“Secrets of Penthouse”
A sex emperor with no limits and no conscience
“Penthouse” founder Bob Guccione with his son Nick.
© Crime + Investigation / A+E Networks
A new documentary will be released in mid-January that deals with the depths of Hugh “Playboy” Hefner’s worst competitor, Bob Guccione.
What do the men’s magazines “Playboy” and “Penthouse” and the striptease group “Chippendales” have in common? The obvious answer to this question is – bare skin and the recipe for success “sex sells”. The self-image here: men like Hugh Hefner (1926-2017) successfully declared war on US prudery and deservedly received the accolade as a “sexual liberator”. But it’s worth taking a look behind the dazzlingly painted facade of their respective empires (mainly by themselves).
There is something else that unites the three world-famous nudity brands: After the much-considered documentaries “Secrets of Playboy” and “Secrets of Chippendales”, “Secrets of Penthouse” is now dedicated to the erotic magazine of the same name, founded in 1965 by Bob Guccione (1930-2010). The four-part documentary series, which will celebrate its German premiere from January 10th on Crime + Investigation (available on Sky, Telekom and Vodafone, among others), like its two predecessors, comes to a shocking truth: It may be true, “Sex sells “. However, it was not uncommon for the people on display to cost everything.
Those who fly high can fall even lower
Each of the four episodes is dedicated to a different facet of the origins of the magazine, which is still published today. Part one (“The Visionary”) is about the rapid rise of Guccione, who founded “Penthouse” a little over ten years after Hefner’s “Playboy” and established himself as his fiercest competitor on the US market in the 80s. Episode two (“The Pornographer”) traces this peak of success before Guccione’s crashing downfall begins with “The Madman” and “The Patriarch”.
The triptych of “Sex, Power and Exploitation” that has already been portrayed in the other documentaries is also omnipresent in “Secrets of Penthouse”. Among other things, two of the founder’s children as well as numerous “Penthouse Pets” – the not so common equivalent of the “Playboy Bunnies” – have their say. Together they give intimate insights into their lives in the orbit of the powerful man Guccione, who was even willing to let family members jump to the sword in order to be successful. Or, as son Nick puts it in the documentary: “I didn’t have a father.”
What “Secrets of Penthouse” impressively demonstrates: Even with Guccione, magical attraction and outrageous hubris went hand in hand and were mutually dependent. A 42-room palace in the heart of New York City. Inside: originals by Picasso on the wall, a golden grand piano in the corner and, wherever you look, lightly to unclad models.
The “Emperor Without Borders”
In the middle of it all, Guccione wallowed as “emperor in his own empire, where he could not commit any wrongdoing.” Not even when he let his “pets” compete with each other for his favor, asked them to take the pill with dubious reasons – or showed them sodomy porn. One of the questions that “Secrets of Penthouse” raises with its shocking revelations: Doesn’t money change character, but merely enhance it?
The 1979 film he produced, “Caligula,” with “A Clockwork Orange” star Malcolm McDowell (80) in the title role as well as Peter O’Toole (1932-2013) and Helen Mirren (78), is still considered a symbol of Guccione’s megalomania. in supporting roles. Mirren, then around 35 years old, summed up the “most expensive porn film ever produced” with a mischievous smile as a mixture of “art and genitals.” However, according to one of those involved, the shoot didn’t turn out to be so harmless: Because the film lacked explicit eroticism for Guccione’s taste, he took the camera himself – and promptly prostituted some of his “pets” for it.
The entire incredible story about the rise and fall of “Penthouse” founder Bob Guccione can be seen in double episodes on Crime + Investigation on January 10th and 17th from 8:15 p.m. The four episodes are also available to stream via Wow/Sky and the YouTube Primetime and Amazon Prime Video channels.