459:, as a major influence in his sexploitation-oriented career. He said, "I saw what was happening in the market—I couldn't possibly compete with the major companies, but I saw a niche there for us, the independent guys. I saw those sexy type of pictures that were becoming popular. I went and saw them and I wanted to see how far you could go with nudity." Over the next two decades Apostolof made 16 films with a trademark blend of tasteful nudity and campy humour.
307:, to Hristo Apostolov, a can manufacturer, and his wife Polyxena. Apostolof had a brother, Stavri, and two sisters, Vesa and Lila. The Apostolofs were an artistically inclined family. Steven attended a German-language high school for several years. In 1946, when he was only 17, he joined an underground guerilla group that fought the newly established Communist regime in Bulgaria. He was eventually arrested and spent 18 months in jail.
705:, Apostolof's last picture, was an attempt at making a caper movie with an intricate plot and more action than usual in his films. It tells the story of a pair of male and female con artists who go into hiding at a ski lodge. Wood had a role, but it got axed due to his drinking. He was an assistant director.
796:
Apostolof made 17 feature films in a career that lasted only 20 years. Today
Apostolof may not be a household—or even vaguely familiar—name to many, but he and his films have attracted a cult following over the years. His legacy lives on, ridiculed or revered by critics and fans alike. He has taken a
763:
Although he was part of one of the most "liberated" industries and most of his films had a strong sexual content, Apostolof himself was a very religious man. On
December 8, 1961, he and Dr. Matthew Jeikoff along with other Bulgarian emigres founded "St. George", the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in
750:
Apostolof was married three times. His first marriage was to a woman named Joan, and it produced four children: Maria, Susan, Polly and Steve. In 1964, after divorcing Joan, he married
Patricia J. Rudl, but three years later they divorced. In 1973 he met and married Shelley Barbara Cooper and had a
310:
In 1948, he escaped from
Bulgaria by stowing away on a Finnish freighter. He was caught in Turkish territorial waters and thrown in jail for several months, accused of being a Bulgarian spy. After a short stay in Istanbul he drifted to Paris, France. After serving in the French Foreign Legion, in
711:
marks the demise of classic sexploitation cinema with its content absorbed into mainstream movies. Hardcore porn films had gained a firm foothold in the theatrical market by this point and had pushed out much of the "soft-core" product. The advent of the home video market in the late '70s also
715:
Apostolof's struggles to finance another film project—or even a sequel to his successful "Orgy of the Dead"—in the late '70s were doomed to failure. The sheer numbers of hardcore porn films available on video—which could be viewed at home, rather than the consumer having to go to a public
523:
psychiatrist Dr. Henri
Legrand reviews the files of several sexually frustrated suburban housewives who are shown having sex with salesmen, bellboys and repairmen. The film includes scenes of bondage, lesbianism and a transvestite based on Apostolof's frequent collaborator Ed Wood.
716:
theater—pretty much killed the "sexploitation" theatrical market. At the beginning of the decade
Apostolof found his way into film distribution. He owned the rights to all of his films and spent the '80s and '90s reselling them on the home video / DVD market.
581:
and brunette Kathy
Williams, among others, in a series of vignettes surrounding sex in and with people in an office. Williams and Jordan have a lesbian encounter and a gay transvestite is talked into experimenting with a woman who deep throats bananas.
503:
was the beginning of a very successful partnership between
Apostolof and Wood that would last until the latter's death in 1978. This cooperation resulted in several films that captured the zeitgeist of the late 1960s and the 1970s.
519:, uses psychiatry largely to set up sex scenes but also to give the film some semblance of "redeeming social value". According to the promotional materials, the film "starts where the Kinsey report left off". In
797:
permanent place in the B-movie culture and is widely recognized as one of the greatest
American erotic filmmakers. In 1987 The Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival honored him with a special screening of
811:
as a double-feature DVD. In 2010 S'More
Entertainment reissued three of Apostolof's films on DVD complete with original trailers and stills. In 2011 Apostolof was the subject of a documentary entitled
724:
Apostolof developed several film ideas that never saw completion (e.g., Wood-scripted The Teachers, The Basketballers). The most notable of these were a sequel to his most successful film
1107:
Psychotronic Video (USA), Winter 1990, Iss. 8, pg. 30–38, by: Frank Henenlotter, Johnny Legend, Peter Clark, Bal Croce and Mark Isted, "Stephen C. Apostoloff: Bulgarian nudie director"
1104:
Femme Fatales (USA), June 1998, Vol. 7, Iss. 1, pg. 52–55, + 60–61, by: Laura Schiff, "Orgy of the Dead – Ed Wood's Post-'Plan 9' Legacy: Bonding Spirits and Strippers – in Color!"
