Playboy is that iconic brand that has always remained in my mind synonymous with porn. I have never read the magazine nor was it ever available at my home, I only had exposure to the brand through the internet and that too very rarely. So, I was surprised to find such an inspiring story of the life of Huge Hefner. I have to say that this series/documentary was an eye opener and well made, not revolutionary but still intriguing. Worth a watch just to understand the cultural impact playboy has had on society.
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cloudsponge8 April 2017Fascinating and riveting. As much as this presentation covers it still just scratches the surface, so there are any number of things that are not touched on, but what there is gives us an overview of his superlative career. There is a bit of hagiography going on so we see Hef only in the best light. There are things here that have expanded my knowledge and corrected some misunderstandings. Watching this I realize how deeply influenced I have been by Hugh Hefner and his empire. Sex IS good. War IS bad. We are all human under the skin: all races, nationalities, religions, sexes and sexual orientations. It isn't such a bad idea to let loose and enjoy life once in a while and have a good time.
I liked the structure, the mix of documentary footage and dramatizations slipping from one to the other as two different ways to tell the story
I realized how much I used to really love the illustrations in the magazine. Some of the best artwork and artists ever, in the past. -
After I started watching this documentary I realized that I've had the completely wrong perception of Playboy my whole life, i.e. if I'm to believe everything depicted in this documentary. I've only browsed through Playboy magazine a few times in my life, and I never read any of the articles in it ;-) Though I've always been fascinated by the life of Hugh Hefner, though from a purely sexual perspective. After watching the first 4 episodes of this series though, I'm even more fascinated and impressed by this man as I had no idea he was such a visionary and innovative entrepreneur and that he had such a nag for surrounding himself with talented people. Further, the documentary gives the distinct impression that he was anti-establishment, an equal opportunity employer, had an open door policy, was a great boss, was surprisingly respectful of women (even though at the same time he was obviously exploiting them too), was color blind and, even though indirectly and possibly unintended, he supported for the civil rights of blacks by ignoring the fact that the southern states didn't want to air his Playboy Penthouse TV show because he had a lot of black entertainers on this show. It's almost too good to be true. And as mentioned I have only seen 4 episodes so far, but I kind of doubt the tone is going to sway again Hefner. Lastly, I liked the acting and the occasional switching back to real Hefner footage.
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So from reading previous reviews on here, I for one would like to champion it as an enlightening story. It depicts playboy through the decades and how it changes in order to remain relevant, yes some of it is pandering, however, the reminder of what society was like then and now is enough to enjoy the events of history. It is actually sobering to to see what life was like back in the 50's and how far we have progressed to the present day, it is not quite what Happy Days portrayed IMHO.
So watch it, it is rewarding, enjoyable and informative in a slightly biased way. Hugh is what he was, in his time he was relevant, he seams old fashioned and antiquated now, but that is evolution. For what he was and what he believed in you have to appreciate what he tried and did achieve. -
stuartburson30 August 2017I got bored one night and was looking through Amazon Prime when I found this. I thought it was going to be a straight-on documentary, but it mixes actual interviews with Hefner and others, and dramatizations of the events in Playboy history. If you want to know the history of how one man created an empire, this will entertain and inform you.
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GeoPierpont12 April 2017I had an annual subscription to Playboy while I was in Grad School. That is saying something as I could barely afford food but loved this publication as a sweet indulgence. This series was intriguing, beguiling and fascinating.
Hef experienced extreme heart break when he found out his first love was cheating on him and then proceeded to insure his future relationships would never encounter such betrayal, what a supreme hypocrite!!
The history of the magazine and subsequent enterprises were detailed with interest and the many challenges and frustrations with first amendment rights are commendable.
The women were stunning, kind, and most of all very supportive of the Playboy brand. So even if Gloria Steinem revealed the seedy side of being a Bunny it was parlayed as an exploitation journalist which I feel was extremely unfair.
No doubt this is a controversial subject to both men and women but I found when I accepted this foray into pornography it actually helped my marriage, so I cannot complain.
High recommend for fans of First Amendment rights, gorgeous naked women, and of course those in-depth interviews. No comparison to what is available online these dayz! -
BoomerDT23 June 2017If you are old enough to remember the Playboy magazine's Golden Era, they used to run ad's in the magazine with that question, designed to show potential advertisers how cool, hip and sophisticated the readers were. Typically a very successful guy, maybe in his 30's, who drives a luxury sports car, has the best stereo equipment, drinks top shelf booze, dresses stylishly, takes vacations to exotic locations and is of course always surrounded by a beautiful woman. So in a National Lampoon parody of the early 70's they ran the "What Sort of Man Reads Playboy" ad that had a picture of a bathroom stall, with the magazine on the bathroom floor opened to the centerfold spread, in front of a pair of legs with their jeans and underwear pulled down by their ankles above their Converse tennis shoes, obviously belonging to an adolescent boy and you can obviously guess what he's doing.
