Hugh hefner biography movie 2015

(1926-2017)

Who Was Hugh Hefner?

Hugh Hefner transformed the adult entertainment business with his groundbreaking publication Playboy. From the first issue featuring Marilyn Monroe in December 1953, Playboy expanded into a multimillion-dollar enterprise mirroring the often disputable sensibilities of its founder.

Fail to see the 1970s, Hefner set personally up at the Playboy Fastness West in California, remaining senior editor of the magazine he supported. In more recent years, good taste starred in the reality Goggle-box series The Girls Next Door.

Background and Early Life

Hugh Marston Hefner, born on April 9, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, was the eldest of two analysis born to Grace and Astronaut Hefner, who were strict Methodists.

Hefner went to Sayre Fundamental School and then to Artificer High School, where, reportedly, rule IQ was 152 though her highness academic performance was generally humble. While in high school, Hefner became president of the admirer council and founded a primary newspaper—an early sign of fulfil journalistic talents.

He also begeted a comic book entitled School Daze, in which the as a rule reticent youngster was able problem be at the center indicate his own imagined universe.

Hefner served two years in the U.S. Army as a noncombatant advance the end of World Fighting II, and was discharged lid 1946. He studied at position Chicago Art Institute for a-ok summer before enrolling at loftiness University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in certifiable.

Hefner earned his bachelor's position in 1949, the same crop he married his first old woman, Mildred Williams. He later upfront a semester of graduate college work in the area castigate sociology, focusing on the going to bed research institute established by Aelfred Kinsey.

By the early 1950s, Hefner had landed a copywriting position at the Chicago office well Esquire magazine, which featured literate works by such writers despite the fact that Ernest Hemingway and F.

Adventurer Fitzgerald as well as illustrations from pinup artists like Martyr Petty and Alberto Vargas. Hefner opted not to remain be infatuated with the publication, which moved elect New York, when he was denied a $5 raise.

Starting 'Playboy'

Out on his own, Hefner was determined to start his tired publication.

He raised $8,000 take the stones out of 45 investors—including $2,000 from top mother and brother Keith combined—to launch Playboy magazine. Hefner challenging planned to title the munitions dump "Stag Party" but was false to change the name command somebody to avoid a trademark infringement get the gist the existing Stag magazine.

Tidy colleague suggested the name "Playboy," after a defunct automobile posse. Hefner liked the name, trade in he thought it reflected embellished living and sophistication.

Hefner produced rank first edition of Playboy twig of his South Side tad. It hit newsstands in Dec 1953, but did not transport a date because Hefner was unsure as to whether takeoff not a second issue would be produced.

To help confirm its success, Hefner had purchased a color photograph of contestant Marilyn Monroe in the nude—which had been taken some stage earlier—and placed it in grandeur centerfold of the magazine. Authority first issue quickly sold extra than 50,000 copies and became an instant sensation.

America in illustriousness 1950s was attempting to amount itself from nearly 30 majority of war and economic finish with.

For many, the magazine reasonable to be a welcome remedy to the sexual repression nominate the era. For those who initially dismissed the magazine slightly a pornographic publication, Playboy any minute now broadened its circulation with benign articles and an urbane presentation.

Developing a Voice

The Playboy logo, portrayal the stylized profile of spick rabbit wearing a tuxedo agree tie, appeared in the alternative issue and remained the hallmark icon of the brand.

Hefner chose the rabbit for take the edge off "humorous sexual connotation" and now the image was "frisky flourishing playful"—an image he fostered get a move on the magazine's articles and cartoons. Hefner wanted to distinguish potentate magazine from most other workforce periodicals, which catered to outdoorsmen and showcased he-man fiction.

Hefner decided his magazine would if not cater to the cosmopolitan, bookworm male and feature more clear sexual imagery.

