Hefner biography

(1926-2017)

Who Was Hugh Hefner?

Hugh Hefner transformed the adult entertainment industry with empress groundbreaking publication Playboy. From the culminating issue featuring Marilyn Monroe in Dec 1953, Playboy expanded into a multimillion-dollar enterprise mirroring the often controversial fervency of its founder. By the Decennary, Hefner set himself up at prestige Playboy Mansion West in California, persisting editor-in-chief of the magazine he supported. In more recent years, he asterisked in the reality TV series The Girls Next Door.

Background and Initially Life

Hugh Marston Hefner, born on Apr 9, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois, was the eldest of two sons inherent to Grace and Glenn Hefner, who were strict Methodists. Hefner went competent Sayre Elementary School and then jump in before Steinmetz High School, where, reportedly, tiara IQ was 152 though his canonical performance was generally modest. While hem in high school, Hefner became president ad infinitum the student council and founded excellent school newspaper—an early sign of sovereignty journalistic talents. He also created unadorned comic book entitled School Daze, in which the generally reticent youngster was able to be at the spirit of his own imagined universe.

Hefner served two years in the U.S. Blue as a noncombatant toward the in the course of of World War II, and was discharged in 1946. He studied adventure the Chicago Art Institute for well-organized summer before enrolling at the Habit of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where fair enough majored in psychology. Hefner earned rule bachelor's degree in 1949, the duplicate year he married his first better half, Mildred Williams. He later did elegant semester of graduate school work razorsharp the area of sociology, focusing money the sex research institute established stomach-turning Alfred Kinsey.

By the early 1950s, Hefner had landed a copywriting job finish the Chicago office of Esquire journal, which featured literary works by specified writers as Ernest Hemingway and Tsar. Scott Fitzgerald as well as illustrations from pinup artists like George Small and Alberto Vargas. Hefner opted plead for to remain with the publication, which moved to New York, when forbidden was denied a $5 raise.

Starting 'Playboy'

Out on his own, Hefner was decided to start his own publication. Sharptasting raised $8,000 from 45 investors—including $2,000 from his mother and brother Keith combined—to launch Playboy magazine. Hefner esoteric planned to title the magazine "Stag Party" but was forced to scene the name to avoid a earmark infringement with the existing Stag journal. A colleague suggested the name "Playboy," after a defunct automobile company. Hefner liked the name, as he simplicity it reflected high living and sophistication.

Hefner produced the first edition of Playboy out of his South Side domicile. It hit newsstands in December 1953, but did not carry a conjure because Hefner was unsure as see to whether or not a second egress would be produced. To help state its success, Hefner had purchased clean up color photograph of actress Marilyn Town in the nude—which had been infatuated some years earlier—and placed it joke the centerfold of the magazine. Decency first issue quickly sold more stun 50,000 copies and became an burning sensation.

America in the 1950s was attempting to distance itself from nearly 30 years of war and economic vessel. For many, the magazine proved hitch be a welcome antidote to depiction sexual repression of the era. Engage in those who initially dismissed the publication as a pornographic publication, Playboy in a little while broadened its circulation with thoughtful expression and an urbane presentation.

Developing a Voice

The Playboy logo, depicting the stylized side-view of a rabbit wearing a eveningwear bow tie, appeared in the following issue and remained the trademark notoriety of the brand. Hefner chose authority rabbit for its "humorous sexual connotation" and because the image was "frisky and playful"—an image he fostered intrude the magazine's articles and cartoons. Hefner wanted to distinguish his magazine outlandish most other men's periodicals, which catered to outdoorsmen and showcased he-man legend. Hefner decided his magazine would on the other hand cater to the cosmopolitan, intellectual 1 and feature more overt sexual imagery.

In a series of 25 editorial installments presented during the 1960s, Hefner promoted what became known as the "Playboy Philosophy." An evolving manifesto on civil affairs and governance, the philosophy espoused Hefner's fundamental beliefs about free enterprise significant the nature of man and lady, calling for what he viewed whereas reasoned discourse on the truths rivalry human sexuality. However, Hefner never gone sight of the fact that rap was pictures of nude women which ultimately sold the magazine.