Which at the heart of it was what Playboy in its day was really about. For every reader who was the hip, good looking guy with plenty of disposable income who attracted gorgeous women, there were at least a dozen other readers who didn't fit into that peg. Teenage (and pre) boys who lived with their parents and kept their issues hidden from mom. College boys who had the centerfolds decorating the walls of their dorm or fraternity residence. GI's, sailors, prisoners. While Playboy did have some interesting articles, the superbly photographed pictorials of the semi-nude, drop dead beautiful women is what kept men buying the magazine at a time when any type of soft core erotica wasn't readily available.
"American Playboy" does a decent job of recapturing the history of the magazine and what was, at one time, truly a business empire and a delightfully hedonistic lifestyle Hugh Hefner indulged. It is done in a documentary style, with plenty of photos, rare film clips and cinematic reanactments. Matt Whelan does a good job of portraying Hef; he sounds exactly like him although their physical resemblance is slight as Whelan is a fairly big guy and Hef was a skinny runt. The story focuses heavily on the era of the 50's and 60's, the "Mad Men" period of Playboy and for the most part wraps up about 1980 after Playboy had its 25th anniversary. The final episode encompasses the past nearly 40 years as Hef handed over the reins of Playboy to his daughter, decided to get married and have kids (the marriage lasted 9 years) and then, in his 70's, deciding once again to self- indulge in the party lifestyle of his prime. Which brought us to the absolute silliness of the "Girls Next Door" reality TV series that lasted a few years in the 2000's decade.
If you read Playboy during their golden era you will enjoy this. Snowflakes be warned, plenty of T&A and I'm sure you will offended by what you would consider to be sexism and exploitation of females. As a historical piece, not sure of the accuracy of everything because it is produced by Playboy and as a result if presented from their POV. -
alexperkins-943758 October 2018I highly recommend this. Very intriguing story. I don't think Hugh was a drug trafficker or user but I would have loved to been a fly on the wall at all of his parties. I want to watch it again.
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elisa-grant4 February 2021This is exceptional! Without a doubt, one of the most captivating "documentaries" I've seen.
It splices original footage of Hugh, relevant people from the time, interviews with celebrities and significant historical events in with an acted story to really bring the story to life
And WHAT a story! High wasn't just an incredibly successful man, he pushed for all sorts of societal changes, most notably civil rights (!!) in the 60s, and was a marketing and brand genius.
The Playboy bunny costume was the first licensed uniform ever and the Bunny logo is said to be one of the most iconic of all time.
Find this and watch it!
You're welcome 🐰 -
TheMovonka20 April 2017"American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story" is an interesting way of modern biography to invite viewers to be part of the history of an empire led and built by Hugh Hefner and his long term comrades.
With the meanwhile usual approach of reenacting key scenes in the development of the Playboy Magazine including its whole empire by young actors as Matt Whelan or various actresses to embody famous playmates over the years, a young generation can experience the roller-coaster of a successful enterprise and the life of its founder.
By combining the recreated series plots with original footage, interviews and pictures, Amazon offers a well-structured and entertaining documentary to feel informed and motivated for own ventures to build, own ways to pursue and own values to live for. Despite the ten episodes are well cut to deliver high points in the 60 year Playboy story, highs and lows repeat especially concerning the way how positive Hefs life, decisions or thoughts are presented. In the light of personal tragedies, business decisions or love dramas, the series is a little too black and white instead of fair gray to reality besides a questionable impersonation of Hugh Hefner by the quite different looking main actor. This does not lower any entertainment, but gives away mostly idealistic opinions only. You may all challenge by yourself, is Hef really happy, wasn't he quite fake to his first wife and kids, is he true to himself anyhow and is Playboy lying about their core business model to avoid critiques?
I say, have fun in discussing it after being pulled in into the world of Business, Boys and Bunnies of Playboy. -
vapingcookie25 April 2017This series would've been a 10/10 for me except for the last episode. I absolutely loved seeing the story of Hef's life--there was so much I didn't know about him. I just can't get past the fact that he never even named his girlfriends before Crystal--when Holly, Bridget, and Kendra were a huge part of his life (and revenue!) for years. The show makes it seem like Holly and company were just some of the random girls he was around, yet he didn't mind making a whole show about their lives. I get that he and Holly didn't end on good terms--but that should have been a part of the story. I have a hard time believing the other parts of it now. Such a shame, it was perfection before the BS of the last episode.
