Misplaced Pages

#440559

69-722: The original Playboy Bunny costume was designed by the mother of Ilse Taurins, who was a Latvian émigrée. At the time, Taurins was dating one of the Playboy Club co-founders, Victor Lownes III. Taurins had suggested a costume modeled after the Playboy Magazine trademark, either a rabbit or bunny, and she had her seamstress mother make a costume prototype. The prototype was reviewed at a meeting attended by Playboy Club co-founders Hugh Hefner , Victor Lownes and Arnold Morton , as well as frequent Playboy illustrator LeRoy Neiman . The outfits were initially not received well by

138-444: A bon vivant lifestyle in his magazine and in the television shows that he hosted, Playboy's Penthouse (1959–1960) and Playboy After Dark (1969–1970). He was also the chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises , the publishing group which operates the magazine. On June 4, 1963, Hefner was arrested for promoting obscene literature after he published an issue of Playboy featuring nude shots of Jayne Mansfield in bed with

207-550: A finishing school in England for upper-class girls, Brondesbury, moved to Stocks manor house from the manor estate in Surrey , where it had previously been located. The school was then dubbed Brondesbury-at-Stocks. Katharina Forbes-Dunlop, a British author, became the last headmistress of the school, some years later. In 1972 Forbes-Dunlop retired: she died at the age of 100. In 1972, Stocks House achieved some notoriety when it

276-795: A "very minimalistic, deistic view of God ." Hefner donated $ 100,000 to the University of Southern California 's School of Cinematic Arts to create a course called "Censorship in Cinema", and $ 2 million to endow a chair for the study of American film. In 2007, the university's audiovisual archive at the Norris Theater received a donation from Hefner and was renamed to the Hugh M. Hefner Moving Image Archive in his honor. Both through his charitable foundation and individually, Hefner also contributed to charities and other organizations outside

345-640: A 7.3 acre (3-hectare) compound as his own private residence. In May 2017, Eugena Washington was the last Playmate of the Year to be announced by Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion . Hefner debated The Playboy Philosophy with William F. Buckley Jr. , on Firing Line in Episode 26, recorded on September 12, 1966. The Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award was created by Christie Hefner "to honor individuals who have made significant contributions in

414-561: A few Playboy Bunnies went on to become Playmates and vice versa (see below). In 2006, The Palms Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas opened the first new Playboy Club in over a quarter-century, located on the 52nd floor of the Fantasy Tower. Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli was chosen to re-design the original Bunny suit. It closed in 2012. Prominent women who had careers as a Playboy Bunnies include: Hugh Hefner This

483-500: A few of his many lovers; Leigh filed a $ 35 million palimony suit against him. In 1971, he acknowledged that he experimented in bisexuality. Also in 1971, he established a second residence in Los Angeles with the acquisition of Playboy Mansion West, and moved there permanently from Chicago in 1975. On March 7, 1985, Hefner had a minor stroke at age 58, whereupon he re-evaluated his lifestyle, making several changes. He toned down

552-519: A full 25 hours and featured a funfair in the grounds, and guests drank champagne and cavorted with models and beauty queens . The parties were attended by a number of celebrities of the day including Peter Cook , John Cleese , Christopher Reeve , Jack Nicholson , Keith Moon and Tony Curtis , as well as Hugh Hefner , Kenny Lynch , Dai Llewellyn , Mick Jagger , Warren Beatty , Roman Polanski , Bryan Ferry and Ringo Starr . The ITN newsreader Reginald Bosanquet reportedly appeared at

621-475: A lawsuit against her for calling him a "pimp". Defending her position, Moore argued that "he was a man who bought and sold women to other men". She further stated that "part of Hefner's business acumen was to make the selling of female flesh respectable and hip, to make soft porn acceptable." Julie Bindel argued in The Independent that Hefner "caused immeasurable damage by turning porn—and therefore

