Reel American History - Films

0:01:05 Kentucky 1952: Two children, Larry and Jimmy Flynt, make liquor in their backyard and sell it to an old man. They find their dad drinking the liquor, and Larry throws a large container at him. As their mother calls the boys for dinner, their father shoots a gun at them (0:04:14).
0:04:36 Twenty Years Later: In Cincinnati, Ohio, Larry announces the names of the women who dance at one of his Hustler go-go clubs.
0:06:32 Finances: Larry tells his brother Jimmy that they are broke.
0:07:14 A Simple Request?: Larry asks a printer to print pictures of naked women. The printer says that he could get in trouble for printing the pictures alone--some sort of text needs to accompany them, like in Playboy.
0:07:53 Dissenting Opinions: Protesters bombard the outside of one of Larry's clubs holding signs with phrases such as "God will punish you."
0:08:13 Althea Leasure: As Larry and Jimmy examine the first printed issue of the magazine, Larry sees Althea dance for the first time (0:09:10) and becomes mesmerized by her moves. He does not believe that she is of legal age.
0:10:54 A Meeting With Althea: Larry and Althea get more acquainted in Larry's office. They talk about her age, drink some moonshine, and eventually have sex.
0:14:15 Breakfast at the Diner: A random man complements Larry about the pictures in the magazine and asks how he can subscribe.
0:14:47 Meet Larry's Friends: While Alro, Jimmy, Chester and some other friends are watching a football game, Larry examines the written content of Playboy magazine and concludes that the articles are written for a white collar audience. He tells his friends, "Playboy is mocking you!"
0:16:13 Making a Magazine: Several men discuss the logistics of constructing a magazine. When confusion arises, Alro says, "We'll get it figured out. We'll ask Larry."
0:16:49 The Personality of a Vagina: At a photo shoot, Larry encourages the model to spread her legs wide open, claiming, "a woman's vagina has as much personality as her face." The photographer, Larry, and Jimmy debate the notion of printing a vagina in the magazine. At the end of the argument, Larry proclaims to the photographer that God created the vagina, "and who are you to defy God? Just shoot her!"
0:18:16 Distribution of Magazines: A man delivers a stack of Hustler magazines to a store and the cashier places them on the floor so that no one can purchase a copy.
0:18:41 Bad News on Althea's Birthday: Larry enters the office with a birthday cake and necklace for Althea. Alro announces that they only had a 25% sell-through on the magazine.
0:19:29 Larry's Tantrum: Jimmy informs Larry that after another issue, they'll be wiped out. Althea and Larry argue, and he shoves her across the room.
0:20:26 Jackie O.: A reporter calls and claims that he has nude photos of Jackie O. Larry enthusiastically replies, "Oh my God. First pussy."
0:21:07 Distribution #2: After printing the Jackie O. picture, the news reports that "Hustler magazine has reached national sales figures of an astonishing two million copies." They report that the Ohio governor, Jim Rhodes, was even spotted buying a copy.
0:21:51 Citizens for Decent Literature: A conference is held to discuss the presence of Hustler in neighborhood grocery stores. As a man distributes copies of the magazine, Charles Keating proclaims, "We must prevent the destruction of the soul of our country."
0:23:22 Riches and Fame: Althea makes some calculations and asks Larry to take off his pants--because she's "never fucked a millionaire before."
0:24:04 4th of July Celebrations: Larry hosts a 4th of July party at his new gigantic house. He shows his parents around and has to kick Althea and two other girls out of his parent's room.
0:25:36 The Jacuzzi: Larry, Althea, and the two other women engage in sexual activities in the jacuzzi. Larry and Althea decide to get married.
0:29:14 The Wedding: Pictures are shown from Larry and Althea's wedding.
0:29:26 Back to Work: Hustler associates discuss ideas for the magazine. Althea suggests the possibility of using the Wizard of Oz characters in a sexual scene.
0:30:15 Larry's First Arrest: Larry is arrested for pandering obscenity in Cincinnati and engaging in organized crime.