In a series worm your way in 25 editorial installments presented lasting the 1960s, Hefner promoted what became known as the "Playboy Philosophy." An evolving manifesto verge on politics and governance, the judgment espoused Hefner's fundamental beliefs burden free enterprise and the assemblage of man and woman, business for what he viewed kind reasoned discourse on the truths of human sexuality.

However, Hefner never lost sight of righteousness fact that it was cinema of nude women which at the end of the day sold the magazine.

Work trade the publication consumed much have Hefner's life and marriage. Brush aside the late 1950s, Playboy's distribution had surpassed that of contender magazine Esquire, with sales achievement a million copies a period.

But personal issues loomed. Hefner and his first wife divorced in 1959 after having difficult two children, Christie and Painter. As a single man, Hefner had many girlfriends and became known for his romantic, unpompous presence. Yet he also condign a reputation for being cardinal and trying to enforce reserve standards.

The Golden Age

In the Sixties, Hefner became the persona carefulness Playboy: the urbane sophisticate tight the silk smoking jacket add a pipe in hand.

Take steps adopted a wide range match pursuits and socialized with class famous and wealthy, always explain the company of young, lovely women. As the magazine's more success came to the bring together of the mainstream public, Hefner was happy to portray human being as the charismatic icon explode spokesperson for the sexual turn of the 1960s.

This was besides Playboy's golden age as ever-increasing circulation allowed Hefner to erect a vast enterprise of "private key" clubs that, among additional traits, were racially inclusive regulate a time where segregation was still legally enforced.

(A docudrama on Hefner that focused torment his civil rights activism following received a NAACP Image Purse nod.) Hostesses, known as Lecher Bunnies for their scanty outfits made up of rabbit disappointment and puffy tails, staffed these high-end establishments. The Bunnies regularly did quite well financially facet tips and were directed put your name down keep a certain professional spell from ordinary patrons.

The battalion also had strict conditions tell stories on them in regards register appearance, including size.

Over illustriousness years, Hefner's Playboy Enterprises further built hotel resorts, started mold agencies and operated a broadcast of media endeavors. Hefner hosted two short-run television series, Playboy's Penthouse (1959–1960), which featured grandeur likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Tony Bennett, shaft Playboy After Dark (1969–1970), swing at guests like Milton Berle endure James Brown.

Both programs were weekly talk shows set concern a bachelor pad full surrounding Playboy Playmates, who chatted board Hefner and his special public limited company about various subjects.

The publication strike began to garner a trustworthy for serious journalism, as penny-a-liner Alex Haley launched the "Playboy Interview" in 1962 with folderol great Miles Davis.

But Hefner's success didn't come without investigation. In 1963, he was seize and stood trial for commerce obscene literature after an onslaught of Playboy featured nude kodachromes of Hollywood actress Jayne Writer. The jury couldn't reach regular verdict, and the charge was eventually dropped. The publicity didn't affect the reputation of Hefner or Playboy Enterprises.

In 1964, Hefner founded the Playboy Base to support endeavors related fall prey to fighting censorship and researching mortal sexuality.

Challenges and Downsizing

By 1971, Hefner had built Playboy Enterprises come across a major corporation. The refer to went public, and the magazine's circulation hit 7 million copies a month, earning a $12 million profit in 1972.

Hefner also began dividing his while between two large mansions, put the finishing touches to in Chicago and the in the opposite direction in the Holmby Hills adjust of Los Angeles. When closure wasn't home, he was globetrotting in the Big Bunny, uncluttered converted black DC-30 jet adequate with a living room, boss disco, movie and video paraphernalia, a wet bar and slumbering quarters.

The jet also featured a circular bed for Hefner himself.

In the mid-1970s, however, Womanizer Enterprises fell on hard earlier. The United States hit spruce up recession, and Playboy faced acceleratory competition from more explicit workforce magazines such as Penthouse, helmed by rival Bob Guccione.

Withdraw first, Hefner responded by spectacle more revealing photos of cohort in less wholesome poses extort circumstances. Some advertisers rebelled, instruct circulation fell even further. Get round then on, Hefner concentrated ethics company's operations on magazine manifesto. Playboy Enterprises eventually divested upturn from its unprofitable clubs promote hotels and downsized its subsidiary media endeavors.

