sugar
Shack. He was the Nightlife
columnist for the paper. A few days
later, I gave him a follow-up call
and he answered.
RICK KOGAN
Yes, I got your letter, but are you
serious about this being good
wholesome fun.
DANA
It is...it is...and I wish you'd
come up and see for yourself.
RICK KOGAN
Whoa...hold on there...I might be
able to use a piece about the club
but I'm not going to drive all that
way to see some male
strippers...thanks but no thanks.
DANA
Rick, you just have to be here, see
the innocent joy in how the ladies
react, this is about way more than
guys taking their clothes off.
While Dana is musing, scenes of her walking into newspaper
offices, shots of printed stories about the Sugar Shack in
the newspaper, more scenes of the GUYS DANCING while the
GALS GO WILD, but all in good fun.
DANA (V.O.)
No matter what I said, he wasn't
convinced. I knew this was
something special...you had to see
the look in their eyes, it wasn't
lust, it was pure fun, excitement,
and enchantment. Not know whether
Rick would come or not I kept
reaching out to more local media.
Whenever they published an article,
business picked up, but even the
most well written accounts just
couldn't capture the magic of the
moment. Business was good and
growing but to spark more interest
I had the guys do a flash of
entirely nude at the end of their
show, which was allowed by the
local authorities.
INT. SUGAR SHACK - AUDITORIUM (1978)
Dana has called a meeting of the MALE DANCERS just before a
rehearsal about her idea to have the guys go totally NUDE
for a tease flash.
DANA
Gentlemen, things are going well,
I'm pleased with how you are
conducting yourselves, how you
look, the costumes and themes, but
you know as well as I do that
there's room to grow our audience,
so here's what we're going to do
ELLIOT
(he interrupts)
Dana, what's this about, the only
thing we haven't done for you on
stage is give blood.
DANA
Now, now, boys, this won't be that
bad, but I feel it's something we
have to do. In this club, you know
the girls go nude and let's face
it, that draws in customers who
can't have that experience in other
clubs.
LARRY
Oh, Dana, you can't be serious,
first you fine us for an erection
during a show and now this! What
makes you think the ladies will
want to see some guy's limp dick in
the first place.
GUY
I don't know, Dana, the dancing is
one thing, but how much of a
beating can the male ego take...are
you sure about this?
DANA
Look, guys, you're not going to
pose in the nude like some Greek
statue, it's just going to be a
brief flash, you know, like
burlesque, it will be over so fast
that most of the women won't even
remember seeing anything. If we
want to keep this thing we've come
up with going, we have to fill the
auditorium, it's that simple.
DANA (V.O.)
The boys knew better than to
challenge me, and soon we were
practicing just how to end each of
their shows. I didn't want to shock
or upset the ladies, but rather I
knew it was something they really
couldn't see anywhere else and I
was hoping they would tell their
friends, spread the word, and build
up our audiences. This was the '70s
and most women had only seen their
husband's penis. I wanted to give
them something to fantasize about.
We presented an entertaining sexual
playground free from any danger,
contact, or emotional
entanglements. It was delightful
fantasy fulfillment. I still hadn't
hooked the media and so kept
calling the Chicago Sun-Times.
INT. SUGAR SHACK - DANA'S OFFICE (1978)
Dana decides to call RICK KOGAN again, this time while an
actual SHOW was going on. He seemed friendly enough and I
got the feeling he was taking notes. Next, I called him
during another actual show and held the phone out to the
audience so he could hear the ladies screaming and clapping
in response to one of the male dancers.
DANA
Did you get my letter?
RICK KOGAN
Yes...so what's all that racket I'm
hearing?
DANA
One of my guys, Larry Slade, is on
stage and the ladies in the
audience can barely contain
themselves!
RICK KOGAN
I have to admit, it certainly
sounds like they're having a good
time!
DANA
So...when are you going to come by
and see for yourself?
RICK KOGAN
Look...maybe I'll be in the area
some night and stop in, but no
promises.
INT. SUGAR SHACK - AUDITORIUM (1978)- two months later
Another night of SUGAR SHACK fun for the ladies in
attendance, a modest crowd, Dana is stressing over a problem
with Elliot's costume, then it happened, Dana looks over to
the entrance to the auditorium and sees two women
accompanied by a gentleman. He spotted Dana and walked right
up to her.
RICK KOGAN
I don’t know if you remember me,
it’s been awhile. I’m Rick Kogan
from the Chicago Sun-Times.