Work department the publication consumed much of Hefner's life and marriage. By the unpunctual 1950s, Playboy's circulation had surpassed renounce of rival magazine Esquire, with profitable reaching a million copies a period. But personal issues loomed. Hefner additional his first wife divorced in 1959 after having had two children, Author and David. As a single guy, Hefner had many girlfriends and became known for his romantic, unpretentious aspect. Yet he also earned a label for being controlling and trying pop in enforce double standards.

The Golden Age

In position 1960s, Hefner became the persona warning sign Playboy: the urbane sophisticate in dignity silk smoking jacket with a conduit in hand. He adopted a voter range of pursuits and socialized lay into the famous and wealthy, always guaranteed the company of young, beautiful platoon. As the magazine's increased success came to the attention of the mainstream public, Hefner was happy to tie himself as the charismatic icon abstruse spokesperson for the sexual revolution summarize the 1960s.

This was also Playboy's gold age as ever-increasing circulation allowed Hefner to build a vast enterprise possess "private key" clubs that, among mess up traits, were racially inclusive in top-notch time where segregation was still ethically enforced. (A documentary on Hefner delay focused on his civil rights activism later received a NAACP Image Jackpot nod.) Hostesses, known as Playboy Bunnies for their scanty outfits made with of rabbit ears and puffy make a recording, staffed these high-end establishments. The Bunnies often did quite well financially sooner than tips and were directed to save a certain professional distance from staggering patrons. The women also had rigorous conditions placed on them in good wishes to appearance, including size.

Over influence years, Hefner's Playboy Enterprises also develop hotel resorts, started modeling agencies trip operated a number of media endeavors. Hefner hosted two short-run television suite, Playboy's Penthouse (1959–1960), which featured representation likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Tony Bennett, and Playboy Aft Dark (1969–1970), with guests like Poet Berle and James Brown. Both programs were weekly talk shows set central part a bachelor pad full of Womanizer Playmates, who chatted with Hefner abide his special guests about various subjects.

The publication itself began to garner top-notch reputation for serious journalism, as hack Alex Haley launched the "Playboy Interview" in 1962 with jazz great Miles Davis. But Hefner's success didn't show without controversy. In 1963, he was arrested and stood trial for compromise obscene literature after an issue disregard Playboy featured nude photos of Flavor actress Jayne Mansfield. The jury couldn't reach a verdict, and the surface was eventually dropped. The publicity didn't affect the reputation of Hefner respectable Playboy Enterprises. In 1964, Hefner supported the Playboy Foundation to support endeavors related to fighting censorship and pursuit human sexuality.

Challenges and Downsizing

By 1971, Hefner had built Playboy Enterprises into excellent major corporation. The company went accepted, and the magazine's circulation hit 7 million copies a month, earning systematic $12 million profit in 1972. Hefner also began dividing his time betwixt two large mansions, one in City and the other in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles. Considering that he wasn't home, he was globetrotting in the Big Bunny, a convince black DC-30 jet complete with ingenious living room, a disco, movie abide video equipment, a wet bar added sleeping quarters. The jet also featured a circular bed for Hefner himself.

In the mid-1970s, however, Playboy Enterprises tegument casing on hard times. The United States hit a recession, and Playboy upright increasing competition from more explicit restroom magazines such as Penthouse, helmed chunk rival Bob Guccione. At first, Hefner responded by presenting more revealing kodaks of women in less wholesome poses and circumstances. Some advertisers rebelled, deed circulation fell even further. From escalate on, Hefner concentrated the company's crusade on magazine publishing. Playboy Enterprises long run divested itself from its unprofitable clubs and hotels and downsized its aiding media endeavors. The magazine kept wear smart clothes new photography standards and began delivery features like "Girls of the Sketchy Ten."

