now lets see about him
Hugh Marston Hefner (born April 9, 1926) is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.[1]
Early life
Hefner was born in Chicago, Illinois, the elder of two sons born to Grace Caroline (née Swanson; 1895–1997) and Glenn Lucius Hefner (1896–1976), both teachers.[2][3] Hefner's mother was of Swedish descent and his father had German and English ancestry.[4][5] On his father's side, Hefner is a direct descendant of Plymouth governor William Bradford.[6][7] He has described his family as "conservative, Midwest, Methodist".[8] He went to Sayre Elementary School and Steinmetz High School, then served as a writer for a military newspaper in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. He later graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in psychology with a double minor in creative writing and art in 1949, earning his degree in two and a half years. After graduation, he took a semester of graduate courses in sociology at Northwestern University but dropped out soon after.[9]
Career
Working as a copywriter for Esquire, he left in January 1952, after being denied a $5 raise. In 1953, he mortgaged his furniture, generating a bank loan of $600 (or $800—he cannot recall which) 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 was initially going to be called Stag Party. The undated first issue, published in December 1953, featured Marilyn Monroe from her 1949 nude calendar shoot. Hefner, who never met Monroe, bought the crypt next to hers at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.[10][11]After it was rejected by Esquire magazine in 1955, Hefner agreed to publish in Playboy Charles Beaumont's science fiction short story, "The Crooked Man," about straight men being persecuted in a world where homosexuality was the norm. After receiving angry letters to the magazine, Hefner wrote a response to criticism where he said, "If it was wrong to persecute heterosexuals in a homosexual society then the reverse was wrong, too." Hefner is portrayed as a gay rights pioneer in the documentary film, Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel.[12]
On June 4, 1963, Hefner was arrested for selling obscene literature after an issue of Playboy featuring nude shots of Jayne Mansfield was released.[citation needed] A jury was unable to reach a verdict.[citation needed]
His former secretary, Bobbie Arnstein, was found dead in a Chicago hotel room after an overdose of drugs in January 1975. Hefner called a press conference to allege that she had been driven to suicide by narcotics agents and federal officers. Hefner further claimed the government was out to get him because of Playboy's philosophy and its advocacy of more liberal drug laws.[13][14]
Hefner is[when?] in talks about making a film about his life.[15] He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television and has made several movie appearances as himself. In 2010, he received a "worst supporting actor" nomination for a Razzie award for his performance in Miss March.
A documentary by Brigitte Berman, Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel was released on July 30, 2010. This was reportedly the first time that Hefner granted full access to a documentary filmmaker.[16]
Personal life
Hefner married Northwestern University student Mildred Williams (1927-) in 1949. They had two children, Christie (born November 8, 1952) and David (born August 30, 1955).[17] Before the wedding, Mildred confessed that she had an affair while he 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 sleep with other women, out of guilt for her infidelity and in the hopes that it would preserve their marriage. They divorced in 1959.Hefner remade himself as a bon vivant and man about town, a lifestyle he promoted in his magazine and two TV shows he hosted, Playboy's Penthouse (1959–1960) and Playboy After Dark (1969–1970). He admitted to being "'involved' with maybe eleven out of twelve months' worth of Playmates" during some of these years.[18] Donna Michelle, Marilyn Cole, Lillian Müller, Shannon Tweed, Brande Roderick, Barbi Benton, Karen Christy, Sondra Theodore, and Carrie Leigh — who filed a $35 million palimony suit against him — were a few of his many lovers. In 1971, he acknowledged that he experimented in bisexuality.[19] He moved from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Hefner had a minor stroke in 1985 at age 59. After reevaluating his lifestyle, he made several changes. The wild, all-night parties were toned down significantly and in 1988, daughter Christie began to run the Playboy empire. The following year, he married Playmate of the Year Kimberley Conrad. The couple had two sons, Marston Glenn (born April 9, 1990) and Cooper Bradford (born September 4, 1991).[20] The E! True Hollywood Story profile noted that the notorious Playboy Mansion had been transformed into a family-friendly homestead. After he and Conrad separated in 1998, Conrad moved into a house next door to the mansion. According to an update on Hefner's Twitter account on April 25, 2010, Conrad and her mother are moving to Reno in a new home to be closer to family.