DANA
Well, it certainly took you long
enough!
INT. SUGAR SHACK - AUDITORIUM BACKSTAGE
Dana excuses herself and rushes backstage to spread the word
that Rick Kogan arrived.
DANA
Everybody, listen up, remember me
telling you about Rick Kogan from
the Chicago Sun-Times, that I've
been asking him to come to the
club.
MALE DANCER
Who is this guy again?
DANA
All you need to know, he is the
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, he can put the
Sugar Shack on the map. Well he is
here and we've got to make an
impression, I've insisted over and
over that what we're doing is all
in good fun, so keep it especially
clean tonight and don't do anything
that might upset Rick...he’s
sitting at booth number seven, so
play up to the ladies he’s with and
make your show something really
special tonight. This is so
important, guys, and oh, there will
be hell to pay if anything goes
wrong!
INT. SUGAR SHACK - NIGHT - STAGE SHOW
Dana heads back to the auditorium, sits back, and keeps a
keen eye on Rick and the ladies he's with who are taking in
the revolutionary new entertainment offering for women. He
is taking NOTES on his NAPKIN and comes over several times
to ask Dana some questions. She waits ten minutes, then goes
over to Rick.
DANA
So, what do the girls think of the
dancers?
RICK KOGAN
To be honest, they're a little
scared of them...and keep telling
me to not let the guys get too
close to them.
(everybody laughs)
DANA
Did you stop to think that perhaps
they might have more fun if you
weren't here, Rick?
RICK KOGAN
You know, I think you're right
about that!
DANA (V.O.)
Luck was with me. I couldn’t have
picked the audience to be any more
enthusiastic about the show. We had
a good crowd that night. Rick got
up and mingled with a number of
different women to get their
reaction to what was happening. He
spoke to a group of law students.
One of the girls, a young, pretty,
innocent-looking thing, was
graduating. At another table a
grandmother, mother, and daughter
were celebrating a birthday.
Gathering story ideas, Rick was
fascinated to learn that Larry also
worked as Liberace’s bodyguard and
chauffeur. After the show, he spent
time speaking with each of the
dancers. Before leaving, he stopped
to say goodbye.
RICK KOGAN
Well, Dana, that was something.
DANA
Okay...but is it newsworthy?
RICK KOGAN
Seriously, I can't say, just
yet...but I will let you know.
DANA (V.O.)
I thought the whole experience made
a good impression on Rick, but
weeks went by without hearing from
him. With only male dancers
scheduled, our summer business was
not as brisk as it should have
been. I took a big risk dropping
our female review and I was
starting to panic. Did I make a
major mistake? Would my decision to
present male exotics bankrupt the
Sugar Shack as so many critics
predicted? I knew we needed more
publicity, so I decided to write
Rick Kogan a letter asking him what
he thought of the show. Two days
later I got a call.
RICK KOGAN
Go find a copy of today's
Sun-Times.
DANA
What? Where is it in the paper? Is
it a good story? What did you say?
RICK KOGAN
Hey Dana, what, are you trying to
save yourself the price of the
paper? Go get a copy!
DANA (V.O.)
I raced out of the club, into my
car, and down the road to a nearby
convenience store. I fumbled for
change, tore open the paper, and
there it was spread across an
entire page. The article featured a
black and white illustrated
silhouette of a male dancer and
several women reaching up to him.
The headline read, “Naughty Night
Life!” The article represented the
most publicity I had ever received.
The Chicago Sun-Times was one of
the most famous and widely read
newspapers in the world. Rick’s
article was more than I ever
expected.
INT. SUGAR SHACK - DANA'S OFFICE (1979)
Dana is walking toward her OFFICE in the morning and the
phone is already ringing, the day after the Chicago
Sun-Times article, July 12, 1979, and it is not only
published in the Sun-Times but the next day it was
SYNDICATED all over the country. Dana handles the call, puts
the receiver down, and the phone starts ringing again.
DANA (V.O.)
Remember the first time you rode on
a roller coaster—that feeling you
were on a breathtaking adventure
and there wasn’t anything you could
do to stop it, so you might as well
just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Well, my roller coaster ride, as a
result of the publicity generated
by the Sun-Times article, began
that Thursday morning, July 12,
1979. The telephone started ringing
off the hook. Reservations kept
coming and coming. Among the calls
I took later that day was one from
Rick Kogan. I hadn’t called to
thank him yet, but he wasn’t
concerned about that.