690-409: A man present. The case went to trial and resulted in a hung jury . In the 1960s, Hefner created "private key" clubs that were racially diverse. During the civil rights movement in 1966, Hefner sent Alex Haley to interview American Nazi Party founder George Lincoln Rockwell , much to Rockwell's shock because Haley was black. Rockwell agreed to meet with Haley only after gaining assurance that he

759-631: A memoir where she alleged she experienced a hostile environment while at the Playboy Mansion , even claiming that she was "imprisoned" while there. The Amazon original series American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story was released in April 2017. It stars Matt Whelan in the title role, along with Emmett Skilton and Chelsie Preston Crayford . The ten episodes are a combination of interviews, archival footage (including moments found in Hefner's vast personal collection), and cinematic re-enactments that cover

SECTION 10

#1732787754441

828-414: A missionary. He attended Sayre Elementary School and Steinmetz High School , then served from 1944 to 1946 as a United States Army writer for a military newspaper. Hefner graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a double minor in creative writing and art, having earned his degree in two and a half years. After graduation, he took

897-485: A patron. The most famous maneuver of all, the "Bunny Dip", was invented by Kelly Collins , once renowned for being the " Perfect Bunny. " To do the " Bunny Dip, " the Bunny gracefully leans backwards while bending at the knees with the left knee lifted and tucked behind the right leg. This maneuver allows the Bunny to serve drinks while keeping her low-cut costume in place. Strict regulations were enforced by special workers in

966-454: A piece written by Gloria Steinem and reprinted in her 1983 book Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions . The article featured a photo of Steinem in Bunny uniform and detailed how women were treated at those clubs. The article was published in 1963 in Show magazine as "A Bunny's Tale". Steinem has maintained that she is proud of the work she did publicizing the exploitative working conditions of

1035-438: A prominent manufacturer of lingerie and swimwear to create a modified bunny costume that used washable stretch knit fabrics, allowing for costumes in vibrant prints as well as solid colors. The standard stockings also evolved from fishnet material to a special sheer pantyhose style supplied by Danskin. Bunnies wore two pairs of these sheer stockings, a black pair worn on top of a taupe toned pair. Since 2013, rumours have suggested

1104-455: A semester of graduate courses in sociology at Northwestern University , but dropped out soon after. In January 1952, Hefner left his job as a copywriter for Esquire after he was denied a $ 5 raise. In 1953, he took out a mortgage loan of $ 600 and raised $ 8,000 from 45 investors (including $ 1,000 from his mother—"not because she believed in the venture," he told E! in 2006, "but because she believed in her son") to launch Playboy , which

1173-538: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television and made several movie appearances as himself. In 2009, he was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his performance as himself in Miss March . On his official Twitter account, he joked about this nomination: "Maybe I didn't understand the character." Brigitte Berman's documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

1242-702: A state of drug-induced stupor or unconsciousness, spying, videotaping without consent, and illegal sex with minors by Hefner and his celebrity friends and guests at the Playboy Mansion and other locations. The PLBY group , now publicly owned, distanced itself from Hefner in a statement released shortly before the first episode was broadcast, saying, "Today's Playboy is not Hugh Hefner's Playboy. We trust and validate these women and their stories and we strongly support those individuals who have come forward to share their experiences." In January 2024, Hefner's widow Crystal, who previously brushed away criticism, wrote

1311-458: A voice-only appearance as himself in the 2011 film Hop . In 2012, Hefner announced that his youngest son Cooper would succeed him as the public face of Playboy . Hefner was known to friends and family simply as "Hef". He married Northwestern University student Mildred ("Millie") Williams in 1949. They had a daughter named Christie (b. 1952) and a son, David (b. 1955). Before the wedding, Mildred confessed that she'd had an affair while he

1380-631: A world where homosexuality was the norm. The magazine received angry letters, so Hefner responded, "If it was wrong to persecute heterosexuals in a homosexual society then the reverse was wrong, too." In 1961, Hefner watched Dick Gregory perform at the Herman Roberts Show Bar in Chicago, and he hired Gregory to work at the Chicago Playboy Club. Gregory attributed the launch of his career to that night. Hefner promoted

