SCRIPT

Part 2

Girl strip on table

IT WAS THE MID 1990S.

A NEW WAY OF SELLING SEX WAS ABOUT TO HIT BRITAIN – LAP DANCING.

MJP gets lap dance

LAP DANCE WAR


THE MAN WHO INVENTED IT WAS MICHAEL J PETER.

HE’D ALREADY OPENED UPMARKET STRIP BARS ACROSS AMERICA. NOW HE PLANNED TO GO GLOBAL.

LAP DANCE WAR Michael J Peter

I had about 200 cities where I had already opened or where I anticipated opening

BUT BRITAIN’S PETER STRINGFELLOW, WANTED A SLICE OF THE ACTION.

HE’D SEEN TABLE DANCE REVIVE HIS DYING DISCOTHEQUE – AND BEGGED MICHAEL J PETER TO LET HIM OPERATE HIS STRIPTEASE FORMAT IN LONDON.

THE MAN WHO INVENTED LAP DANCING RELUCTANTLY AGREED.

MICHAEL J PETER

I begrudgingly removed London from the list of no-compete cities.

LAP DANCE WAR STRINGFELLOW GOT HIS WISH – BUT ONLY BY PERMISSION OF MICHAEL J PETER.

THE AMERICAN REMAINED THE BIGGEST CLUB OPERATOR IN THE WORLD.

HIS PURE PLATINUM BRAND HAD THE POWER TO OPEN BIG AND PUT RIVAL CLUBS OUT OF BUSINESS.

Michael J Peter

When you can walk into a town and fly in 100 tens and put them on a stage for a grand opening and keep them there for two months, you just devastate every one else, and I was the only one capable of doing that.

WHEN MICHAEL J PETER BEGAN TO EXPAND HIS CHAIN OF LAP DANCE CLUBS AROUND THE WORLD, HE WANTED TO OPEN UP IN LONDON.

Michael J Peter

I knew that London was the place to launch from and I knew that at that time that Peter was opening those doors, so I had the trademark set up in the UK

LAP DANCE WAR

Pure Platinum dancers

THE PURE PLATINUM TRADEMARK WAS A BIG PART OF MICHAEL J PETER’S SUCCESS. IT WAS FAMOUS WITHIN THE NIGHTCLUB INDUSTRY AND COULD PULL CUSTOMERS AROUND THE WORLD.

NOW PETER STRINGFELLOW STRUCK.

Michael J Peter

On the day my trademark expired, I was soon to learn, when I went to refile that Peter had gone and licensed the Pure Platinum name in London.

Pure Platinum logo zoom

Michael J Peter

My God you know, took the breath out of me?

Stringfellow

Well the idea of Pure Platinum opening up in London when I had Stringfellow’s Cabaret of Angels as I called it at the time, was that I knew that he could use the publicity of "I started Peter Stringfellow". So I wasn’t gunna have that.
MJP and Stringfellow drink champagne

MICHAEL J PETER HAD TAUGHT HIM HIS FORMAT. NOW PETER STRINGFELLOW REPAID HIM BY SNATCHING HIS NAME.

TO THE MEN BEHIND LAP DANCING, IT WAS JUST BUSINESS.

MICHAEL J PETER sync

On the other hand, people think, you know, certainly that angered you. I said " It doesn’t anger me. I would have done the same thing. It wasn’t done with animosity. It was done with good business prudence

STRINGFELLOW HAD STOPPED TO HIS RIVAL.

NOW THIS TERRITORY BELONGED TO HIM – WESTMINSTER.

LAP DANCE WAR

IT IS LONDON’S CLUBLAND – AND EMBRACES THE HEART OF BRITAIN’S SEX INDUSTRY - SOHO.

BUT TO RESTRAIN SOHO SLEAZE, WESTMINSTER COUNCIL HAD TOUGH LAWS ON STRIP TEASE

FIRST OFF, NUDITY WAS BANNED - EXCEPT ON STAGE.

SECOND, ANY CLOSE CONTACT COULD BE DEEMED LEWD BEHAVIOUR OR EVEN PROSTITUION.

I/v Stringfellow on from ITN on getting club

Use shots of Stringfellow in empty club being built

STRINGFELLOW FIRST WOULD HAVE TO FIGHT WESTMINSTER’S LAWS TO GET TABLE DANCE INTO HIS NEWLY RENOVATED CLUB.

AND THIS DELAY ALLOWED ANOTHER PLAYER A HEADSTART IN THE RACE TO BRING LAP DANCING TO BRITAIN.

ALAN WHITEHEAD HAD ALREADY TESTED THE CONCEPT WITH A TOURING TABLE DANCE SHOW.