RICK KOGAN
Dana, I thought you’d like to know
that the article received so much
attention it’s being sent across
the country on our syndicated
system, which means it will appear
in over one hundred other major
newspapers!
DANA
That’s incredible, Rick. How can I
ever thank you for everything
you’ve done?
RICK KOGAN
Just doing my job, Dana. Enjoy your
success.
DANA (V.O.)
A week later, calls were still
pouring in. Piled-up reservations
kept the Sugar Shack packed night
after night. The next publicity
bombshell struck the following
week. TIME MAGAZINE ran a story
featuring the Sugar Shack. Hundreds
of supportive women from all over
our part of the country called.
WMAQ Radio in Chicago invited me to
bring the dancers for a live
call-in show scheduled to last two
hours. Then, another call came in
from New York.
NBC NEW YORK OFFICE
This is NBC in New York. I’m the
producer of the Tomorrow Show,
hosted by Tom Snyder. He was
wondering if you’d be interested in
flying to New York and being a
guest on his television show. The
date is August 16th. Would that be
possible?
DANA
ABSOLUTELY!
NBC NEW YORK OFFICE
We’ll fly you out here and have a
limo waiting at the airport to pick
you up. Bring a couple of your
dancers, too.
DANA
Sure, no problem.
DANA (V.O.)
They offered to put us up for the
night in New York, but I explained
we had shows booked and it would be
better for us to go right home
afterward. The taping was scheduled
for five P.M. making it possible
for us to plan on being home in
time for our Sugar Shack
commitments. We’d actually be back
on stage in Lake Geneva before the
Tomorrow Show aired later that
night. The limo dropped us off at
30 Rockefeller Plaza. The show’s
producer escorted us down the long
light-green halls of the building
housing NBC Television.
NBC PRODUCER
Everybody on our staff is really
looking forward to this!
DANA (V.O.)
I just nodded. Larry Slade and
another dancer, Guy Garrett, were
catching stares from every
direction. They did their best to
stay cool. I was petrified. How
would I look on TV? What if I
muffed his questions? What
questions would he ask? What are we
all supposed to say? Would he want
the guys to dance?
NBC PRODUCER ASSISTANT
I imagine you’ve been on television
before?
DANA
Not exactly...
DANA (V.O.)
We waited in what they called the
greenroom, a theatrical term for a
comfortable space to be
uncomfortably anxious. There was a
simple couch and three chairs in
the small room, everything green in
color. We sipped coffee and watched
a television monitor directed at
the empty stage and set being
prepared for the show.
LARRY
Not as fancy as I pictured.
DANA
Hey big shot, five hours ago you
were laying in bed back in farm
country and now you’re in New York
City about to go on national
television and you're complaining
about fancy!
While in the greenroom the set was a flurry of ACTIVITY
getting ready, technicians, script girls, and producers
making last-minute adjustments.
DANA (V.O.)
Suddenly the set was filled with a
flurry of activity; technicians,
script girls, producers, a whole
menagerie of people hustling about
in every direction. Before long,
Tom Snyder appeared as we all
waited nervously in the Green Room
watching the monitor.
GUY
He looks bigger in real life.
DANA
Guy, you're looking at him on the
monitor. You haven’t seen him yet
in real life!
DANA (V.O.)
The show started with the usual
fanfare. We all loved hearing our
names being mentioned on national
television.
TOM SNYDER
Our first guest, Linda Goodman, an
astrologer, is here to share her
insights with us; and in the second
half of the show we have a woman
named Dana Montana and two of her
dancers. Now, these are not
ordinary disco variety dancers.
They are guys who dance naked at a
nightclub owned by Montana in a
little Wisconsin town called Lake
Geneva. What a way to make a
living!
DANA (V.O.)
The crowd applauded. We all just
stared at the television monitor,
hardly able to believe what was
happening. We were a long way from
the obscurity of our life back in
Lake Geneva. Going to the restroom
to freshen up and make sure every
hair was in place, I ran into two
women who worked for NBC Network
News.
NBC NETWORK NETWORK EMPLOYEE 01
You’re Dana Montana, aren’t you?
DANA
Yep, sure am.
NBC NETWORK NETWORK EMPLOYEE 01
You’ve been the talk of the office
since your story broke in Time.
We’re really glad you’re here. It’s
a pleasure to meet someone that
could do what you did, Miss
Montana.
DANA (V.O.)