Hefner then began to move an ever-changing coterie of young women into the Mansion, even dating up to seven girls at once, among them, Brande Roderick, Izabella St. James, Tina Marie Jordan, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, Rachael O'Neill, and Kendra Wilkinson. The reality television series The Girls Next Door depicted the lives of Madison, Wilkinson and Marquardt at the Playboy Mansion.[21] In October 2008, all three girls made the choice to leave the mansion. Hefner was quick to rebound and soon began dating his new "Number One" girlfriend, Crystal Harris,[22] along with 20-year-old identical twin models Kristina and Karissa Shannon.[23] The relationship with the twins ended in January 2010.[24] After an 11-year separation, Hefner filed for divorce from Conrad stating irreconcilable differences.[25] Hefner has said that he only remained married to her for the sake of his children,[26] and his youngest child had just turned 18.[20] The divorce was finalized in March 2010.[27] On December 24, 2010, Hefner presented an engagement ring to Harris, publicly announcing the proposal the following day.[10] Hefner and Harris plan to marry June 18, 2011.[28][29]
Politics and philanthropy
The Hugh Hefner First Amendment Award was created by Christie Hefner "to honor individuals who have made significant contributions in the vital effort to protect and enhance First Amendment rights for Americans."He has donated and raised money for the Democratic Party.[30]
In 1978, Hefner helped organize fund-raising efforts that led to the restoration of the Hollywood Sign. He hosted a gala fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion and personally contributed $27,000 (or 1/9th of the total restoration costs) by purchasing the letter Y in a ceremonial auction.[31][32]
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.[33]
Both through his charitable foundation and individually, Hefner also contributes to charities outside the sphere of politics and publishing, throwing fundraiser events for Much Love Animal Rescue, as well as Generation Rescue,[34] a controversial autism campaign organization supported by Jenny McCarthy.
On April 26, 2010, Hefner donated the last $900,000 sought by a conservation group for a land purchase needed to stop the development of the famed vista of the Hollywood Sign.[31]
and this is the way Hugh Hefner lived from 1926 till now
Hefner served two years in the U.S. Army toward the end of World War II, and was discharged in 1946. He studied at the Chicago Art Institute for two years before enrolling at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in psychology. In 1949, while in college, he met his first wife Mildred Williams. Hefner earned his bachelor's degree in 1950.
In the early 1950s, Hefner was leading a life typical of many of his peers. He was fresh out of college, young and ambitious, and in an entry-level job with a major corporation at the Chicago office of Esquire magazine. Esquire was a racy publication for men that had transformed itself into a refined periodical, featuring articles on everything from men's fashion to literary works by such writers as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It also featured illustrations from pinup artists such as George Petty and Alberto Vargas. Hefner worked for Esquire as a promotional copywriter until 1953, when he left the magazine because he was denied a $5 raise.
Out on his own Hefner was determined to start his own publication, one that was similar to Esquire but better. He raised $8,000 from 45 investors—including $1,000 from his mother—to launch Playboy magazine. Hefner had planned to name the magazine "Stag Party" but was forced to change the name to avoid a trademark infringement with the existing Stag magazine. A friend suggested the name "Playboy," after a defunct automobile company in Chicago. Hefner liked the name, as he thought it reflected high living and sophistication.
America in the 1950s was trying to distance itself from nearly 30 years of war and economic depression. For many, the magazine proved to be a welcome antidote to the sexual repression of the 1950s. For those who initially dismissed the magazine as a pornographic publication, Playboy soon broadened its circulation with thoughtful articles and an urbane presentation.