HE SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THE COUNTRY’S FIRST TABLE DANCE CLUB - "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY" - IN THE OUTER SUBURBS OF LONDON.

LAP DANCE WAR

ITN

For your eyes only is a table dancing club in the unlikely location of Acton in West London.

Five pounds will buy you a topless woman, ten pounds and she’s naked. And it’s all strictly legal.

Alan Whitehead

Bang. It went into serious profit. All the City boys worked out where it was and they were coming in it was rammed to the gills, there was no other place like it.

For your Eyes Only is a glimpse of how London clubs could look like in the future. Peter Stringfellow wants to open a table dancing club in the West end.

LAP DANCE WAR

BUT BEFORE HE OPENED, STRINGFELLOW HAD A LOT OF CONVINCING TO DO.

Stringfellow walks upstairs

To begin with they thought I was mad. "Tell me again Peter. They do what. She takes he clothes off?"

Stringfellow on street

"No, It’s not gunna happen"

Raymond revue club dancers

STRINGFELLOW HAD TO TAKE WESTMINSTER COUNCIL TO COURT, TO CHANGE THE LAW THAT KEPT STRIPPERS ON STAGE.

ITN archive

More news in the West End. Peter Stringfellow is celebrating this evening after winning a legal battle to bring stripping dance girls to his nightclub.

He’s won the right to allow girls to strip at customer’s tables after promising licensing magistrates there would be no sleaze.

It was Stringfellow’s third bid to have a no nudity and no strip tease dropped from his licence.

IT LOOKED LIKE STRINGFELLOW HAD FOUGHT THE LAW AND WON – BUT HE HADN’T.

HE HAD TO MAKE TWO COMPROMISES TO GET HIS WESTMINSTER LICENCE.

FIRST, HIS SHOWGIRLS WOULD HAVE TO DANCE THREE FEET AWAY FROM CUSTOMERS.

AND SECOND, THEY COULD ONLY UNDRESS TO THEIR KNICKERS.

IN A BACK ROOM, STRINGFELLOW HAD A WORKER ADJUSTING COUNCIL-IMPOSED-UNDERPANTS TO MAKE THEM AS SEXY AS THE LAW WOULD ALLOW.

LAP DANCE WAR

Anjella Finlay

Westminster’s law then ruling was that they had to wear knickers umm there wasn’t any way you could get around that at all so bearing that in mind we had to make them as sexy and as small as possible with them still wearing knickers and that’s what we did.

Umm, if we couldn’t get them at the time that small, then we would make them adjust them so that they were smaller.

IT WAS APRIL 1996, AND STRINGFELLOW WAS ABOUT TO OPEN THE SECOND AMERICAN–STYLE TABLE DANCE CLUB IN BRITAIN.

IT HAD WORKED IN THE SUBURBS – BUT COULD THE HEART OF LONDON BE CONVINCED STRIPPING WAS NOT SEEDY?

Peter Stringfellow

So my concern was that this business must be kept upmarket, sophisticated. I was involved in my business, my club, millions of pounds

MARK YOUNG WAS ON THE TEAM THAT RELAUNCHED STRINGFELLOW’S

LAP DANCE WAR

Mark Young I/v

Table dancing hit London like a sledgehammer

DANCER GYRATEs NOISILY

Home movies

PRIVATE MOVIES SHOW HOW THE FORMAT TURNS A NIGHTCLUB INTO A MALE FANTASY WORLD OF SEXUAL DESIRE.

NEW ARRIVALS SEE A CLUB FULL OF ALLURING AND BEAUTFIUL WOMEN.

BUT THE ILLUSION IS ALL CAREFULLY PREPARED: BEHIND THE SCENES, STRINGFELLOW’S HAD A BOOTH FOR SPRAYING ON FAKE SUNTANS ON-SITE HAIR DRESSERS AND MAKE-UP ARTISTS.

THIS CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED WORLD CAPTURED A NEW FAN-BASE – HIGH-FLYING BUSINESSMEN.

MARK YOUNG

We had queues around the block of businessmen, and not just businessman, chief executive officers for like conglomerate companies, as if they had never seen a semi-naked woman before

LAP DANCE WAR

THE STOCKMARKET’S DOT-COM BOOM COINCIDED WITH THE LAUNCH OF STRINGFELLOW’S.

MARK YOUNG

Companies were putting the cost of table dancing on the expense accounts.

HI-TECH BROKERS TOOK ON TABLE DANCE AS THEIR NEW TOY.

AND STRINGFELLOW’S BECAME THIER CLUBHOUSE.

THEY THREW MONEY AT A NEW GENERATION OF GIRLS, LURED TO UNDRESS BY AN AMERICAN TIPPING CULTURE, PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD OF IN BRITAIN.