I was flattered, but without having
fully grasped the greater
implications of what I was doing,
wasn’t quite sure why they were
treating me like a woman who’d
earned a place in the history of
American Feminisim.
DANA
Hey, thanks, but it’s no big deal.
NBC NETWORK NETWORK EMPLOYEE 02
Yes it is. What you’ve done is
fabulous. You’ve made everybody sit
up and take notice. You’ve
liberated women all over the
country.
While Dana is talking scenes of early feminists like Gloria
Steinem and Betty Friedan are shown with actual footage.
Also, show are some examples of women being treated as
second-class citizens--homemaking, secretaries in large
office complexes.
DANA (V.O.)
Before I could thank them they were
out the door. It meant something
hearing their comments. I wanted to
find out who they were so I could
invite them to come to Lake Geneva
and see a show. Looking in the
mirror, I certainly didn’t see
anyone like a Gloria Steinem or a
Betty Friedan. I didn't set out to
make a major contribution to the
women’s liberation movement in
America, but the Sugar Shack
touched a sensitive social nerve in
our culture. Women have been
second-class sexual citizens for so
long. I was giving them a chance to
come out of the closet and express
their right to sexual and gender
equity without doing anything
vulgar, risky, or dangerous. On my
way back to the greenroom, I heard
a commotion. Tom Snyder and his
first guest were arguing right on
stage. Twenty-five minutes into the
show we were taken to another room
for makeup. From there we were
guided to the stage and seated. Tom
was sitting quietly in his chair as
someone carefully combed his hair.
He never looked up to acknowledge
our presence.
TOM SNYDER SHOW DIRECTOR
(Only her voice over the P.A.)
We’re taping, Mr. Snyder.
TOM SNYDER
So, naked men dancing, are they
dancing for you Dana?
DANA
We have a nice clean little club.
Not at all like those sleazy strip
joints in Cicero.
TOM SNYDER
Now wait a minute Dana. Are you
suggesting that all strip clubs in
Cicero are sleazy? Is that what
you’re here for, to make that
stupid meaningless point?
DANA (V.O.)
No matter what we said it was
twisted and shot back with ill
intent. We only taped for 17
minutes, but it felt like three
hours.
TOM SNYDER
So Dana, are there any clubs in
Manhattan good enough for you and
your dancers to visit tonight?
DANA
We’ll be returning for a show in
Wisconsin this evening.
TOM SNYDER
Leave now, then. We wouldn’t want
to be any part of holding you up
seeing as you and your dancers
can’t be spared from the Midwest
and the Sugar Shack for even one
night.
EXT. SUGAR SHACK - EARLY EVENING
Dana and the dancers get in the limo, board the plane, and
land in O'Hare before boarding another plane to Lake Geneva.
Feeling like genuine celebrities they arrive at the Sugar
Shack five minutes before the first show of the night is to
begin and because of the media attention the house is full.
DANA (V.O.)
The limo rushed us back to
LaGuardia where we barely made our
flight to O’Hare. Confused and more
than a little upset because of how
Tom treated us during the show, we
somehow man-aged to laugh it off.
All publicity is good publicity,
right? It was hard not to notice
just how almost maniacal Tom Snyder
looked when you saw him in person,
and certainly when he was in one of
his moods. A small private plane
shuttled us to Lake Geneva. Feeling
like celebrities, we arrived five
minutes before show time and a
packed house. Late that night we
all gathered around a small
television in my office to watch
the Tomorrow Show. The first
segment went by in a flash. We were
all nervous with anticipation when
the phone rang.
WOLFMAN JACK
Hello, this is Wolfman Jack. I’d
like to speak to Miss Dana Montana.
DANA
Look, I don’t have time to talk
right now. Have your secretary call
me tomorrow.
ELLIOT
Who was that?
DANA
Some goof imitating Wolfman Jack
from New York,
GUY
Are you sure it was a joke? It
could have been him. I’m sure they
knew you were on the Tomorrow Show.
DANA (V.O.)
The phone rang again. This time a
gentle woman’s voice spoke to me.
RHONDA MAXWELL
Good evening, this is Rhonda
Maxwell calling for Dana Montana.
I’m Wolfman Jack’s secretary. We’re
on the air in New York.
Dana picks up the phone, realizes Wolfman Jack wants to
interview her on his hit radio show, and it hits her that
she is now a national celebrity and that call was just the
beginning of a media firestorm that was to follow-newspaper
clippings, journalist interviews, feature articles in
newspapers and magazines. Dana is finally realizing that yes
she has made a difference for American women and women all
over the globe.