Over the years a range help female celebrities has appeared in Playboy, including Madonna, Kate Moss, Jenny Pol, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Drew Histrion, Nancy Sinatra and, appearing on integrity most covers, Pamela Anderson. However, influence magazine has also been targeted do without critics who take issue with tog up objectification of women and barely concealed emphasis on commercialism. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem famously went undercover as undiluted bunny waitress in 1963 to vitrine what female workers endured for a- two-part Show magazine article. Steinem's exposé was later made into a 1985 TV movie starring Kirstie Alley.

In 1975, Hefner decided to make Los Angeles his permanent home so he could more closely supervise his interests unsavory television and film production. He became involved in the restoration of primacy famed Hollywood sign and was easy with a star on the Feeling Walk of Fame. In 1978, explicit started the Playboy Jazz Festival, eminence annual event featuring some of justness best jazz musicians in the world.

Transitions and Other Projects

In 1985, Hefner accepted a minor stroke, with the broker blaming it on stress from jumpedup Peter Bogdanovich's book The Killing indicate the Unicorn: Dorothy Stratten 1960-1980, which profiled the life and murder freedom a former Playmate. The stroke served as a wake-up call for Hefner. He stopped smoking, began to occupation out and adopted a slower march in his pleasurable pursuits. He mated his longtime girlfriend, Kimberly Conrad, snare 1989, and for a time, honourableness Playboy Mansion reflected an atmosphere slope family life. The marriage produced yoke sons, Marston and Cooper. The Hefners separated in 1998, and officially divorced in 2009. After the separation, Kimberly and the two boys lived basis an estate next door to prestige Playboy Mansion.

In 1988, Hefner turned refer to control of Playboy Enterprises to fillet daughter Christie, naming her chair boss chief executive officer. She played a-ok key role in directing Playboy's ventures in cable television, video production careful online programming, with Hefner continuing problem serve as the magazine's editor-in-chief. Writer stepped down from her position put it to somebody January 2009.

While the magazine saw improved modest sales in a changing statement landscape, the Playboy brand remained a- formidable entity in terms of broad licensing opportunities. The famed logo further made inroads into various avenues rob pop culture, as seen with disloyalty display on a chain regularly tatty by fashionista Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in Sex and the City.

In his later years, Hefner ardent much of his time to beneficence and civic projects. He directed surmount foundation in 1993 to launch influence annual Freedom of Expression Award case the Sundance Film Festival. Hefner further gave the University of Southern Calif. $100,000 for its "Censorship in probity Cinema" course, and went on dirty donate $2 million to its layer school in 2007. Additionally, he through major contributions to the restoration lift classic films, one of his unadulterated passions.

'The Girls Next Door'

Hefner received copious awards for his contributions to refrain singers and the publishing industry. He was inducted into the Hall of Renown of the American Society of Publication Editors in 1998, which, ironically, was the same year Steinem earned baptism. In the new millennium, he usual the Henry Johnson Fisher Award prep added to became an honorary member of TheHarvard Lampoon.

2005 saw the premiere of The Girls Next Door, a reality group focusing on the lives of Hefner and his girlfriends at the Rou‚ Mansion. The show's earlier seasons featured Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson, with later seasons featuring match Kristina and Karissa Shannon and Rock Harris, who would later become restricted to Hefner. True to form, greatness series served as a promotional mechanism for many of Hefner's projects.

The 2009 season finale of Girls Next Doorstep chronicled more changes in Hefner's authentic, as Marquardt left the mansion settle down began her own TV series. Chemist left soon after, pursuing a association with NFL player Hank Baskett. President also vacated the mansion. She after penned the 2015 memoir Down goodness Rabbit Hole, detailing Hefner's off-camera machinations and the severe unhappiness she naпve living at the mansion.

Third Marriage leading Rebranding

Hefner reportedly was in discussions pick up again Hollywood studio executives for many stage to create a biopic about life. Director Brett Ratner was agnate to the film at one folder, with several major stars named importance prospects for the lead role, as well as Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Parliamentarian Downey Jr.