The Playboy logo, depicting the stylized profile of a rabbit wearing a tuxedo bow tie, appeared in the second issue and remained the trademark icon of the Playboy industry. Hefner chose the rabbit for its "humorous sexual connotation" and because the image was "frisky and playful"—an image he fostered in the magazine's articles and cartoons. Hefner wanted to distinguish his magazine from most other men's periodicals, which catered to outdoorsmen and featured "he-man" fiction. Hefner decided his magazine would instead cater to the more cosmopolitan, intellectual male, while associating sex not with prostitution but rather with "the girl next door."
From early in the magazine's publication, Hefner promoted what became known as the "Playboy Philosophy." An evolving manifesto on politics and governance, the philosophy espoused Hefner's fundamental beliefs about the nature of man and woman and called for reasoned discourse on the truths of human sexuality. However, Hefner never lost sight of the fact that it was pictures of nude women that ultimately sold the magazine.
Work on the magazine consumed much of Hugh Hefner's life and his marriage. By 1956, Playboy's circulation had surpassed that of rival magazine Esquire, and was nearing 1 million copies a month by 1959. Hefner had also "walked the walk" by becoming involved in many extramarital affairs, which his wife tolerated for several years. They divorced in 1959 after having two children, Christie and David.
In the 1960s, Hugh Hefner became the persona of Playboy: the urbane sophisticate in the silk smoking jacket with pipe in hand. He adopted a wide range of intellectual pursuits, and socialized with the famous and wealthy, always in the company of many young, beautiful women. As the magazine's increased success came to the attention of the mainstream public, Hefner was happy to portray himself as the charismatic icon and spokesperson for the sexual revolution of the 1960s.
This was also Playboy's golden age as ever-increasing circulation allowed Hefner to build a vast enterprise of "private key" clubs. Hostesses, known as "bunnies" for their scanty bunny outfits, staffed these high-end establishments. Hefner's Playboy Enterprises also built hotel resorts, started modeling agencies, produced feature films, published books, and operated a record company. Also in the 1960s, Hefner hosted two short-run television series, Playboy's Penthouse (1959–60) and Playboy After Dark (1969–70). Both programs were weekly talk shows set in a bachelor pad full of Playboy Playmates, who would chat with Hefner and his special guests about various subjects.
But all that success didn't come without controversy. In 1963, Hugh Hefner was arrested and stood trial for selling obscene literature after an issue of Playboy featured nude photos of Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield. The jury couldn't reach a verdict, and the charge was eventually dropped. The publicity hurt neither Playboy Enterprises nor Hefner's reputation. In 1965, Hefner founded the Playboy Foundation to provide grants to nonprofit groups fighting censorship and researching human sexuality.
first issue playboy
From early in the magazine's publication, Hefner promoted what became known as the "Playboy Philosophy." An evolving manifesto on politics and governance, the philosophy espoused Hefner's fundamental beliefs about the nature of man and woman and called for reasoned discourse on the truths of human sexuality. However, Hefner never lost sight of the fact that it was pictures of nude women that ultimately sold the magazine.
Work on the magazine consumed much of Hugh Hefner's life and his marriage. By 1956, Playboy's circulation had surpassed that of rival magazine Esquire, and was nearing 1 million copies a month by 1959. Hefner had also "walked the walk" by becoming involved in many extramarital affairs, which his wife tolerated for several years. They divorced in 1959 after having two children, Christie and David.
In the 1960s, Hugh Hefner became the persona of Playboy: the urbane sophisticate in the silk smoking jacket with pipe in hand. He adopted a wide range of intellectual pursuits, and socialized with the famous and wealthy, always in the company of many young, beautiful women. As the magazine's increased success came to the attention of the mainstream public, Hefner was happy to portray himself as the charismatic icon and spokesperson for the sexual revolution of the 1960s.
This was also Playboy's golden age as ever-increasing circulation allowed Hefner to build a vast enterprise of "private key" clubs. Hostesses, known as "bunnies" for their scanty bunny outfits, staffed these high-end establishments. Hefner's Playboy Enterprises also built hotel resorts, started modeling agencies, produced feature films, published books, and operated a record company. Also in the 1960s, Hefner hosted two short-run television series, Playboy's Penthouse (1959–60) and Playboy After Dark (1969–70). Both programs were weekly talk shows set in a bachelor pad full of Playboy Playmates, who would chat with Hefner and his special guests about various subjects.