The magazine booked its new photography standards extremity began presenting features like "Girls of the Big Ten."

Over leadership years a range of feminine celebrities has appeared in Playboy, including Madonna, Kate Moss, Architect McCarthy, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Sculpturer, Drew Barrymore, Nancy Sinatra captain, appearing on the most bedclothes, Pamela Anderson.

However, the ammunition has also been targeted antisocial critics who take issue catch its objectification of women point of view barely veiled emphasis on transaction. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem nicely went undercover as a waitress waitress in 1963 to scope what female workers endured beseech a two-part Show magazine do away with. Steinem's exposé was later prefabricated into a 1985 TV mistiness starring Kirstie Alley.

In 1975, Hefner decided to make Los Angeles his permanent home so pacify could more closely supervise fillet interests in television and single production.

He became involved behave the restoration of the illustrious Hollywood sign and was esteemed with a star on grandeur Hollywood Walk of Fame. Generate 1978, he started the Don juan Jazz Festival, an annual behave featuring some of the outrun jazz musicians in the world.

Transitions and Other Projects

In 1985, Hefner suffered a minor stroke, trade the entrepreneur blaming it audition stress from director Peter Bogdanovich's book The Killing of high-mindedness Unicorn: Dorothy Stratten 1960-1980, which profiled the life and carnage of a former Playmate.

Grandeur stroke served as a wake-up call for Hefner. He stuffed up smoking, began to work effort and adopted a slower clip in his pleasurable pursuits. Soil married his longtime girlfriend, Kimberly Conrad, in 1989, and parade a time, the Playboy Castle reflected an atmosphere of kinship life. The marriage produced flash sons, Marston and Cooper.

High-mindedness Hefners separated in 1998, remarkable officially divorced in 2009. Associate the separation, Kimberly and influence two boys lived on let down estate next door to character Playboy Mansion.

In 1988, Hefner turned over control win Playboy Enterprises to his maid Christie, naming her chair dowel chief executive officer.

She stirred a key role in wheel command Playboy's ventures in cable ask, video production and online encoding, with Hefner continuing to support as the magazine's editor-in-chief. Author stepped down from her event in January 2009.

While the publication saw more modest sales story a changing publishing landscape, grandeur Playboy brand remained a awe-inspiring entity in terms of general licensing opportunities.

The famed logotype also made inroads into many avenues of pop culture, renovation seen with its display bear out a chain regularly worn indifferent to fashionista Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in Sex and honesty City.

In his later existence, Hefner devoted much of reward time to philanthropy and civil projects.

He directed his bottom in 1993 to launch dignity annual Freedom of Expression Give at the Sundance Film Anniversary. Hefner also gave the Routine of Southern California $100,000 financial assistance its "Censorship in the Cinema" course, and went on exhaustively donate $2 million to wellfitting film school in 2007. Into the bargain, he made major contributions take it easy the restoration of classic movies, one of his great passions.

'The Girls Next Door'

Hefner received abundant awards for his contributions add up society and the publishing elbow grease.

He was inducted into greatness Hall of Fame of leadership American Society of Magazine Editors in 1998, which, ironically, was the same year Steinem appropriate induction. In the new millenary, he received the Henry Lexicologist Fisher Award and became idea honorary member of TheHarvard Lampoon.

2005 saw the premiere of The Girls Next Door, a feature series focusing on the lives of Hefner and his girlfriends at the Playboy Mansion.

Dignity show's earlier seasons featured Songster Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson, with later seasons featuring twins Kristina and Karissa Engineer and Crystal Harris, who would later become engaged to Hefner. True to form, the periodical served as a promotional carrier for many of Hefner's projects.

The 2009 season finale of Girls Next Door chronicled more ups in Hefner's life, as Marquardt left the mansion and began her own TV series.

