Hugh Hefner: American Playboy  (1998)

Theatrical Release Information:
Hugh Hefner: American Playboy

This edition of Biography, the long running documentary series from A&E, explores the life of Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner who launched an entertainment empire with the magazine which he created in 1953 and which grew to become the world's best selling men's magazine. The documentary chronicals how Playboy was pivotal to America's mid-twentieth century "sexual revolution," as it helped to bring sexual topics and imagery into the cultural mainstream. Playboy's fun-loving, sexually free lifestyle features a mix of "centerfolds" of naked women, celebrity interviews, short fiction, book and movie reviews, and essays. The video also explained how Hefner has lived the lifestyle his magazine espouses, partying with celebrities in his Los Angeles mansion, surrounding himself with curvaceous women, and always wearing his trademark silk pajamas and smoking jacket. In the 1970s Hefner opened Playboy Clubs, casinos, and resorts worldwide, but he eventually phased out this part of his company. Today, Playboy Enterprises encompasses global television and home video businesses, motion picture production, a host of international licensed products, CD-ROMs and other new media products, as well as a Web site. The documentary ends with an update since the mid-1980s. At that point Hefner's daughter Christie began to serve as chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises. ~ John Patrick Sheehan, All Movie Guide