But all that success didn't come without controversy. In 1963, Hugh Hefner was arrested and stood trial for selling obscene literature after an issue of Playboy featured nude photos of Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield. The jury couldn't reach a verdict, and the charge was eventually dropped. The publicity hurt neither Playboy Enterprises nor Hefner's reputation. In 1965, Hefner founded the Playboy Foundation to provide grants to nonprofit groups fighting censorship and researching human sexuality.
By 1970, Hugh Hefner had built Playboy Enterprises into a major corporation. The company went public, and the magazine's circulation hit 7 million copies a month, earning a $12 million profit in 1972. Hefner began dividing his time between two large mansions in Chicago and Los Angeles. When he wasn't home, he was globe-trotting in the "Big Bunny," a converted DC-30 jet complete with a galley, a living room, a disco, movie and video equipment, a wet bar, and sleeping quarters for 16 guests. The jet also featured a circular bed for Hefner himself.
In the mid-1970s, however, Playboy Enterprises fell on hard times. The United States hit a recession, and Playboy faced increasing competition from more explicit men's magazines such as Penthouse. At first, Hefner responded by "imitating the imitators" and presenting more revealing photos of women in less wholesome poses and circumstances. Some advertisers rebelled, and circulation fell even further. From then on, Hefner concentrated the company's operations on magazine publishing. Playboy Enterprises divested itself from the unprofitable Playboy clubs and hotels. At the film and record companies, budgets were slashed and payroll was reduced. The magazine kept its new photography standards but began featuring more "wholesome" exposés such as "Girls of the Big Ten" and placed a stronger emphasis on the quality and content of the writing.
In 1975, Hefner decided to make Los Angeles his permanent home so he could more closely supervise his interests in television and film production. He became involved in the restoration of the famed Hollywood sign and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also became immersed on Hollywood's creative community, producing such features as Roman Polanski's Macbeth and Monty Python's first film, And Now for Something Completely Different. In 1978, Hefner started the Playboy Jazz Festival, an annual event featuring some of the best jazz musicians in the world.
In 1985, Hefner suffered a minor stroke. The incident served as a wake-up call for the entrepreneur. He cut back on his participation in the poolside parties at the mansion and took a slower pace in his pleasurable pursuits. He married his longtime girlfriend, Kimberly Conrad, in 1989 and for a time the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles reflected an atmosphere of family life. The marriage produced two sons, Marston and Cooper. The Hefners separated in 1998, and Kimberly and the two boys live on an estate next door to the Playboy Mansion.
Since the mid-1980s, Hugh Hefner's daughter, Christie, had been working with the editorial staff of Playboy magazine. In 1988, Hefner turned over control of Playboy Enterprises to Christie, naming her chair and chief executive officer. She also served as the magazine's editor-in-chief and played a key role in directing Playboy Enterprises' ventures in cable television, video production, and online programming. Christie Hefner stepped down from her position at Playboy Enterprises in January 2009.
In the mid-1970s, however, Playboy Enterprises fell on hard times. The United States hit a recession, and Playboy faced increasing competition from more explicit men's magazines such as Penthouse. At first, Hefner responded by "imitating the imitators" and presenting more revealing photos of women in less wholesome poses and circumstances. Some advertisers rebelled, and circulation fell even further. From then on, Hefner concentrated the company's operations on magazine publishing. Playboy Enterprises divested itself from the unprofitable Playboy clubs and hotels. At the film and record companies, budgets were slashed and payroll was reduced. The magazine kept its new photography standards but began featuring more "wholesome" exposés such as "Girls of the Big Ten" and placed a stronger emphasis on the quality and content of the writing.
In 1975, Hefner decided to make Los Angeles his permanent home so he could more closely supervise his interests in television and film production. He became involved in the restoration of the famed Hollywood sign and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also became immersed on Hollywood's creative community, producing such features as Roman Polanski's Macbeth and Monty Python's first film, And Now for Something Completely Different. In 1978, Hefner started the Playboy Jazz Festival, an annual event featuring some of the best jazz musicians in the world.