MARK YOUNG

Within a few months they had metamorphosed into these creatures, gorgeous looking creatures, but with one aim, that they were going to, like, empty your wallet.

THE FORMULA WAS SIMPLE – HAVE MEN PAY FOR THE FANTASY OF SEX, WITHOUT PROVIDING THE REAL THING.

MARK YOUNG

The secret was, and there was a secret to it, was to keep that guy dangling on the end of that rope for as long as possible.

LAP DANCE WAR

Stringfellow

As long as there is no sexual contact, nothing deliberate, everyone is happy and cool Westminster was sending in inspector’s every week.

THE COUNCIL’S LICENCING INSPECTORS MADE SURE SOHO’S ANTI-SLEAZE RULES WERE FOLLOWED.

STRINGFELLOW WAS HAPPY TO OBLIGE – WHILE THE AUTHORITES WERE ON-SIDE, HE COULD RAKE IN THE CASH LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

MARK YOUNG

And the drunker they were, the easier it was to part them from their money. And the most spectacular single incident I saw of that was again an American guy who for one dance gave a girl £25,000 pounds

Stringfellow ext. night

MARK YOUNG

Actually it was £23,000, he gave the waitress £2000 as well.

Stringfellow speaks on stage

Did you get that photo, you’re not married are you?

STRINGFELLOW ON STAGE

FOR ALL HIS SUCCESS, PETER STRINGFELLOW COULD APPEAR TO RUN A STRIP CLUB LIKE A HOLIDAY CAMP.

BY PLAYING GOOFY HOST, HE PERSUADED BRITAIN LAP DANCING WAS SAUCY BUT HARMLESS FUN.

Peter Stringfellow

I’m the Cliff Richards of the industry here.

Pan group shot Stringfellow dancers

PETER STRINGFELLOW HAD MANAGED TO MAKE STRIPTEASE LOOK RESPECTABLE.

Mark young

They were fantastic days. There was nobody to touch us, there was another tier of clubs below us, but we were always regarded as being the brand leader, and we revelled in it.

Peter Stringfellow

The authorities think it is wonderful, Westminster think it is wonderful, the magistrates are congratulating me. Hey I did what I said I was going to do.

LAP DANCE WAR

Vinnie Jones on couch

Peter Stringfellow says trust me.

BUT STRINGFELLOW’S SUCCESS WAS NOT GOING UNNOTICED.

Projection of eyes

THE GIANT CORPORATIONS OF AMERICAN LAP DANCING WERE LOOKING FOR NEW MARKETS.

AND CLUB EXECUTIVE DAVID FIERSTONE WAS SENT TO SCOUR THE STREETS OF LONDON FOR A FOOTHOLD

AND LIKE ANY WAR COMMANDER, HE KNEW THE CHOICE OF THE BATTLEFIELD WOULD DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR.

David Fierstone in car

It’s gotta be a good location, you don’t want people turning up to a downmarket area that’s not going to make them feel very special.

FIERSTONE LOOKED NEAR STRINGFELLOW’S CLUB IN WESTMINSTER, THEN HEADED FOR THE BORDER

David Fierstone in car

Camden, was known to be much more lenient and open to our type of business.

THE AREA WAS STILL CLOSE TO CENTRAL LONDON, BUT CAMDEN COUNCIL DID NOT HAVE ANY LAWS TO STOP FULLY NAKED LAP DANCING.

AFTER A LONG SEARCH, FIERSTONE REACHED THIS BUILDING ON TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD.

David Fierstone

I couldn’t believe what I found, and I was absolutely excited I was thrilled about it, by the possibilities. It was a beautiful room

AND THE MORE HE SAW OF THE VENUE, THE MORE SUITABLE IT SEEMED.

David Fierstone

it got even better because I realised that it just fell in the Camden Council boundaries, so it was just outside by a foot or two, Westminster

THE PREMISES WAS JUST HALF A MILE FROM STRINGFELLOW’S. AND BECAUSE CAMDEN HAD NO LAW TO STOP IT, THE PLACE COULD BE FILLED WITH NUDE LAP DANCERS.

LAP DANCE WAR

Peter Stringfellow

What? I didn’t realise that. No, what you have to do in Westminster, cause it’s Westminster, not Camden, you want to open a club, take a shack, call in a nightclub, and your open. You want to turn it to girls, fine. I couldn’t get my breath.

David Fierstone

We were fully nude, Peter was only topless, nudity will always win over topless.

Shadow over projection

LAP DANCE WAR

NOW FIERSTONE’S BOSS WAS READY TO REVEAL HIMSELF.