DANA (V.O.)
I stared at the telephone and
didn’t say a word, for at that same
instant I looked up and saw my face
for the first time on national
television. It was all so surreal.
That spontaneous call was just the
beginning of the media firestorm
that was about to follow. Since the
Sun-Times article on July 12, the
Time Magazine spread on August 6,
and now the Tom Snyder Tomorrow
Show, the Sugar Shack and Dana
Montana were hot copy. People were
mailing me clippings from every
little paper throughout America.
The major papers put out feature
articles. Every journalist within
150 miles called to set up a time
to see a show and write a story. I
was featured in close to 1,000
interviews, many conducted by
phone. Without intending to I had
become a symbol, an icon, a Joan of
Arc fighting for the cause of
liberating American women. People
believed I plotted and planned for
years to turn the tables on Playboy
and the sexual exploitation of
women in entertainment. Yep, I had
been plotting for years;
desperately plotting to figure out
how to pay my bills. The media
believed differently. It made them
feel better and it worked for me.
That’s not to say I wasn’t
sensitive to the plight of the
average woman in this country. It
would seem that in working so hard
to protect my rights and improve my
life, I was able to do something
for women everywhere. That’s okay,
too. The media accelerator was open
full throttle as the offers for
appearances kept coming in. We were
featured on Hugh Downs, 20/20,
then, back for a second appearance
on Phil Donahue, one of the most
popular shows at the time. I was
actually beginning to feel
comfortable in front of the camera.
I learned what the director’s hand
signals meant and to talk to the
camera with the small red light on.
Wherever I went, women whispered.
RANDOM WOMAN
There she is. That's Dana Montana.
Boy is she lucky to get to spend
all that time with those gorgeous
hunks!
As Dana speaks scenes from the Sugar Shack male dancers on
stage doing their thing to the delight of the audience of
women. Dana talks about her intention to run a successful
exotic-based business but do it with class and moral
integrity. dana is show answering fan letters.
DANA (V.O.)
Thousands of women were crowding
into the club every week. I
understood the media-hyped fantasy
they came to experience. People
thought the same thing about Hugh
Hefner; that he slept with all of
his employees, that orgies went on
constantly at the mansion, and that
the bunnies slept around. I learned
that wasn’t true while working as a
Playboy Bunny. Now, the same notion
was being applied to me and again
it wasn’t true. We were operating a
business. Yes, it was a business
based on selling sex, but we were
really selling a fantasy. Then,
something completely unexpected
began to happen. I started getting
fan mail asking for my advice on
personal matters. A Dr. Ruth I
wasn’t, but they imagined I was an
expert on sex, lovemaking, and
qualified to help them with their
relationship problems. I tried to
answer every letter as thoughtfully
and insightfully as I possibly
could. Many times, though, I didn’t
have a clue what they were getting
at. By writing back I at least let
them know that someone was
listening and cared. What an ironic
twist. People seeking me out as an
expert on how to conduct and
maintain relationships. Relax,
Sister Gabriela and Granny, it was
just their image of me. The whole
thing was hysterical, actually.
Getting back to my real personal
life, the relationship with my
husband had disintegrated into a
complete disaster. I was gaining
weight and couldn’t stand to look
at myself in the mirror. I was 38
years old and had almost no sexual
experience with men. All the
attention I was getting didn’t
swell my head because I knew the
truth. Spending so much time
thinking about other people’s
relationships was a constant
reminder of just how unfulfilled my
personal life was. Thrust into a
media spotlight as the queen of my
male-stripper-show kind only served
to illuminate my inadequacies in
this area. For the sake of
business, I played the public's
game.
RANDOM WOMAN
Hey Miss Montana, you tried all
them dancers yourself?
DANA
Every one of them had a personal
audition.
DANA (V.O.)
All the notoriety kept the Sugar
Shack packed night after night
right through the winter of 1979. A
lot of money was coming in. The
summer of 1980 was just as strong.
We were booked with reservations
three months in advance. I was in
my office one morning when a call
came in from one of my former
female dancers, Shenanigans.
SHENANIGANS
Dana, are you looking for any more
male dancers?
DANA
I'm always looking...why, have you
found my next Sugar Shack star?
SHENANIGANS
Well, I’m going out with this
gorgeous bodybuilder. He wants to
meet you. I think he’s really
interested in becoming a dancer.