1449-613: Is accordingly referred to simply as the "bunny suit" ( バニースーツ , Banī sūtsu , which also means cleanroom suit in Japanese and has same meaning in English.) or "bunny girl outfit" ( バニーガール衣装 , Banī gāru ishou ) . It has frequently been featured in manga and anime ; notable examples of characters who have been depicted wearing it include the title character of Haruhi Suzumiya , Kallen Stadtfeld of Code Geass , Bulma of Dragon Ball , Haruko Haruhara of FLCL , and

SECTION 20

#1732787754441

1518-512: Is an accepted version of this page Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the Playboy brand into a world network of Playboy Clubs . He also resided in luxury mansions where Playboy Playmates shared his wild partying life, fueling media interest. Hefner

1587-413: Is forbidden. A Bunny also has to master the required maneuvers to work. These include the "Bunny Stance", a posture that is required in front of patrons, where the Bunny must stand with legs together, back arched and hips tucked under. When the Bunny is resting or waiting to be of service, she must do the "Bunny Perch," where she must sit on the back of a chair, sofa, or railing without sitting too close to

1656-550: The Tring Donkey Derby , bringing to the event Playboy Bunny Girls and celebrity guests such as Miss World Silvana Suárez and the racehorse Red Rum . Lownes also owned the house at 1 Connaught Square in London, which coincidentally was once the townhouse of Mary Augusta Ward, the former owner of Stocks, who died there. Following Lownes' ownership, Stocks was acquired by English Cricket player Phil Edmonds in

1725-593: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. trademark registration number 0762884). The Playboy Bunnies are waitresses who serve drinks at Playboy Clubs. There are different types of Bunnies, including the Door Bunny, Cigarette Bunny, Floor Bunny, Pool Bunny, Fine Dining Bunny, Playmate Bunny, and the Jet Bunnies (specially selected Bunnies trained as flight attendants; they served on

1794-574: The pen name Mrs Humphry Ward. While the Wards lived at Stocks, it became a bustling salon of leading intellectual luminaries. Upon Ward's death, Stocks was inherited by her son, a Member of Parliament , Arnold Ward . who sold Stocks to the Blezard family, who later sold it to the bachelor Arthur Brown of the Luton quaker family of timber millers. In 1944, Stocks House became a residential school when

1863-447: The 1980s and then by Bridgend Group which converted it into a hotel and spa in the 1990s. In 2004, Stocks was sold to Peter Harris , a retired horse trainer, entrepreneur and multimillionaire, for an undisclosed sum. A planning application to Dacorum to restore the historic Stocks Hotel back to a private home was made. The extensive renovation work was undertaken by Holloway White Allom and completed in early 2008. The architect for

1932-466: The 2000s there were three official Bunnies, and they were also Playmates — both separately, and together in the cover pictorial for the December 2008 edition. The last printed issue of the magazine, in 2018, featured the five Bunnies of the period on the cover. Playboy Bunnies are a separate entity from Playboy Playmates , women who appear in the centerfold pictorials of Playboy magazine, however,

2001-508: The Bunnies and especially the sexual demands made of them, which skirted the edge of the law. Clive James wrote of the "callous fatuity of the selection process" and observed that "to make it as a Bunny, a girl need[ed] more than just looks. She need[ed] idiocy, too." The costume of a Playboy Bunny gained huge popularity in Japan , where it has lost much of its association with Playboy and

2070-599: The Bunny Mother was in charge of scheduling work shifts, hiring, firing and training. The Club Manager carried two responsibilities for the Bunnies ;– floor service and weigh-in. Before every shift, the Manager would weigh each Bunny, and bunnies could not gain or lose more than one pound, with exceptions only being made for water retention. Playboy Enterprises required all employees to turn in their costumes at

2139-582: The Hayton, Whitbread and Gordon families. The house has had a number of literary associations. James Adam Gordon, who inherited the Stocks estate in 1832, was a friend of the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott , and it is reputed that the writer visited Gordon at Stocks House. In 1891, the house was inherited by Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon , who served as British Foreign Minister and Ambassador to