0:30:54 Meet Alan Isaacman: Althea hires Alan Isaacman to represent Larry in court. Alan tells Larry that he specializes in civil liberties and that he is good at what he does.
0:32:08 Meeting with Alan: Alan discusses the case with Larry and Althea. He tells them that Larry could be looking at twenty-five years in prison.
0:33:06 Outside the Court: Many people gather with signs outside the court as Larry and Althea pull up in their car.
0:33:19 Hamilton County Courthouse 1977: The prosecutor discusses the "lewd and shamefulness" of Hustler magazine. He asks Larry, "Isn't a community allowed to set it's own standards?" Larry replies, "No, that's just a disguise for censorship." Alan asserts the notion that we live in a free country and should be able to chose what we want to read (See Key Passages).
0:38:55 The Verdict: Larry is found guilty of all charges and is sentenced to twenty-five years in the Ohio State Penitentiary.
0:40:23 Chaos Outside the Courtroom: Reporters question Althea about the decision. She tells them that she'll never be ashamed of her husband.
0:40:43 Jail: Althea visits Larry in prison, and they express their love for each other.
0:42:38 Americans for a Free Press: Five months later, Larry arranges a convention for a group he created called, "Americans for a Free Press." He gets up on stage and compares sex to war.
0:46:10 Dream Weaver: Althea poses for the camera. Alro tells Larry that a Georgia prosecutor arrested some news dealers for selling Hustler and other retailers are getting nervous and taking the magazines off the shelves.
0:47:08 Georgia: Larry flies down to Georgia, rents a shop, and sells a copy of Hustler to Arlo. The police arrest him.
0:48:12 Press Inquiries: The press question Larry, and he proclaims, "Why do I have to go to jail to protect your freedom?"
0:48:27 Staff Meeting: Larry and his associates discuss putting an ad in the magazine offering $1 million to anyone who finds JFK's assassin.
0:49:21 Ruth Carter Stapleton: President Jimmy Carter's sister calls Larry and suggests they get together.
0:50:23 Dinner with Ruth: Larry and Althea go to Ruth's house for dinner. They discuss spiritual healing and sexual repression.
0:53:47 Larry's Epiphany: Larry describes the epiphany he experienced when talking to Ruth. Althea tells him about her "epiphany" and screams that they are going to be broke as a result of his change in values.
0:55:35 Hallelujah!: Larry gets baptized in a lake.
0:56:30 Larry's "Innovative" Idea: Larry illustrates the religious element that he would like incorporated into the magazine. Jimmy pleads against it, but Larry refuses to listen.
0:57:52 Church with Ruth: Larry attends church and hugs Ruth. Althea looks concerned.
0:58:23 Beyond Tasteless: Althea explains to Larry that, "nobody on this planet wants their religion and porn mixed together." But even after sales are affected, he refuses to change his mind. We see a flash of the infamous meat grinder cover.
1:00:01 Plea Bargaining: Alan calls to say that the District Attorney of Georgia is impressed by Larry's conversion and is offering a plea bargain to him. Larry denies it and insists on going to trial.
1:00:46 Gwinnett County Court: The prosecutor interrogates Larry, who discusses what is legal versus illegal. He adamantly states that the right to decide for oneself cannot be restricted.
1:00:59 An Assassin: Meanwhile, a man enters an abandoned building and loads a gun.
1:01:59 Paralyzing Bullets: After the trial, everyone emerges from the courthouse. The man in the building shoots Alan and Larry and runs away.
1:03:03 Trip to the Hospital: Althea visits Larry in the hospital. The doctor tells her that he is never going to be able to walk again. Ruth enters and tries to revive faith in Larry. He replies, "There is no God."
1:05:16 Ending the "Reign of Christian Terror": Althea instructs the Hustler employees to remove all of the Christian relics from the office.
1:05:40 Who Shot Larry?: Larry, Althea, Alan, Arlo, and Jimmy discuss all of the possible "American psychos" that might want to shoot Larry.