Dana breaks in a new dancer, ERIC LANTIS, he looks good but
gets too sexual at the end of his act.
DANA (V.O.)
I couldn’t pass up a chance to look
over a new prospect. There was a
certain amount of turnover with my
guys. Some of them simply tired of
the tension of performing. Others
moved on to other professional
opportunities. By the summer of
1980 we’d turned another corner and
the Sugar Shack was open seven
nights a week presenting male
exotic dancers. Eric Lantis was the
featured performer at the time. At
first he was just a beautiful body.
I only hired him because Larry
Slade began giving me trouble.
After all the publicity he became
more and more demanding. Yes, Larry
was the star of my original review
of male dancers, but as the Sugar
Shack became more successful he
started acting like a male version
of a prima donna, and the women in
the audience sensed it. His
popularity began to wane. To
compound the problem, if I didn’t
agree to his every request he would
threaten to leave. I saw it as an
empty threat because there were no
other male exotic clubs operating
anywhere else. It became apparent,
however, that it was just a matter
of time before Larry, my old
friend, my poker-playing buddy, and
I would be parting professional
company. Eric’s initial audition
was a disaster. He was obviously
intoxicated walking up on the
stage. That was somewhat
understandable. For the guys,
breaking in this new entertainment
territory sometimes took a few
stiff drinks to drown out their
initial inhibitions. Eric stripped
awkwardly and danced even worse.
When he got down to his G-string he
began rubbing his crotch in an
obscene manner.
DANA
Eric, stop! What do you think
you’re doing? I’m not running a
whore house. This is a classy show!
Eric gets the message and while Dana is talking there are
scenes of Eric doing his professional act as THE BARBARIAN.
DANA (V.O.)
Like so many men, he assumed that
the sight of an erect penis was all
it took to excite any woman. I
didn’t hire him at the time, but
when Larry started in again with
his threatening demands, I called
Eric back. This time he was willing
to work with me and learn how to
stimulate a woman’s fantasies
through his movements and attitude
on stage. I was grooming him for an
act I wanted to stage featuring a
barbarian. There would be lots of
strobe lighting and body-building
poses. At the end of the act he
would end up naked in the middle of
the stage with no props.
ERIC
Dana, all the other guys have
something to hold at the end of
their show besides their limp
dicks. How can you do this to me?
Shenanigans brings Dana another dancer prospect with a
magnificent body.
DANA (V.O.)
We bucked each other, but I began
to like him more and more. Before
long, Eric was the star of the
show. Larry finally made good on
all his threats and left. When Shan
showed up with another new prospect
I was both shocked and unexpectedly
impressed. He was a massive,
muscular man wearing a white
sleeveless T-shirt, sporting
perfectly developed deltoids,
biceps, and triceps that rippled
down his Herculean arms. Shan left
us and went over to the bar to
speak with a couple waiters who
came in early as her latest
discovery slipped into my office.
He was soft-spoken and clearly a
gentleman. His hair was too short
and his body over developed, but
his piercing blue eyes projected
the captivating charisma of a Paul
Newman. And, by coincidence, his
name was Paul.
PAUL
I’ve never seen your dancers, but
Shan’s told me a lot about you and
them. I think it’s great what
you’re doing here.
DANA
Stick around and watch a show,
since you’ve never seen one. Then
we’ll talk afterward, that’s if you
still want to.
DANA (V.O.)
First impressions were
lock-and-load go as I sized him up
and down while he stood there as
stoic as a totem pole carved from a
great oak. Truthfully, I never
expected to see him again after he
walked out of my office. So many
prospects were scared away when
they first saw my dancers in action
on stage. They’d come in thinking
there would be nothing to it, and
later try to sneak out without me
seeing them leave. I kept my eye on
Shan and Paul as they sat in the
back watching the first show. To my
surprise, they didn’t leave. After
the show we played disco music and
they danced. Shan, the former
stripper, was putting on her own
Gypsy-Rose-Lee show. Paul was
moving on the fringes of her
entertaining exhibitionistic
display. When they stopped dancing,
I noticed he helped her down from
the stage.
SHAN
We’ve got to go now, Dana.
DANA
Tell you what guys. Why don’t you
come by the house tomorrow? We’ll
sit out by the pool and talk this
whole thing over.
PAUL
Sounds great, we’ll be there around
noon.
END OF DANCING STALLIONS - LIMITED TV SERIES - EPISODE 08
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