Playboy Bunny - Misplaced Pages Continue

2208-523: The Playboy "Big Bunny" Jet). To become a Bunny, women are first carefully chosen and selected from auditions. Bunnies then undergo thorough and strict training before officially becoming a Bunny. Bunnies are required to be able to identify 143 brands of liquor and know how to garnish 20 cocktail variations. Customers are not allowed to touch the Bunnies, demerits are given if a Bunny's appearance does not meet requirements, and dating or mingling with customers

2277-405: The Playboy Mansion was put on the market for $ 200 million, on condition that Hugh Hefner would continue to work and live in the mansion. Later that year it was sold to Daren Metropoulos, a principal at private equity firm Metropoulos & Company, for $ 100 million. Metropoulos planned to reconnect the Playboy Mansion property with a neighboring estate that he purchased in 2009, combining the two for

2346-583: The Playboy Mansion. In October 2008, all three of them decided to leave the mansion. In January 2009, Hefner began a relationship with Crystal Harris ; she joined the Shannon Twins after his previous "number one girlfriend" Holly Madison had ended their seven-year relationship. On December 24, 2010, he became engaged to Harris, but she broke off their engagement on June 14, 2011, five days before their planned wedding. The July issue of Playboy reached store shelves and customers' homes within days of

2415-508: The United States, from his grandfather. Lord Falloden's career never allowed him to live there, and in 1892 he sold Stocks House to best-selling British novelist Mary Augusta Ward and her husband Thomas Humphry Ward who made Stocks their home until Mary's death in 1920. Mary was the better known writer of the two, and published two best-selling novels Lady Rose's Daughter (1903) and The Marriage of William Ashe (1905), under

2484-544: The aesthetic notion that images of women—and women themselves—exist to please men." Hefner's former girlfriend Holly Madison said that he "would encourage competition—and body image issues—between his multiple live-in girlfriends. His legacy is full of evidence of the exploitation of women for professional gain." Ed Stetzer wrote in Christianity Today that Hefner would have the residence systematically cleaned whenever Christie Hefner visited in order "to keep

2553-544: The age of 91. The cause was sepsis brought on by an E. coli infection. He is interred at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, in the crypt beside Marilyn Monroe , for which he paid $ 75,000 in 1992. "Spending eternity next to Marilyn is an opportunity too sweet to pass up," Hefner had told the Los Angeles Times in 2009. Suzanne Moore wrote in The Guardian that Hefner threatened to file

2622-642: The buying and selling of women's bodies—into a legitimate business." Robin Abcarian wrote in the Los Angeles Times , quoting Wendy Hamilton , that Hefner "probably did more to mainstream the exploitation of women's bodies than any other figure in American history," adding that he "managed to convince many women that taking off their clothes for men's pleasure was not just empowering, but a worthy goal in itself." She further stated that Hefner "embodied

2691-420: The co-founders, but Hefner advised that it could work once changes were made. The initial costume looked similar to a one piece swimsuit, with a white yarn puff tail and a headband with bunny ears, and Hefner suggested cutting the leg higher on the hip to expose more of the leg, and sharpening the v-shape of the costume. His suggested modifications were in an attempt to make the costumes more visually appealing, and

2760-610: The end of employment and Playboy still retains some of these costumes in storage. Occasionally, costumes are offered for sale on the Playboy Auction site or eBay , but some of the costumes on eBay are known to be counterfeit or damaged. The only two costumes on public display are in the collections of the Smithsonian and the Chicago History Museum . The treatment of Playboy Bunnies was exposed in

2829-535: The events strutting around in a fez and calf-length boots . The parties attracted some comment from local residents; one local, complaining about a Hogmanay party held at Stocks, remarked: "At 3am on the first, the swimming pool was alive to the cries of naked ladies. And they were not singing Auld Lang Syne ." Despite his reputation for rowdy celebrations, Lownes was popular with villagers for his support for local charities. He donated Christmas hampers to elderly locals and supported community initiatives such as