275:). Apostolof had gained a reputation for creating high-quality mass entertainment with minimal budgets. He was also one of the few directors to work steadily with the infamous
837:
528:
is the first in a series of three films made by Apostolof in the late 1960s dealing with the "confidential" sexual life of different groups of people, the other two being
95:
253:
701:
271:
259:
180:
1304:
133:
1262:, Lesson 19: The First Saints of Woodism. Where Reverend Steve and the Board of Woodian Reverends announce the first list of Holy Woodian Saints!
878:
578:
280:
89:
1101:
Shock Cinema (USA), 1999, Iss. 14, pg. 21–23, by: M. Faust, "Shock Cinema Talks With Sexploitation Auteur A.C. Stephen a.k.a. Stephen Apostolof"
1324:
803:, and all his films were released on video in the 1980s and re-released on DVD in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2007 Legend House released
788:. Despite some preliminary work, the story was never filmed. Stephen Apostolof died on August 14, 2005, aged 77 in Mesa, Arizona.
499:). Wood served as writer, production manager, casting agent, and even held up cue cards for Criswell, although he did not direct.
1185:
1233:
344:
1299:
1294:
1187:, Who's who in the West: a biographical dictionary of noteworthy men and women of the Pacific coast and the Western States.
311:
1950 he moved, this time to Canada, and from there in 1952 he went to Los Angeles, California, where he became a clerk for
265:
441:
In the mid-'60s Apostolof became involved in sexploitation cinema, adopting the less foreign-sounding "A.C. Stephen" as a
433:
tells about Apostolof's escape from Communist Bulgaria through Istanbul, Paris and Toronto to Los Angeles, California.
1334:
1329:
826:
He was dubbed the "Prince of Confidential" because of his series of films with the word "confidential" in the title.
897:, one of the directors Apostolof admired, he appeared briefly in some of his own films. For example, he is seen in
1220:
784:
Near the end of his life, Apostolof had worked on the script for a projected post-apocalyptic thriller entitled
1319:
885:, Harvey Shane (often credited under the alias Forman Shane), Ric Lutze and Vincent Barbi, among others.
752:
485:, is now considered a camp classic and has inspired a cult following. It features the legendary oracle
1240:, The Lascivious World of A.C. Stephen & Edward D. Wood, Jr., by Adam Becvar (aka Luigi Bastardo)
899:
429:
401:
383:
353:
1203:(Comedy), Brenda Fogarty, Mariwin Roberts, Linda Gildersleeve, Wendy Cavanaugh, A.F.P.I. Productions
765:
1249:
873:
Apostolof worked with the same people more than once. Some of his frequent collaborators include
491:
369:
742:. In the early '90s he was also planning on shooting a documentary on his own life and career.
245:
films, who gained a cult following for a wide variety of films that range from erotic horror (
1156:
1118:
813:
417:
411:
1314:
1309:
915:
he could be spotted sitting in front of a ski chalet together with his third wife Shelley.
486:
451:
388:
363:
8:
375:
332:, where he was doing some number-crunching in the production department in 1953–1954.
1279:
1222:, Johnny Legend's Deadly Doubles, Vol. 6: Suburbia Confidential/OfficeLove-In (1966).
1161:
409:, a period of intense anti-Communism that had already produced propaganda films like
392:
1231:
932:
894:
846:
was featured, along with artwork from other prominent sexploitation directors like
842:
819:
799:
735:
726:
477:
471:
329:
247:
127:
343:
Around 1955, Apostolof teamed up with exploitation veterans Robert C. Dertano and
1237:
769:
312:
755:, Apostolof moved with Shelley to Las Vegas, Nevada, and then to Mesa, Arizona.