AMERICAN JOHN GRAY RAN STRIPPING ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE - A CHAIN OF 11 CLUBS WITH THE UNLIKELY NAME OF SPEARMINT RHINO.

JOHN GRAY HAD MARRIED A PORN STAR, EXPANDED INTO INTER-NET PORNOGRAPHY AND OPENED HIS OWN LINE OF SEX SHOPS.

HE HIT THE UK WITH A CORPORATE VIDEO THAT

EMPHASISED HIS BONA FIDE CREDENTIALS.

Corporate promo

"Welcome to Spearmint Rhino companies, the world leader in upscale gentlemen’s clubs.

As the undisputed leader in Gentlemen’s club development and operations in the United States we hope to continue our growth here at the rate of approximately six stores a year over the next 24 to 36 months and we are very interested in expanding more rapidly than that simultaneously in Europe.

John Gray from corporate

Accordingly I think the market’s the appropriate time in the UK.

Spearmint Rhino card revolves to John Gray.

LAP DANCE WAR

Peter Stringfellow

I couldn’t find who this John Gray was.

And the more we found out, the less we knew. It was a mystery.

OTHER PEOPLE WERE GETTING INTERESTED IN THE MYSTERY OF SPEARMINT RHINO. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ADRIAN GATTON WAS INTRIGUED BY THE ARRIVAL OF THIS FOREIGN CORPORATION.

Adrian Gatton

The whole thing just said to me, Wow this is the Americans back in London in a big way, and that said to me, "God this has got to be interesting, there was got to be something behind this."

LAP DANCE WAR

JOHN GRAY BRAGGED HE’D FLOOD BRITAIN WITH 100 SPEARMINT RHINO CLUBS AND FLOAT STRIPTEASE ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE.

Adrian Gatton

Well the battle of the strip clubs kicked off almost immediately john Gray boasted in a newspaper story that he had spies inside Stringfellow’s

BUT STRINGFELLOW DID NOT TAKE THE NEWCOMER SERIOUSLY.

Stringfellow

The idea of putting girls in to spy. I mean This should be in Carry On films.

Pan on newspapers headline

JOHN GRAY BOASTED HIS UNDERCOVER AGENTS WERE TWO GIRLS WHO PRETENDED TO WORK FOR STRINGFELLOW.

THESE DANCERS WERE FEEDING PRICE LISTS AND INFORMATION BACK TO SPEARMINT RHINO.

LAP DANCE WAR

Stringfellow

Cause John Gary’s put some spies in, some girls in there. I mean to do what?

Stringfellow

[To find out what we did] I mean good grief all he had to do was to ring and ask me. I’d have told him. (laughs).

BUT THIS SPY GAME HAD A SERIOUS MISSION: JOHN GRAY WAS PLOTTING A FAR BIGGER LAUNCH THAN STRINGFELLOW KNEW. AGENTS WERE RECRUITING STRINGFELLOW’S GIRLS FROM RIGHT UNDER HIS NOSE.

Alan Whitehead

They sent people in to recruit dancers from Stringfellow’s.

David Fierstone

There is no point launching a five million dollar club when you haven’t got the product. When you open you want the girls there, not a month afterwards or six weeks later, they have got to be there. so you use whatever tactics that you can

SPEARMINT RHINO PROMISED MORE MONEY TO LURE AWAY STRINGFELLOW’S DANCERS.

Alan Whitehead

Peter lost half his girls, maybe more

THE DEFECTORS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE LARGEST MASSED ARMY OF NUDITY BRITAIN HAD EVER SEEN.

LAP DANCE WAR

SPEARMINT RHINO OPENED WITH 250 DANCERS - THREE TIMES AS MANY AS STRINGFELLOW’S – AND ALL STRIPPING NAKED.

David Fierstone

It was absolutely phenomenal it is the only way I can describe it

SPEARMINT RHINO

Montage of dancers

Music interlude

David Fierstone

And the figures just kept going up and up and up.

STRINGFELLOW’S HAD NEVER FACED SERIOUS COMPETITION BEFORE.

Mark Young

We had four years sitting on top of the pile and we were untouchable

STRINGFELLOW NOW FOUND THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE CHANGING. JOHN GRAY’S CLUB STARTING GETTING ALL THE PUBLICITY.

LAP DANCE WAR

Ken Andrews

Strapline: London News Network Ken Andrews

The women are always on top at Spearmint Rhino even in your dreams,

Ken Andrews

It’s got more sauce than a ketchup factory, you might even meet my friends there as well.

Peter Stringfellow

Very quickly, I realised I’d got problems

Mark Young

Stringfellow on throne

We were shell shocked we had it all our own way for years

Mark Young sync

And Peter was beside himself and we came to the conclusion that we would stop them whatever was we could.

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