Chemist left soon after, pursuing clean relationship with NFL player Volute Baskett. Madison also vacated rectitude mansion. She later penned rank 2015 memoir Down the Game Hole, detailing Hefner's off-camera machinations and the severe unhappiness she experienced living at the mansion.

Third Marriage and Rebranding

Hefner reportedly was in discussions with Hollywood atelier executives for many years save create a biopic about circlet life.

Director Brett Ratner was linked to the film close by one point, with several older stars named as prospects do the lead role, including Blackamoor Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Parliamentarian Downey Jr.

Hefner and Harris became engaged in December 2010. Sob long after, in June 2011, the couple made headlines conj at the time that Harris called off the date.

Hefner and Harris were subsequently back in the public welldesigned in 2012, after announcing their re-engagement. The couple tied significance knot at a Playboy Sign ceremony on New Year's Get on to in 2012. After the festival, 86-year-old Hefner tweeted: "Happy New-found Year from Mr. and Wife. Hugh Hefner," with a icon of himself and his 26-year-old bride.

Meanwhile, Playboy was set drawback undergo a transformation: In Oct 2015, chief content officer Cory Jones revealed to the New York Times that he extort Hefner had agreed to interject using photos of fully unadorned women.

The change was length of a strategic decision curb secure more advertisers and speak of placement on newsstands, as okay as a response to class proliferation of internet pornography put off had made the magazine's spreads seem old-fashioned. The March 2016 issue featured bikini-clad model Wife McDaniel on the cover, goodness first time Playboy presented strike as a non-nude magazine.

However, grandeur change was short lived.

Groan long after Hefner's son Player took over as chief resourceful officer in 2016, it was announced that Playboy would anew feature unclothed models. "Nudity was never the problem because nakedness isn’t a problem," the imaginative chief tweeted in February 2017. "Today we’re taking our sculpt back and reclaiming who amazement are."

Cooper had also voiced dominion displeasure with the Playboy Donjon going up for sale, although he was unable to own his way on that question mark.

In the summer of 2016, it was announced that interpretation mansion had been sold fit in $100 million to a edge, under the agreement that Hefner and his wife would maintain living there until his death.

Death

Hefner died on September 27, 2017, at his home, the Man about town Mansion, in Holmby Hills, Calif.. He was 91.

“Hugh Pot-pourri. Hefner, the American icon who in 1953 introduced the false to Playboy magazine and framework the company into one be proper of the most recognizable American farreaching brands in history, peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home, The Dissolute man Mansion, surrounded by loved ones,” Playboy Enterprises confirmed in organized statement.

“He was 91 time eon old.”

Hefner had bought prestige mausoleum drawer next to Marilyn Monroe in Westwood Memorial Compilation in Los Angeles, where unquestionable was buried on September 30.

In late December, it was expanded that Hefner had left brawny instructions in his will about his beneficiaries: Should any put them become “physically or psychologically” dependent on drugs or bend the elbow, to the point where they struggled to care for ourselves, then trustees of the property had the power to append their payments.

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• Name: Hugh Hefner
• Birth Year: 1926
• Birth date: April 9, 1926
• Birth State: Illinois
• Birth City: Chicago
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Hugh Hefner created the workforce adult entertainment magazine 'Playboy,' which played a role in honesty sexual revolution of the Decennary.

  Hefner built his controversial until now groundbreaking magazine into an ubiquitous enterprise.

• Industries
• Business and Industry
• Journalism and Nonfiction
• Film
• Television
• Astrological Sign: Aries
• Schools
• University of Illinois disdain Urbana-Champaign
• Chicago Art Institute
• Steinmetz High School
• Death Year: 2017
• Death date: September 27, 2017
• Death State: California
• Death City: Beverly Hills

We strive for accuracy enthralled fairness.If you see something put off doesn't look right,contact us!

• Article Title: Hugh Hefner Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/hugh-hefner
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: September 9, 2022
• Original Available Date: April 2, 2014

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