Playboy Bunny - Misplaced Pages Continue

2898-470: The film at any point were false. Stocks House Stocks Manor House is a large Georgian mansion, built in 1773. It is the largest property in the village of Aldbury , Hertfordshire . Stocks House and its manorial farm is an 182-acre (0.74 km ) estate surrounded by 10,000 acres (40 km ) of National Trust Ashridge Forest and the Chiltern Hills . It takes its name from

2967-417: The front part being pre-sewn in different bra cup sizes, and the seamstress would match the Bunnies' figure to the correct fitting front and back pieces. The two pieces were then sewn together to fit each person with great precision. A woman, also known as the "Bunny Mother", took responsibility for the welfare of the women working as Playboy Bunnies. This was a human-resources role and a management position as

3036-474: The guise of patrons. In the 1970s, Lownes used his country mansion, Stocks House in Hertfordshire , England, as a training camp for Bunnies. The Bunnies acted as hostesses at lavish parties thrown in the house. The uniforms were tailored to each Bunny at the clubs in which they worked, and a full-time seamstress always remained on duty whenever the club opened. The costumes were stocked in two pieces,

3105-740: The house next door to the mansion. Hefner filed for divorce from Conrad in 2009 after an 11-year separation, citing irreconcilable differences. He stated that he only remained nominally married to her for the sake of their children, and their youngest child had just turned 18. The divorce was finalized in 2010. Hefner became known for moving an ever-changing coterie of young women into the Playboy Mansion, including twins Mandy and Sandy Bentley . He dated as many as seven women concurrently . He also dated Brande Roderick , Izabella St. James , Tina Marie Jordan , Holly Madison , Bridget Marquardt , and Kendra Wilkinson . Madison, Wilkinson, and Marquardt appeared on The Girls Next Door depicting their lives at

3174-470: The image of God. If this does not concern us, what will? A 12-part television documentary series, Secrets of Playboy , debuted on A&E January 24, 2022, in which Hefner's former male and female employees and partners made claims of systematic sexual misconduct and manipulation, recreational and manipulative drug use, peer pressure , sextortion , blackmail, rape, forced and violent anal sex , sexual assault without consent and/or while victims were in

3243-502: The last $ 900,000 sought by a conservation group for a land purchase needed to stop the development of the vista of the Hollywood Sign. Sylvilagus palustris hefneri , an endangered subspecies of marsh rabbit , is named after him in honor of financial support that he provided. The Barbi Twins , who are among a notable cohort of celebrity Playmates, including Pamela Anderson and Hefner's third wife Crystal Harris , praised

3312-565: The launch of the magazine as well as the next six decades of Hefner's personal life and career. The series was filmed in Auckland . In October 2017, Playboy Enterprises announced that a Hugh Hefner biopic directed by Brett Ratner with the screenplay by Jeff Nathanson was greenlit with Jared Leto rumored to play Hefner. In November 2017, it was indefinitely put on hold following sexual harassment allegations against Ratner, and Leto's representatives stated that reports of him being attached to

3381-511: The nation". Hefner guest-starred as himself in the 2000 Sex and the City episode "Sex and Another City". In 2005, he guest-starred on the HBO shows Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage . He guest-starred as himself in a 2006 episode of Seth Green 's Robot Chicken on the late-night programming block Adult Swim . In the 2007 Family Guy episode " Airport '07 ", he voiced himself. He has

3450-491: The old famous stocks of the medieval village of Aldbury just down the road. Stocks House was built in 1773 on the site of an earlier manor house known as La Stok which had existed since medieval times. Records from the 17th century show that the land was in the possession of Robert Duncombe, an ancestor of the Lords Feversham . In 1773, Arnold Duncombe built himself a new house. The estate then passed successively to

3519-499: The original design of the Playboy bunny costume was by New York fashion designer Zelda Wynn Valdes , however, there exists no evidence to support this. This is also contradicted by recounts in much earlier publications such as "Big Bunny" by Joe Goldberg (1967) and "The Bunny Years" by Kathryn Leigh Scott (1998). The bunny costume became a symbol of the Playboy Clubs, and was also the first commercial uniform to be registered by

