Goat Testicle Transplants? NUTS! Documentary Reveals Stranger than Fiction Snake Oil

NUTS! is the new documentary about eccentric snake oil salesman, Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, who built an empire in Depression-era America with a goat testicle impotence cure and a million watt radio station. The mostly-true story of the man is shared with the trailer and information from director Penny Lane discusses uncovering the 100-year-old tale and Dr. J.R Brinkley, the man whose life was stranger than fiction in this BYOD interview hosted by Ondi Timoner, direct from Sundance 2016.

Guest Bio

NUTS! is the mostly-true story of John Romulus Brinkley, a Kansas doctor who in 1917 discovers that he can cure impotence by transplanting goat testicles into men. From there, the story only gets weirder. Using hand-drawn animated reenactments, interviews, archival footage, and a seriously unreliable narrator, NUTS! traces Brinkley’s rise from poverty and obscurity to the heights of celebrity, wealth and influence. Along the way, he transplants thousands of goat testicles; amasses an enormous fortune; is (sort of) elected Governor of Kansas; builds the world’s most powerful radio station; and generally annoys the heck out of the establishment. How he did it, and what happened when it all came crashing down, is the story of NUTS!

Director/Producer Penny Lane makes nonfiction and experimental films. Her first feature documentary, Our Nixon, premiered at Rotterdam, SXSW and was released by Cinedigm and CNN Films.

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Episode Breakdown

00:01 Welcoming Penny Lane to BYOD.

01:15 NUTS! Clip: opening animation.

03:25 Discovering the story of John Romulus Brinkley.

05:30 Baby Billy and rumored patients.

07:18 Brinkley’s radio and medical license.

08:53 NUTS! Clip: moving the radio station to Mexico.

10:57 Wrongful death lawsuits and Morris Fishbein.

12:17 The American Medical Association and hormones.

14:43 John Brinkley today.

15:29 Biggest challenges with the film.

16:35 Next for the film and Penny.

17:22 Thank you and goodbye.

Guest Bio

Director/Producer Penny Lane makes nonfiction and experimental films. Her first feature documentary, Our Nixon, premiered at Rotterdam, SXSW and was released by Cinedigm and CNN Films.