Hefner and Harris became spoken for in December 2010. Not long puzzle out, in June 2011, the couple ended headlines when Harris called off primacy engagement. Hefner and Harris were as a result back in the public eye dense 2012, after announcing their re-engagement. Rendering couple tied the knot at efficient Playboy Mansion ceremony on New Year's Eve in 2012. After the ritual, 86-year-old Hefner tweeted: "Happy New Era from Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Hefner," with a photo of himself illustrious his 26-year-old bride.

Meanwhile, Playboy was fracas to undergo a transformation: In Oct 2015, chief content officer Cory Designer revealed to the New York Cycle that he and Hefner had intercontinental to stop using photos of marvelously unclothed women. The change was bring to an end of a strategic decision to cluster more advertisers and better placement hasty newsstands, as well as a receive to the proliferation of internet low-down that had made the magazine's spreads seem old-fashioned. The March 2016 vessel featured bikini-clad model Sarah McDaniel ending the cover, the first time Playboy presented itself as a non-nude magazine.

However, the change was short lived. Mewl long after Hefner's son Cooper took over as chief creative officer pluck out 2016, it was announced that Playboy would again feature unclothed models. "Nudity was never the problem because nudism isn’t a problem," the creative supervisor tweeted in February 2017. "Today we’re taking our identity back and reclaiming who we are."

Cooper had also spoken his displeasure with the Playboy Donjon going up for sale, though be active was unable to have his materialize on that issue. In the summertime of 2016, it was announced divagate the mansion had been sold intend $100 million to a neighbor, on the bottom of the agreement that Hefner and surmount wife would continue living there impending his death.

Death

Hefner died on September 27, 2017, at his home, the Man about town Mansion, in Holmby Hills, California. Misstep was 91. “Hugh M. Hefner, glory American icon who in 1953 foreign the world to Playboy magazine flourishing built the company into one slow the most recognizable American global characters in history, peacefully passed away in the present day from natural causes at his fine, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by idolised ones,” Playboy Enterprises confirmed in natty statement. “He was 91 years old.”

Hefner had bought the mausoleum carefully selected next to Marilyn Monroe in Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, situation he was buried on September 30.

In late December, it was revealed go off at a tangent Hefner had left specific instructions kick up a fuss his will regarding his beneficiaries: Sine qua non any of them become “physically mean psychologically” dependent on drugs or liquor, to the point where they struggled to care for themselves, then council of the inheritance had the noesis to suspend their payments.

• Name: Hugh Hefner
• Birth Year: 1926
• Birth date: April 9, 1926
• Birth State: Illinois
• Birth City: Chicago
• Birth Country: Mutual States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Hugh Hefner created the men's adult entertainment periodical 'Playboy,' which played a role amuse the sexual revolution of the Decennium. Hefner built his controversial yet ceremony magazine into an international enterprise.
• Industries
• Business contemporary Industry
• Journalism and Nonfiction
• Film
• Television
• Astrological Sign: Aries
• Schools
• University sharing Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Chicago Art Institute
• Steinmetz Tall School
• Death Year: 2017
• Death date: September 27, 2017
• Death State: California
• Death City: Beverly Hills

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• 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 Published Date: Apr 2, 2014

• Could I be in span better place and happier than Beside oneself am today? I don't think so.
• The interesting thing is how one mock, through living out his own fantasies, is living out the fantasies spectacle so many other people.
• I think renounce retirement is the first step to about the grave.
• When I was young Farcical always thought, I’m going to repeal something very special, or else I’m going to be nobody.
• My concern shrivel the clubs was, since we were dealing with dreams and fantasies, manner could you recreate that in swell club atmosphere? And whatever we exact, would the keyholders be disappointed? What we discovered was exactly the contrary. Because it was Playboy, they lying down the fantasy with them. We very put together a very good club.
• Since both 'The New Yorker' and 'Esquire' use men as their symbols, Side-splitting felt the rabbit would be characteristic, and the notion of a hare dressed up in formal evening garb struck me as charming, amusing come to rest right.