855:
851:
423:
361:, the Swedish wrestler best known for appearing in Edward D. Wood Jr.'s movies
829:
Actor Marty L. Andaluz portrayed a fictional version of Apostolof in the play
674:
Ed Wood co-wrote, played two roles on screen, another off, voiced the trailer
1288:
347:
to create SCA Productions, a company that produced the semi-autobiographical
69:
481:, Apostolof's first directorial credit as A.C. Stephen with a screenplay by
1098:
Nightmare of Ecstasy: Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, 1994, by Rudolph Grey
862:
106:
773:
456:
358:
1198:
495:) and burlesque queen Pat Barrington (later to star in Harry H. Novak's
229:(February 25, 1928 – August 14, 2005), sometimes credited under aliases
1275:
847:
446:
396:
768:, the Bulgarian king in exile, and soon became a bulwark of Bulgarian
1260:
907:
he is credited under the name One Eye Apostolof. In the beginning of
882:
865:
as the "patron saint of the pornographers" in the Church of Ed Wood.
406:
395:, known for its quality B-movies and westerns, many of them starring
296:
284:
823:
listed him among the most prominent figures in sexploitation genre.
590:) and Forman Shane, who was in just about all of Apostolof's films.
348:
304:
238:
903:
where he's playing a Frenchman sporting beret and a moustache. In
1166:
874:
686:
482:
276:
242:
241:-American filmmaker specializing in low-budget exploitation and
300:
50:
838:
Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction
840:
ran an exhibition called "Sex in the Cinema". A poster from
547:
868:
1087:
The Lascivious World of A.C. Stephen and Ed Wood, Jr.
144:
Camp, Sexploitation, Nudie-cutie, Costume film, Caper
712:
accelerated the decline of the sexploitation genre.
1138:
Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The Plan 9 Companion
555:
1286:
655:
1179:
539:
507:
1254:
1076:Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies
1251:, Sex in the Cinema: an Abbreviated History.
601:
335:
764:Los Angeles. The church had strong ties to
677:
633:
593:
817:. In April 2007 the British film magazine
666:
644:
586:also features Colleen Murphy (the star of
462:
215: 1972–2005)
195: 1964–1965)
169: 1953–1963)
1225:
399:. Although not very popular at the time,
1305:Bulgarian emigrants to the United States
391:and later picked up for distribution by
1126:The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr.
911:he plays the piano in a restaurant. In
622:
577:features voluptuous sexploitation icon
1287:
960:aka Office Love-In, White Collar Style
719:
609:
257:) to western-themed costume pictures (
1325:Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion
1243:
1214:
1196:
575:Office Love -in, White-Collar Style
328:Apostolof's career in films began at
869:Frequent and memorable collaborators
13:
584:Office Love-in, White-Collar Style
569:Office Love-in, White-Collar Style
549:Office Love-in, White-Collar Style
14:
1346:
1269:
1070:The Erotic World of A.C. Stephens
692:
563:Apostolof was busy in 1968, with
1144:The Incredibly Strange Film Show
1111:
745:
279:and such sexploitation icons as
16:Bulgarian-American film director
1092:
831:The Incredible Story of Ed Wood
212:
192:
166:
1190:
1059:Saturday Night Sleazies Vol 3.
1048:Saturday Night Sleazies Vol 2.
1037:Saturday Night Sleazies Vol 1.
918:
1:
1172:
405:became part of the so-called
290:
1132:Ed Wood: Look Back In Angora
7:
1300:Film producers from Arizona
1295:Film directors from Arizona
1150:
758:
751:son Christopher. After the
685:A soft core film made with
10:
1351:
965:College Girls Confidential
753:1994 Northridge earthquake
469:
387:was shot in the legendary
295:Apostolof was born in the
96:The Prince of Confidential
888:
809:College Girl Confidential
791:
565:College Girl Confidential
557:College Girl Confidential
534:College Girl Confidential
357:(1957). The film starred
318:
148:
140:
120:
112:
105:Producer, Film director,
101:
85:
77:
58:
30:
23:
1335:Bulgarian film producers
1330:Bulgarian film directors
779:
617:
436:
323:
287:in the 1960s and 1970s.