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crowed-848997 April 2020I would love to see a film maker drill down and do interviews with the women who worked for Playboy, not just the higher ups, but women in the day to day organization and yes the Bunnies. What was the Me Too version of workplace interactions during the 50's and 60's? Was there harassment ? Was it perceived as harassment or the price you paid for getting to work in a glamorous business. Im thinking about an anthropological dig for the Me Too movement at the Playboy mansion. Maybe some day......but I guess not in this documentary. My take on American Playboy: The Life of Hugh Hefner is that it is a period piece not quite on par with Best of Enemies (Buckley vs. Vidal), fairly self serving, but definitely bingeable.
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davesjbb31 May 2021I have nothing against Playboy and once owned several, but this "documentary" is a one-sided self-righteous promotional production. According to this, Playboy was perfect and made us what we are. Super narcissistic. And it won't admit that most buyers never read a word (okay maybe the cartoons).
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davidantzelevitch19 July 2020Great mini series. Hef was a huge advocate for social justice during the civil rights movement. And despite being a man of unbreakable morales, he was the target of many conservative attacks over the years. A remarkable success story and shaper of world culture.
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alishasheppard9 September 2020Last episode seemed to be rushed and didnt touch on the end of his life barely at all.. The whole rest of it was great and I learned alot. Maybe second season?!
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This documentary and real life enactment series is as slick and sophisticated as its legendary founder Hugh Hefner, and the playboy lifestyle he created. The production values are amazing, and the soundtrack is even more delightful. It's quite interesting to take a journey of multiple phases with Hef, starting from his unmooring from puritanical beliefs in the 50s, to his adoption of his own dreamed lifestyle inspired by his friend and promotions manager Lownes. One could fault Hef for the destruction of family values across the world, and for increased unhappiness of humankind. But one must admire his tenacity and vision to fulfill the lifelong dream of most men worldwide, debatable on its own merits. The story of Playboy is also a direct parallel to the story of America, born at a time of great rebirth, optimism and progress - the roaring 50's - when millions fulfilled the American Dream of a better life. Many great brands were born at this time, and Hef's boat rose with the tides. As we well know the bitter division of racism is alive and well in America today. Hefner broke ground with courage in the era of civil rights when he showcased talent of all races, ignoring the rage of racist Americans. His support of legends like Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin are indicative of his tremendous courage and vision. At critical historical junctures in the long story of America, playboy provided a much needed platform for the frank expression of views. One could definitely claim to have bought it for the articles. The honest and impartial coverage of civil rights issues is itself a permanent accolade. There are some good learnings from the lifestyle that would benefit most men especially today - confidence, tenacity, vision, instinct, suaveness, sophistication, refined tastes, pursuit of perfection, learning and wisdom, literature, arts, music, science, politics, etc etc etc. It was not all about the sins and pleasures of the flesh - it was also about rising above the original and becoming the best version of oneself.
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jcdavala9 July 2021I'm late to this Hugh Hefner "Party," but so thankful I made it. Didn't know the series is 2017 Vintage. This well-crafted 10 episode-docu-drama demonstrates why "Playboy" - at its Zenith - was way more than "just a Pretty Picture." Hef a Shy Guy? Who knew? It's a Perfect Storm of American Entrepreneurial Spiriit, Roll Up Your Sleeves Grit, and the Revolution of America's Gray Flannel Suits of the 50's.
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tkdlifemagazine30 August 2023This is a serial look at the life of Hugh Hefner and evolution and history of Playboy Magazine. The series mixes acting, interviews, film clips, and social commentary to tell the story of how Hugh Hefner took an idea and turned it into a magazine and then an empire of clubs, products, merchandise, and more. One of the best things about the series is how it tells the story of the evolution of sexual mores and social justice through the lens of this man and this magazine. The narration and the acting portion does a really good job of tying all this together. I never knew the story of the injustice of the case against Hef's assistant, Bobbie Arnstein, and how it impacted him. Sad injustice. A really worthwhile show. It does contain nudity.
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anthony_ian18 May 2021I literally threw this on to have on in the background while typing and ended up watching the entire thing.
It's about way, way more than just Hefner or Playboy. It's also a fascinating snapshot into American culture in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
It's also a cautionary tale of what happens when brands completely overextend themselves.
Worth it just for all the vintage footage and pictures. A time capsule. -
laragi19 February 2022The first person perspective with Hugh worked really well even with the corny re-enactments. What an interesting life he had! I can't imagine 1% of that. The documentary moves swiftly and continually captures your attention. Great interviewees as well.