1:06:37 Hollywood: Larry resolves to move to Hollywood--"somewhere where perverts are welcome."
1:07:16 Drug Abuse: The Flynts hire a staff of body guards to protect them in their new Hollywood home. Larry and Althea start taking large doses of pain killers. The years pass by quickly.
1:10:29 Four Years Later: Dr. Bob comes to the Flynt's home to deliver Larry's drugs. He informs Larry about a new operation that has been effective with this type of pain.
1:11:15 The Successful Operation: Larry gets an operation that makes him feel a lot better. Althea, who is addicted to the painkillers, tries to give some pills to Larry, but he adamantly refuses.
1:14:09 Back to Flynt Publications: Larry returns to the office ("the pervert is back") and criticizes the way things are going. He violently fires the Vice President of Marketing for speaking against him.
1:16:46 An Awakening: Larry calls a reporter in the middle of the night and asks if CBS is interested in seeing a videotape of the FBI selling John Delorean 50 kilos of cocaine.
1:17:01 The Videotape: A man goes over to the Flynt's house and watches the video of the illegal affairs.
1:18:42 A Debate: Lawyers debate over the Delorean case. One lawyer contends that the tapes are stolen and cannot serve as evidence, and the other remarks that Mr. Delorean will never be able to find an impartial jury.
1:19:28 Subpoena: Alan notifies Larry that his presence is requested in Federal Court to reveal the source of the tape.
1:19:44 Where is Larry?: After Larry fails to show up in court, the judge issues a warrant for his arrest.
1:19:57 Outside Larry's House: The FBI and press gather outside of Larry's house.
1:20:06 Entertainment: Larry finds all of this publicity highly entertaining as he watches the various news stations cover his story.
1:20:30 U.S. Marshals: The U.S. Marshals enter Larry's house, handcuff all of his workers and knock on his bedroom door.
1:20:55 CBS?: Larry sees himself on every station except CBS and exclaims, "Where are your fuckin' priorities?" Finally, the program is interrupted by his story. He triumphantly yells, "I turned the whole world into a tabloid!"
1:21:19 The Arrest: Larry opens the door, and the U.S. Marshals detain him. Althea is oblivious to everything going on.
1:22:45 Misbehaving in Court: Part I: Larry enters the court wearing a tee shirt that reads, "I Wish I Was Black." When questioned about the source, he refers to an irrelevant video he has illustrating the affairs between Vicki Morgan and several cabinet members. After the judge asks him about the source again, Larry replies, "With all due respect, you don't have the right to ask." The judge decides that as of tomorrow, he is fining him $10,000 a day until he reveals the source.
1:24:13 Barking at the Press: As the press tries to ask Larry questions, he barks at them and sings the National Anthem as he is carried away. He admits to Arlo that he does not really have the Vicki Morgan sex tapes.
1:24:58 Misbehaving in Court: Part II: This time Larry enters court wearing a combat helmet. Instead of revealing the source (proclaiming his First Amendment right to protect his source), he has two women dump out $10,000 in cash onto the court room floor. When the judge sees that Larry is wearing an American flag as a diaper, he arrests him for desecration of the American flag. He also orders Larry not to leave California.
1:26:21 An Unplanned Vacation: Alan tries to stop Larry from leaving California, threatening to quit if he gets on the plane. Larry leaves anyway, announcing his power to shake up the system.
1:27:38 Misbehaving in Court: Part III: Larry's next outfit entails a shirt that reads, "Fuck This Court." He concocts a story about the source, spits at the judge, has his mouth taped, and finally throws oranges at him. The judge sentences him to fifteen months in the Federal Psychiatric Prison. "Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one."
1:30:13 Psychiatric Prison: Larry is escorted to his new room in prison.
1:30:31 Another Church Affair: Two men alert the church about the Campari ad from Huslter featuring Jerry Falwell.
1:31:16 Falwell's Office: Falwell reads the ad for the first time.
1:31:45 Bad News: Althea visits Larry in prison. She tells him that people at the office don't listen to her or shake her hand. She also informs him that she has AIDS.