SECTION 50

#1732787754441

3588-473: The project was Hugh Petter, Director at ADAM Architecture. It is now a family home once again occupied by Harris's daughter Alison (former wife of deceased jockey Walter Swinburn ) and her children. Stocks House and the village of Aldbury have been a popular choice for location shooting for music, film and television productions. In 1967 the house was used for an episode of the popular television serial The Avengers entitled "Murdersville". Some shots in

3657-425: The publishing icon for providing centerfolds and extended members of the Playboy family with a platform for activism and advocacy on behalf of animal populations in need. Hefner supported legalizing same-sex marriage , calling it "a fight for all our rights. Without it, we will turn back the sexual revolution and return to an earlier, puritanical time." Hefner died at the Playboy Mansion on September 27, 2017, at

3726-523: The realities from his own daughter". Stetzer further lamented the consequences of Hefner's role as a "general" of the "sexual revolution": It's hard to fathom that anyone would have known what this would have turned into. Parents growing up today are fighting to keep their children pure. Spouses are fighting to keep their marriages intact. And many enslaved and trapped in the adult entertainment industry have been figuratively and literally stripped not only of their clothes, but their very value as people made in

3795-567: The restoration of the Hollywood Sign . He hosted a gala fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion and contributed $ 27,000 (or 1/9 of the total restoration costs) by purchasing the letter Y in a ceremonial auction. Hefner stated in a 2000 interview with Playboy , "It's perfectly clear to me that religion is a myth. It's something we have invented to explain the inexplicable." Lee Strobel , a Christian author who interviewed Hefner regarding his theological positions, later described Hefner as having

3864-585: The romantic boy-girl society that Playboy promotes" and ordered an article in his magazine against them. In his later years, Hefner's star dimmed, but he remained a well-known personality, often appearing in cameo roles. In the 1993 The Simpsons episode " Krusty Gets Kancelled ", Hefner voiced himself. In 1999, Hefner financed the Clara Bow documentary Discovering the It Girl . "Nobody has what Clara had," he said. "She defined an era and made her mark on

3933-594: The sphere of politics and publishing, throwing fundraiser events for Much Love Animal Rescue as well as Generation Rescue , an anti-vaccinationist campaign organization supported by Jenny McCarthy . On November 18, 2010, Children of the Night founder and president Dr. Lois Lee presented Hefner with the organization's first-ever Founder's Hero of the Heart Award in appreciation for his unwavering dedication, commitment and generosity. On April 26, 2010, Hefner donated

4002-500: The tightly laced corsets added to the feminine appeal, cinching in the Bunny's waist by at least two inches. This redesign of the bunny costume tied in directly with the need for a show-girl type of costume, achieving this look with an addition of bow ties, collars and a fluffy cottontail. For mass production, the costume was manufactured for the Playboy Clubs by the Chicago-based Kabo Corset Company, and

4071-776: The unnamed protagonist of the Daicon III and Daicon IV Opening Animations . The outfit is alluded to in the title of the series Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai , and the character Mai Sakurajima is seen wearing one in its first episode. The suit is also popularly depicted in anime and manga fan art and merchandise, even for characters who are never seen wearing it in official works. Bunny suits are most frequently worn by female characters, but they are occasionally worn by male characters, usually for comedic effect. There are no Playboy Clubs in Brazil , but Playboy's Brazilian division has Bunnies who attend its events. For most of

4140-531: The vital effort to protect and enhance First Amendment rights for Americans." He donated and raised money for the Democratic Party . In 2011, he referred to himself as an independent due to dissatisfaction with both the Democratic and Republican parties. Nonetheless, in 2012, he supported Barack Obama 's reelection campaign. In 1978, Hefner helped organize fund-raising efforts that led to