36:Stefan Hristov Apostolov
1236:April 26, 2012, at the
1197:Apostolof, Stephen C.,
515:Apostolof's next film,
492:Plan 9 from Outer Space
370:Plan 9 from Outer Space
251:) and suburban exposé (
1008:The Cocktail Hostesses
861:In 2000 Apostolof was
689:as a co-screenwriter.
657:The Cocktail Hostesses
269:-type capers such as (
1157:Dad Made Dirty Movies
1119:Dad Made Dirty Movies
952:The Bachelor's Dreams
940:Suburbia Confidential
814:Dad Made Dirty Movies
805:Suburbia Confidential
541:The Bachelor's Dreams
526:Suburbia Confidential
521:Suburbia Confidential
517:Suburbia Confidential
509:Suburbia Confidential
412:I Married a Communist
254:Suburbia Confidential
1276:Stephen C. Apostolof
487:The Amazing Criswell
452:The Immoral Mr. Teas
389:Sunset Gower Studios
364:Bride of the Monster
227:Stephen C. Apostolof
25:Stephen C. Apostolof
720:Unrealized projects
489:(known from Wood's
376:Night of the Ghouls
345:William C. Thompson
1320:People from Burgas
946:Motel Confidential
926:Journey to Freedom
900:Journey to Freedom
875:Edward D. Wood Jr.
732:The New Generation
603:Motel Confidential
530:Motel Confidential
455:(1959), the first
445:. Apostolof cites
430:Journey to Freedom
402:Journey to Freedom
384:Journey to Freedom
354:Journey to Freedom
337:Journey to Freedom
266:Mission Impossible
1200:The Beach Bunnies
1162:Exploitation film
1082:
1065:
1054:
1043:
1025:The Beach Bunnies
972:Lady Godiva Rides
967:aka College Girls
909:The Beach Bunnies
905:Lady Godiva Rides
820:Sight & Sound
679:The Beach Bunnies
663:Ed Wood co-wrote
652:Ed Wood co-wrote
641:Ed Wood co-wrote
635:The Class Reunion
630:Ed Wood co-wrote
595:Lady Godiva Rides
588:Alice in Acidland
497:The Agony of Love
393:Republic Pictures
260:Lady Godiva Rides
224:
223:
113:Years active
47:February 25, 1928
1342:
1263:
1258:
1252:
1247:
1241:
1229:
1223:
1218:
1212:
1211:
1210:
1208:
1194:
1188:
1183:
1078:
1061:
1050:
1039:
1014:Five Loose Women
1002:The Snow Bunnies
933:Orgy of the Dead
913:The Snow Bunnies
895:Alfred Hitchcock
843:Orgy of the Dead
800:Orgy of the Dead
776:in Los Angeles.
727:Orgy of the Dead
668:Five Loose Women
646:The Snow Bunnies
501:Orgy of the Dead
478:Orgy of the Dead
472:Orgy of the Dead
464:Orgy of the Dead
330:20th Century-Fox
248:Orgy of the Dead
216:
214:
196:
194:
181:Patricia J. Rudl
170:
168:
128:Orgy of the Dead
123:
86:Other names
65:
46:
44:
37:
21:
20:
1350:
1349:
1345:
1344:
1343:
1341:
1340:
1339:
1285:
1284:
1272:
1267:
1266:
1259:
1255:
1248:
1244:
1238:Wayback Machine
1230:
1226:
1219:
1215:
1206:
1204:
1195:
1191:
1184:
1180:
1175:
1153:
1114:
1095:
1016:(also known as
921:
891:
871:
794:
782:
770:anti-Communists
761:
748:
722:
698:
683:
672:
661:
650:
639:
628:
620:
615:
607:
599:
561:
553:
545:
513:
474:
468:
439:
341:
326:
321:
313:Bank of America
293:
231:A.C. Stephen(s)
219:
218:
210:
206:
198:
190:
186:
183:
172:
164:
160:
121:
94:
92:
73:
72:, United States
67:
63:
62:August 14, 2005
54:
48:
