Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel (2009)

A look at the battles Hugh Hefner fought over the years against the U.S. government, the religious right, and militant feminists.

Director:

Brigitte Berman

Writer:

Brigitte Berman

Stars:

Larry Adler, Bobbie Arnstein, Joan Baez

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Larry Adler	...	Self (archive footage)
Bobbie Arnstein	...	Self (archive footage)
Joan Baez	...	Self - Folk Singer / Activist
Count Basie	...	Self (archive footage)
Tony Bennett	...	Self - Singer
Pat Boone	...	Self - Christian Activist, Singer
Malcolm Boyd	...	Self - Author (as Reverend Malcolm Boyd)
Ray Bradbury	...	Self (archive footage)
Jim Brown	...	Self - Social Activist / Retired NFL Player
Susan Brownmiller	...	Self - Feminist / Author
Lenny Bruce	...	Self (archive footage)
William F. Buckley	...	Self (archive footage) (as William F. Buckley Jr.)
Vincent Bugliosi	...	Self - Attorney / Author (as Vince Bugliosi)
James Caan	...	Self
Dick Cavett	...	Self - TV Talk Show Host

Storyline

An revealing look at the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the Playboy empire. With humor and insight, the film captures Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists. Rare footage and compelling interviews with a remarkable who's who of 20th Century American pop culture, present a brilliant and entertaining snapshot of the life of an extraordinary man and the controversies that surrounded him.

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Plot Keywords:

playboy | hugh hefner | playboy club | interview | civil rights | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic nudity and sexual content

Did You Know?

Alternate Versions

After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009 in a 135 min. version, the film was later trimmed down to its current 124 minutes length.

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Connections

Features The Dick Cavett Show (1968)

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Soundtracks

When the Saints Go Marchin' In
Written by Katharine E. Purvis (as Katherine E. Purvis) and James Milton Black (as James M. Black)

User Reviews

A Great Documentary for Yokels

Fifty years ago or so, I read a letter-to-the-editor in Playboy that went something like this: "Playboy is a magazine for yokels." Even though I was a subscriber, I sort of knew what the correspondent meant. There was something cheesy about the hip bachelor image that Hefner lived and espoused. Despite the great stories by Jean Shepard, the beautiful Vargas paintings, and the lovely naked girls-next-door, it struck me that the Playboy Philosophy was just too damned cornball in the end. The nighttime TV series "Playboy Penthouse" which aired around the same time was equally corny, what with the thirty-plus aged men in their Nehru jackets and medallions pretending to enjoy watching Spanky and Our Gang lip-synching a pop tune.

This puff-piece of a documentary is just as cheesy, just as corny, as the magazine was back then and would continue to be as the years progressed. "Entertainment for Yokels" should be the motto of the magazine and it sure would apply to this silly (albeit entertaining) film.

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 June 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hugh Hefner

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,000, 1 August 2010

Gross USA:

$10,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metaphor Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min 135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD