I attended the New York premiere of this film at MOMA on Mar. 18, 2010. In attendance were Dick Cavett, Tony Bennett, Barry Melton of Cowboy Joe and the Fish, Christie Hefner among other interviewees who appeared in the film. Sadly, as one of the curators remarked, the "comps" outnumbered the general public.
Director Brigitte Berman has directed over 100 short docs for Canadian TV. She met Hefner while researching her Bix Beiderbecke biopic. Hefner, she realized, was more than a mere pornographer. The Playboy founder agreed at once to give Berman unfettered access to his archives and complete artistic control of the project.
A remarkable aspect of this film is the showcasing of the outstanding entertainers Hefner featured on his two syndicated TV shows. Pete Seeger and Lenny Bruce made rare TV appearances for Hefner in the late '50's while they were still blacklisted by the 3 major networks. Comedian and activist Dick Gregory got his start working in the Playboy key clubs. And Hefner was among the first producers to show integrated musical acts on TV.
To her credit, Berman gives time to critics of Hefner's "Playboy Philosophy." Christian devotee Pat Boone and feminist icon Susan Brownmiller get to express their misgivings with Hefner. (Onetime Playboy bunny and feminist Gloria Steinem declined to be interviewed.) It's clear, however, whose side Ms. Berman is on.
Unfortunately, not enough time is devoted to the tragic death of Dorothy Stratten. After the screening, I asked the director if she had approached Stratten's intended, Peter Bogdanovich. Ms. Berman said she had not. She explained that so much had already been aired publicly about this sad affair that it would take off and derail her film if she pursued it in depth. Still, to include it solely to "explain" Hefner's subsequent mild stroke seems inadequate.
Berman said her first rough cut was over seven hours and she worked hard to trim it to about two. In my view the film is too short. There was nary a mention of Hefner's career as a film producer. (Playboy Enterprises produced Roman Polanski's "Macbeth", one of the finest Shakespearean films ever made.)But she hinted that the DVD would have plenty of extras to satisfy completists like me.
This film will have a limited US release in NY and LA this summer and undoubtedly end up on PBS and other networks. Hugh Hefner, like him or not, is a major figure in 20th Century American cultural history, and this film is not to be missed. Highly recommended.
Director Brigitte Berman has directed over 100 short docs for Canadian TV. She met Hefner while researching her Bix Beiderbecke biopic. Hefner, she realized, was more than a mere pornographer. The Playboy founder agreed at once to give Berman unfettered access to his archives and complete artistic control of the project.
A remarkable aspect of this film is the showcasing of the outstanding entertainers Hefner featured on his two syndicated TV shows. Pete Seeger and Lenny Bruce made rare TV appearances for Hefner in the late '50's while they were still blacklisted by the 3 major networks. Comedian and activist Dick Gregory got his start working in the Playboy key clubs. And Hefner was among the first producers to show integrated musical acts on TV.
To her credit, Berman gives time to critics of Hefner's "Playboy Philosophy." Christian devotee Pat Boone and feminist icon Susan Brownmiller get to express their misgivings with Hefner. (Onetime Playboy bunny and feminist Gloria Steinem declined to be interviewed.) It's clear, however, whose side Ms. Berman is on.
Unfortunately, not enough time is devoted to the tragic death of Dorothy Stratten. After the screening, I asked the director if she had approached Stratten's intended, Peter Bogdanovich. Ms. Berman said she had not. She explained that so much had already been aired publicly about this sad affair that it would take off and derail her film if she pursued it in depth. Still, to include it solely to "explain" Hefner's subsequent mild stroke seems inadequate.
Berman said her first rough cut was over seven hours and she worked hard to trim it to about two. In my view the film is too short. There was nary a mention of Hefner's career as a film producer. (Playboy Enterprises produced Roman Polanski's "Macbeth", one of the finest Shakespearean films ever made.)But she hinted that the DVD would have plenty of extras to satisfy completists like me.
This film will have a limited US release in NY and LA this summer and undoubtedly end up on PBS and other networks. Hugh Hefner, like him or not, is a major figure in 20th Century American cultural history, and this film is not to be missed. Highly recommended.