42:
40:
39:
38:
35:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1348:
1338:
1337:
1332:
1327:
1322:
1317:
1312:
1307:
1302:
1297:
1283:
1282:
1271:
1270:External links
1268:
1265:
1264:
1253:
1242:
1224:
1213:
1189:
1177:
1176:
1174:
1171:
1170:
1169:
1164:
1159:
1152:
1149:
1148:
1147:
1141:
1135:
1129:
1123:
1113:
1110:
1109:
1108:
1105:
1102:
1099:
1094:
1091:
1090:
1089:
1083:
1072:
1066:
1055:
1044:
1033:
1027:
1021:
1018:Fugitive Girls
1010:
1004:
998:
992:
986:
980:
974:
968:
961:
958:Office Love-In
954:
948:
942:
936:
928:
920:
917:
890:
887:
870:
867:
856:Gerard Damiano
852:Radley Metzger
793:
790:
781:
778:
760:
757:
747:
744:
721:
718:
697:
691:
682:
676:
671:
665:
660:
654:
649:
643:
638:
632:
627:
621:
619:
616:
614:
608:
606:
600:
598:
592:
560:
554:
552:
546:
544:
538:
512:
506:
470:Main article:
467:
461:
438:
435:
424:Big Jim McLain
418:The Red Menace
340:
334:
325:
322:
320:
317:
292:
289:
222:
221:
208:
205:Barbara Cooper
204:
203:
202:
201:
188:
184:
179:
178:
177:
176:
162:
158:
157:
156:
155:
152:
150:
146:
145:
142:
138:
137:
134:Fugitive Girls
124:
118:
117:
114:
110:
109:
103:
99:
98:
87:
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
68:
66:(aged 77)
60:
56:
55:
49:
34:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1347:
1336:
1333:
1331:
1328:
1326:
1323:
1321:
1318:
1316:
1313:
1311:
1308:
1306:
1303:
1301:
1298:
1296:
1293:
1292:
1290:
1281:
1277:
1274:
1273:
1261:
1257:
1250:
1246:
1239:
1235:
1232:
1228:
1221:
1217:
1202:
1201:
1193:
1186:
1182:
1178:
1168:
1165:
1163:
1160:
1158:
1155:
1154:
1145:
1142:
1139:
1136:
1133:
1130:
1127:
1124:
1121:
1120:
1116:
1115:
1112:Documentaries
1106:
1103:
1100:
1097:
1096:
1088:
1084:
1081:
1077:
1073:
1071:
1067:
1064:
1060:
1056:
1053:
1049:
1045:
1042:
1038:
1034:
1032:
1028:
1026:
1022:
1019:
1015:
1011:
1009:
1005:
1003:
999:
997:
996:Class Reunion
993:
991:
990:Drop-Out Wife
987:
985:
981:
979:
975:
973:
969:
966:
962:
959:
955:
953:
949:
947:
943:
941:
937:
935:
934:
929:
927:
923:
922:
916:
914:
910:
906:
902:
901:
896:
886:
884:
880:
879:Marsha Jordan
876:
866:
864:
859:
857:
853:
849:
845:
844:
839:
834:
832:
827:
824:
822:
821:
816:
815:
810:
806:
802:
801:
789:
787:
786:State of Fear
777:
775:
771:
767:
756:
754:
746:Personal life
743:
741:
740:State of Fear
737:
733:
729:
728:
717:
713:
710:
706:
704:
703:
695:
690:
688:
680:
675:
669:
664:
658:
653:
647:
642:
636:
631:
625:
624:Drop Out Wife
612:
604:
596:
591:
589:
585:
580:
579:Marsha Jordan
576:
572:
570:
566:
558:
550:
542:
537:
535:
531:
527:
522:
518:
510:
505:
502:
498:
494:
493:
488:
484:
480:
479:
473:
465:
460:
458:
454:
453:
448:
444:
434:
432:
431:
426:
425:
420:
419:
414:
413:
408:
404:
403:
398:
394:
390:
386:
385:
380:
378:
377:
372:
371:
366:
365:
360:
356:
355:
350:
346:
338:
333:
331:
316:
314:
308:
306:
302:
298:
288:
286:
282:
281:Marsha Jordan
278:
274:
273:
268:
267:
262:
261:
256:
255:
250:
249:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