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colonel-1307030 December 2021Does it's job very well here. This is a story about playboy magazine and Hugh Hefner. He can't tell that story without talking about the context of pop culture, the generation, and what was going on at the time. Very refreshing to see a historical docudrama just laying out the facts without any political debate on things that are depicted obviously anyway. Just tell the story, which they did it A good job of.
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chetanburman3 December 2019I'm a fan of Playboy, the magazine , brand and the man who created it. I would have liked to see a more humanized version of this documentary style drama/ series. What's presented is Historical facts and Figures , some family anecdotes and corporate culture through various people. What I don't see are the struggles and emotions and a proper screenplay to describe this Icon of American Culture that shaped the country's sexual ideas. Really very good in parts , but lacking in reality. I wanted to see an obviously very talented person at work, and play, but obviously also torn apart by circumstances and events. The last episode is particularly disappointing. I wish I could give it more stars.
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This starts of very well with a hint of glamorous journey as Playboy ticks of the decades with the changes in culture with a sense of fun. By the third episode it has descended into a documentary -style BORING recap of events.
What cannot be ignored or pardoned is the ridiculous foray into Martin Luther Kings Life,racism and how Playboy had a role in that! There is even a line saying' the MLK walk began a few months after the Playboy interview'! Give me a break. The attempts to show that the nudie magazine helped feminism ,sexism,Vietnam war,Kennedysetc in its own way is vomit-inducing to say the least!What would America do without Playboy!
This should have been a journey through the culture (60s,70s,80s) and a fun journey with a wink to the viewer.Instead it takes itself too seriously and dare I say BORING to say the least!The attempts to extend each strand of story just a bit longer just to extend to a few seasons has the the opposite effect where the viewer has lost interest if any further seasons are ever produced!
Expected better from both Amazon and Hefner. -
Eddie_weinbauer15 October 2017The guy playing Hugh Hefner ,is so bad and so little charming I can't understand why he was chosen. His look radiate the kind of sleazy, you expect in someone hitting on the babysitter. Instead of the old distinguished charm Heffner is known for.
Since this is sort of like a documentary, they really go out of their way,to glorify Playboy as anything else,than the porn mag it is/was. There is very little balance in the stuff presented. Heffner comes off as a control freak Let's be real here folks,nobody really buy playboy for the articles.
I didn't read it in the 60-70's.But I came across one or two issues, in the 80s and 90s. And let's be real. The thing playboy is most known for is: The parties,The bunnies,The celebrities who choose to pose nude in it. And that is what is missing from this whole reenactment documentary.
The celebrities who posed for playboy, talking about their playboy experience.Why they chose playboy,how it was for them,did they ever go to a playboy party before or after they posed etc. What is was like for them afterwards.How their parents reacted etc.
They interview a few male celebs.(Gene Simmons and James Caan,are the only ones) the rest is mostly Ex bunnies. There are so much more they could've done,to make this a more interesting documentary.
Instead they have a lot of scenes that don't really show Hugh in a flattery term,where he constantly date someone who posed for the mag,or work for him. But all in all, he comes out of this series/documentary quite squeaky clean.
I had to laugh a few times,when he goes to debate angry feminists. And he more or less,get slaughtered. I got the impression,he expect them to embrace him. For someone who wanted to debate them in public,on live TV no less. He seem ill prepared,in terms of counter arguments to their strong and radical claims. And as to why they should be on his side.Even his son agree with them -
alicesalisbury7 May 2017It's a little like the director watched a documentary once and said 'Yeah, like the idea but ya know what would make this better - less analysis and more boobs'. It is a docu-drama about Hugh Hefner, so there's no point getting upset by naked ladies or the objectification of women, that's sort of the point. But that's no excuse for the total lack of insight, cultural analysis or fresh perspectives. In fact, it's the flimsy content in the serious bits that makes the parade of girls feel skeezy. You can't help feeling they've been put in less because that was the reality of the situation (though I'm sure it was) and more because the writer/ director/ actors couldn't think of another way to fill screen time.
If you're hoping for a documentary version of Madmen - sumptuously stylish but also searingly insightful about the mindset of the era - this isn't it. The snazzy suits and tasteful furniture is there, but none of the intelligent observation. It's a shame. This is a fascinating period in American cultural development and, love him or hate him, HH was at the heart of it; perhaps not driving things single handed in the way this documentary is desperate to suggest, but defiantly right there in the middle. If you love the Hef and already buy into his myth you'll probably like this. If you are expecting genuine insight, or even just halfway decent acting, then this falls flat on it's bunny-tailed behind.