1:33:46 Code Pink: Larry calls the office and tells everyone over the speaker phone that they are fired. Jimmy assures them that they are still employed.
1:34:52 Alan's Office: Althea asks Alan to examine some paperwork that she received.
1:36:26 Campari Ad Trouble: Alan notifies Larry that Jerry Falwell is suing him for libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Falwell is asking for $40 million.
1:37:38 Counter-Suing: Jerry learns that Larry is counter suing for copyright infringement.
1:38:04 Out of Jail: Larry is released from prison. Alan warns him that he must take this case seriously.
1:38:45 Jerry Falwell's Testimony: U.S. District Court, Roanoke, 1984: In court, Alan publicly recognizes Reverend Falwell's good reputation and establishes that nobody could reasonably think that the statements made in Hustler magazine were true. This point dismisses the libel claim.
1:41:40 Larry's Testimony: When Larry is up on the stand, he admits that he had no specific knowledge that Reverend Falwell ever had sex with his mother. He calls Falwell a "liar, a glutton, and a sheep-o-phile" and proclaims that "free expression is absolute" (1:43:58).
1:44:42 The Decision: The press relay the decision--Larry is not guilty of libel, but he is guilty of inflicting emotional distress.
1:45:03 Falwell's Views: Falwell shares his thoughts on camera while Larry is taken home.
1:45:37 Larry's Return: Larry and Althea interrupt a company meeting. Larry asks his employees to shake Althea's hand. She looks more disheveled than ever.
1:47:26 Althea's Death: Larry gives Althea a ride on his wheelchair to the bathtub. He calls the doctor to discuss her poor state. When he sees water seeping out from under the door, he barges in to find her dead in the water.
1:51:14 Althea's Funeral: A priest reads a passage at Althea's funeral. Larry kisses a white rose and places it on her grave.
1:51:48 Falwell on Television: Larry listens to Reverend Falwell speak on TV about the "perverted lifestyles" of people with AIDS (See Key Passages). He calls Alan and tells him that he would like to appeal the Falwell case.
1:52:19 A Plea to Alan: Larry asks Alan to take the case to the Supreme Court. At first, Alan refuses to go (See Key Passages). But when Larry says, "I would love to be remembered for something meaningful," Alan changes his mind.
1:54:41 Keating's Return: Charles Keating gives Falwell's attorney his archives of porn magazines and offers him support.
1:55:06 God vs. the Devil: Reporters talk about the case outside of the Supreme Court. Reverend Falwell emerges from his car with a huge grin.
1:55:27 The Supreme Court 1987: Alan addresses the justices about freedom of speech and the public interest (See Key Passages). He points out the difference between taste and law. Alan explains that Hustler lets the people look at public figures a little bit differently. He also points out the fact that infliction of emotional distress is a meaningless standard and that all it allows us to do is punish unpopular speech.
2:01:23 Interviews: The press interview Reverend Falwell and Larry about the case. Larry admits that he only has one regret.
2:02:02 Larry's Only Regret: The camera moves through the Flynt house illustrating perpetual memories of Althea. Larry watches a video that he and his wife made back when he could still walk.
2:03:34 The Decision: Alan calls Larry and reads what the Supreme Court decided. Larry won the case.
2:04:33 Memories of Althea: Larry watches Althea strip for him on video.
2:05:39 Where is Larry Flynt Now?: The caption reads: Larry Flynt lives in Los Angeles and publishes 29 magazines. He is still confined to a wheelchair. His assailant was never brought to justice.
2:05:45 Where is Alan Isaacman Now?: The caption reads: Alan Isaacman lives in Los Angeles and is still Larry Flynt's attorney.
2:05:52 Where is Jerry Falwell Now?: The caption reads: Jerry Falwell remains one of the most respected religious figures in America.
2:06:01 Where is Charles Keating Now?: The caption reads: Charles Keating is the central figure in the Lincoln Savings and Loan Scandal which cost American taxpayers over 2 billion dollars.