200:
199:
182:
175:
174:
173:(4 children)
154:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
136:
135:
130:
129:
125:
119:
115:
111:
108:
104:
102:Occupation(s)
100:
97:
91:
90:A. C. Stephen
88:
84:
80:
76:
71:
70:Mesa, Arizona
61:
57:
52:
33:
29:
22:
19:
1256:
1245:
1227:
1216:
1205:, retrieved
1199:
1192:
1181:
1143:
1137:
1131:
1125:
1117:
1093:Bibliography
1086:
1079:
1075:
1069:
1062:
1058:
1051:
1047:
1040:
1036:
1030:
1024:
1017:
1013:
1007:
1001:
995:
989:
983:
978:The Divorcee
977:
971:
964:
957:
951:
945:
939:
931:
925:
912:
908:
904:
898:
892:
872:
860:
841:
836:In 2006 the
835:
830:
828:
825:
818:
812:
808:
804:
798:
795:
785:
783:
762:
749:
739:
731:
725:
723:
714:
708:
707:
700:
699:
693:
684:
678:
673:
667:
662:
656:
651:
645:
640:
634:
629:
623:
611:The Divorcee
610:
602:
594:
587:
583:
574:
573:
568:
564:
562:
556:
548:
540:
533:
529:
525:
520:
516:
514:
508:
500:
496:
490:
476:
475:
463:
450:
443:nom de plume
442:
440:
428:
422:
416:
410:
400:
382:
381:
374:
368:
362:
352:
342:
336:
327:
309:
294:
270:
264:
258:
252:
246:
234:
230:
226:
225:
132:
126:
122:Notable work
107:Scriptwriter
64:(2005-08-14)
18:
1315:2005 deaths
1310:1928 births
1207:October 15,
1080:Documentary
1063:Documentary
1052:Documentary
1041:Documentary
919:Filmography
774:monarchists
457:nudie-cutie
421:(1949) and
373:(1959) and
359:Tor Johnson
78:Nationality
1289:Categories
1173:References
848:Russ Meyer
447:Russ Meyer
397:John Wayne
351:melodrama
291:Early life
235:Robert Lee
93:Robert Lee
53:, Bulgaria
43:1928-02-25
883:Rene Bond
863:canonized
766:Simeon II
738:entitled
407:Red Scare
297:Black Sea
285:Rene Bond
239:Bulgarian
220:(1 child)
116:1956–1978
1234:Archived
1151:See also
984:Drop Out
759:Religion
736:thriller
427:(1952).
415:(1949),
379:(1959).
367:(1954),
349:Cold War
305:Bulgaria
299:town of
237:, was a
81:American
1167:Ed Wood
1031:Hot Ice
730:called
709:Hot Ice
702:Hot Ice
694:Hot Ice
687:Ed Wood
483:Ed Wood
277:Ed Wood
272:Hot Ice
217:
209:
197:
189:
185:
171:
163:
149:Spouses
1146:(1989)
1140:(1992)
1134:(1994)
1128:(1995)
1122:(2011)
889:Cameos
792:Legacy
734:and a
696:(1978)
681:(1976)
670:(1974)
659:(1973)
648:(1972)
637:(1972)
626:(1972)
613:(1969)
605:(1969)
597:(1969)
559:(1968)
551:(1968)
543:(1967)
511:(1966)
466:(1965)
339:(1957)
319:Career
301:Burgas
263:) and
243:erotic
51:Burgas
1085:2008
1074:2001
1068:1999
1057:1990
1046:1990
1035:1990
1029:1978
1023:1976
1012:1974
1006:1973
1000:1972
994:1972
988:1972
982:1971
976:1969
970:1969
963:1968
956:1968
950:1967
944:1967
938:1966
930:1965
924:1957
893:Like
780:Death
618:1970s
437:1960s
324:1950s
211:(
207:
191:(
187:
165:(
161:
141:Style
1280:IMDb
1209:2020
854:and
807:and
772:and
567:and
532:and
283:and
159:Joan
59:Died
31:Born
1278:at
449:'s
233:or
1291::
881:,
877:,
858:.
850:,
833:.
571:.
536:.
315:.
303:,
213:m.
193:m.
167:m.
131:,
1020:)
45:)
41:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.