CAROL DODA TOPLESS AT THE CONDOR is a feature-length documentary set in San Francisco starting in 1964 when Carol Doda became the first dancer in the nation to perform topless. Wearing fashion designer Rudi Gernreich's monokini swimsuit, she danced on top of a white baby grand piano that descended from the ceiling of the Condor Club in North Beach. She then embarked on experimental silicone injections that increased her bust line from 32” to 44”. Her act soon became a tourist attraction second only to the Golden Gate Bridge and launched a heated debate around what constituted indecent exposure in a public setting. The ensuing arrests and trials paved the way for a sexual revolution. This movie explores both empowerment and exploitation in adult entertainment and challenges cultural ideas around nudity.

Based partly on the book Three Nights at the Condor by Benita Mattioli, we tell the story of the birth and bust of topless dancing.