4209-510: The wedding date; it featured Harris on the cover, and in a photo spread as well. The headline on the cover read "Introducing America's Princess, Mrs. Crystal Hefner". Hefner and Harris subsequently reconciled and married on December 31, 2012. Hefner was very distantly related to the 41st and 43rd presidents of the United States, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush , respectively. Hefner's brother Keith died at age 87 on April 8, 2016, one day before Hefner's 90th birthday. In January 2016,

SECTION 60

#1732787754441

4278-553: The wild, all-night parties, and his daughter Christie took over the operation of Playboy's commercial operations in 1988. The following year, he married Playmate of the Year Kimberley Conrad ; they were 36 years apart in age. The couple had sons Marston Glenn (b. 1990) and Cooper (b. 1991). The E! True Hollywood Story profile noted that the Playboy Mansion had been transformed into a family-friendly homestead. He and Conrad separated in 1998, after which she moved into

4347-703: Was away in the army. He called the admission "the most devastating moment of my life." A 2006 E! True Hollywood Story profile of Hefner revealed that Mildred allowed him to have sex with other women, out of guilt for her own infidelity and in the hope that it would preserve their marriage. The couple divorced in 1959. Hefner remade himself as a bon vivant and man about town, a lifestyle that he promoted in his magazine and TV shows. He admitted to being "'involved' with maybe eleven out of twelve months' worth of Playmates" during some years. Donna Michelle , Marilyn Cole , Lillian Müller , Shannon Tweed , Barbi Benton , Karen Christy , Sondra Theodore , and Carrie Leigh were

4416-443: Was based upon a "merry widow" style of corset within their line. Later, in 1962, French fashion designer Renee Blot was further employed to refine the design, and her revisions included making the ears smaller, adding a collar with bow tie and cuffs with rabbit-head cufflinks, and a satin rosette with the bunny's name, worn on the hip. The original costumes were made in twelve colours of rayon satin. Several years later, Playboy engaged

4485-612: Was born in Chicago , on April 9, 1926, the first child of Glenn Lucius Hefner (1896–1976), an accountant, and his wife Grace Caroline (Swanson) Hefner (1895–1997) who worked as a teacher. His parents were from Nebraska . He had a younger brother, Keith (1929–2016). His mother was of Swedish ancestry, and his father was German and English. Through his father's line, Hefner was a descendant of Plymouth governor William Bradford . He described his family as "conservative, Midwestern, [and] Methodist ". His mother had wanted him to become

4554-727: Was initially going to be called Stag Party . The first issue was published in December 1953 and featured Marilyn Monroe from a 1949 nude calendar shoot she did under a pseudonym. That first issue sold more than 50,000 copies, but Monroe was not paid by Playboy or Hefner for the photos. (Hefner never met Monroe, but he bought the crypt next to hers at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in 1992 for $ 75,000.) Esquire magazine rejected Charles Beaumont 's science fiction story "The Crooked Man" in 1955, so Hefner agreed to publish it in Playboy. The story highlighted straight men being persecuted in

4623-506: Was not Jewish, although Rockwell kept a handgun on the table throughout the interview. In Roots: The Next Generations (1979), the interview was recreated with James Earl Jones as Haley and Marlon Brando as Rockwell. Haley had also interviewed Malcolm X in 1963 and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1966 for the newly established 1962 "playboy interview". In 1970, Hefner stated that "militant feminists" are "unalterably opposed to

4692-495: Was purchased by American Playboy executive Victor Lownes and English Playboy Playmate Marilyn Cole for £115,000. They renovated the house and fitted it out with a private disco , games room and swimming pool and installed a massive jacuzzi - reputedly the largest in the country. The mansion was used as a training camp for Playboy bunnies and Lownes was well known for leading a " lothario " lifestyle and hosting extravagant parties at Stocks. His most notorious party lasted

4761-520: Was released on July 30, 2010. He had previously granted full access to documentary filmmaker and television producer Kevin Burns for the A&;E Biography special Hugh Hefner: American Playboy in 1996. Hefner and Burns later collaborated on numerous other television projects, most notably on The Girls Next Door , a reality series that ran for six seasons (2005–2009) and 90 episodes. Hefner also made

#440559