In 1985, Hefner suffered a minor stroke. The incident served as a wake-up call for the entrepreneur. He cut back on his participation in the poolside parties at the mansion and took a slower pace in his pleasurable pursuits. He married his longtime girlfriend, Kimberly Conrad, in 1989 and for a time the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles reflected an atmosphere of family life. The marriage produced two sons, Marston and Cooper. The Hefners separated in 1998, and Kimberly and the two boys live on an estate next door to the Playboy Mansion.
playboy sign
Since the mid-1980s, Hugh Hefner's daughter, Christie, had been working with the editorial staff of Playboy magazine. In 1988, Hefner turned over control of Playboy Enterprises to Christie, naming her chair and chief executive officer. She also served as the magazine's editor-in-chief and played a key role in directing Playboy Enterprises' ventures in cable television, video production, and online programming. Christie Hefner stepped down from her position at Playboy Enterprises in January 2009.
Since the 1990s, Hugh Hefner has devoted much of his time to philanthropy and civic projects. He directed the Playboy Foundation to institute the Freedom of Expression Award, given annually at the Sundance Film Festival. Hefner also personally endowed the "Censorship in the Cinema" course at the University of Southern California where he is a guest lecturer, and has been a major contributor to the efforts of the UCLA Film and Television Archive to restore classic films. He also sponsored the American Cinema series on PBS.
Hefner has also received numerous awards for his contributions to society and the publishing industry. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American Society of Magazine Editors in 1998. In 2002, Hefner received the Henry Johnson Fisher Award, the highest honor of the Magazine Publishers of America. Also in 2002, he was inducted as an honorary member of the Harvard Lampoon, which named him "Harvard Lampoon's Best Life-Form in the History of the Universe."
Hugh Hefner's most recent venture is Girls Next Door, a reality series on cable television. The series, which launched in 2003, focuses on the lives of Hefner's three girlfriends—Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson—who lived with him at the Playboy Mansion. True to form, the series serves as a promotional vehicle for many of Hefner's projects and enterprises.
The 2009 season finale chronicled more changes in Hefner's life as Marquardt left the mansion to begin her own television series. Wilkinson soon followed to pursue a relationship with NFL player Hank Baskett. Madison also vacated the mansion, unhappy about Hefner's lack of commitment to their relationship. The final moments of the season finale show 19-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon taking their place as Hefner's new girlfriends. Hefner is currently engaged to 24-year-old playmate, Crystal Harris.
Most recently, Hefner has reportedly been in talks to create a biopic about his life. Director Brett Ratner has been linked to the film, and several major stars have been named as prospects for the lead role including Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Downey, Jr.
© 2011 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.
Hefner has also received numerous awards for his contributions to society and the publishing industry. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American Society of Magazine Editors in 1998. In 2002, Hefner received the Henry Johnson Fisher Award, the highest honor of the Magazine Publishers of America. Also in 2002, he was inducted as an honorary member of the Harvard Lampoon, which named him "Harvard Lampoon's Best Life-Form in the History of the Universe."
Hugh Hefner's most recent venture is Girls Next Door, a reality series on cable television. The series, which launched in 2003, focuses on the lives of Hefner's three girlfriends—Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson—who lived with him at the Playboy Mansion. True to form, the series serves as a promotional vehicle for many of Hefner's projects and enterprises.
The 2009 season finale chronicled more changes in Hefner's life as Marquardt left the mansion to begin her own television series. Wilkinson soon followed to pursue a relationship with NFL player Hank Baskett. Madison also vacated the mansion, unhappy about Hefner's lack of commitment to their relationship. The final moments of the season finale show 19-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon taking their place as Hefner's new girlfriends. Hefner is currently engaged to 24-year-old playmate, Crystal Harris.
Most recently, Hefner has reportedly been in talks to create a biopic about his life. Director Brett Ratner has been linked to the film, and several major stars have been named as prospects for the lead role including Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Downey, Jr.
© 2011 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.
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