European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 5, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Pack Playboy trademarks arc gone he s old Playboy mansion in Chicago is now a Dor Malory for the Art nil a Colmor was sold Oil this Spring Playboy r1 cd the last of ils company owned Playboy clubs i. A los Angeles and Chicago saying that they had Occomy passe. There arc Izreo Playboy club franchises in the uni led Stales in Clive Owa. Omaha neb. And Lansing. Mich four in Japan and one in the Philippines there a also 13 Loreign editions of Playboy Magazine. Chrislie Hof nor and Hugh Hefner Are to la innovative and creative t hey have both spoken 01 it Tor Sorrit r s rights. Civil rights constitutional rights Bui while Hugh Hefner basked in a Public spotlight hosting weekly parties Wilh the Rich and famous and coupling a Long Lino of women Chrislip Hefner has led a much More private life. She enjoys Lens. Skiing theater piano Ana just hanging out with i rinds and she Tias dated the same Man. A West coast let Evision executive Tor the past two year a she is also protective of Hor father who is now writing an Auto Zograph my Alt Iuda has always been. It s his life a usow Anthim to be Happy Christie Hefner said i can remember in College annl no to make sure anyone dating my lather really Mied him Lor Houghl reasons and was Good enough Lor she said i Iveigh Hefner divorced Christie Hefner s Mother in 1959 As a child. Christie Hefner switched her last name to Gunn Afler her Molher s second husband. She Only told friends that she was i ugh Hefner s daughter she changed her name Back Afler h a Mother divorced for a second Lime jus before College graduation and about the same Lime her relationship Wilt her lather grew dose. "1 enjoy working for my Christie Helner sad. He is a Good delegator of authority he s obviously Given me a of of Trust and i believe i be earned it Matle Hefner at 34 ih6 company s president la leading the Playboy Empire to Eor Poretta profit again. Bunnies play the Sticks by Thomas Ferraro United press International eight Miles outside of downtown Desmoines Iowa in a suburban Sheralon inn. Nearly extinct Cen Lerwold of americana Liveson f Playboy club. Featuring a 1960s Vintage Blond of booze Salin eared bunnies and Golden Oldie rack n Roll the place marches to a nostalgic beat no longer heard by urbanite Playboy enterprises inc. Closed the lust of its big clubs this Spring in new Vork los Angcos and Chicago citing Long standing financial losses and saying the one time hot spots had simply become passe. But in Rural Clive. A Des Minos suburb and in Lansing mich., and Omaha neb the Bunny hop has just begun. These last three remaining Playboy clubs All opened he past Tew years As separately owned franchises of Hugh Helner s old entertainment Empire. Ii was purely a business decision to open a club said Tom Tracy speaking Over the refrain of Gloria from the band at his operation in Clive. But it also had a lot of sex Appeal and an entire generation of american men and women grow up hearing about Playboy clubs and Playboy said Tracy Here it still exists and it s a dark haired Bunny named Seeley club policy forbids bunnies to disclose last names said in big cities there s a lot of Competition for the entertainment Dollar. Here there in t that much going on. This is big thinking big time. Tracy and his partner. Mark guilds opened the club in december 1984, six months after they Cut the ribbon on the one they head in Omaha also in a suburban Sheraton inn. In 1982, with another Hole management company Tracy and guilds got a Playboy club Inlo a Hillon hotel in Lansing the three clubs have helped draw business to their respective hotels Tracy and Guild both 37, Are now considering franchises in other mid size towns. They say eventually they might try to bring them Back to the big City Playboy charges 150,000 for a franchise plus 6 percent of Gross sales in addition to the three franchises in the United Stales there Are four in Japan and one in the Philippines. If properly managed and marketed not Jue for the highbrow they can mate it said Tracy. When is the last time you put together booze Good looking girls five entertainment and a Good product and it failed Ash her. Over the past Quarter Century Hefner had about two dozen company owned clubs in major cities san Francisco Atlanta Boston Baltimore. Miami Dallas. Detroit new Orleans is Louis Denver and so on in dosing the clubs Hefner conceded what his advisers had Long told him they were a Drain on the company they had lost their magic and they could not compete with the new wave of risque night spots. The Playboy franchises Don l play up he skin Market. There Aren l any pictures of naked women. Walls Are adorned with blown up photos of old Playboy Magazine covers and of attired playmates. Customers Are allowed to dance Wilh bunnies As Long As there is no touching. They Are also encouraged on weekly nostalgia nights to enter Hula hoop bubblegum blowing and trivia contests. We also Oiler a sunday Brunch that ally acts a lot of children and said guilds. We Are very sensitive to the wholesomeness of our place " the give club with a capacity of 285 customers is the biggest of the three . Franchises. Business has slipped som whal from its initial Days As a local Novelty but it is still often packed on weekends. One recent weekday evening about 40 people mostly Young and Middle aged men dined drank ogled bunnies and listened to a Rock band headed by John Washington formerly of the fortunes a band Best remembered for the coca cola Jingle. It s the real 1 i came to Iowa expecting to sea women in bib overalls and instead i found said a Stocky businessman from Wisconsin. He declined to give his name saying i Don l want my Wile to know. She thinks i m in my room sleeping like decades past bunnies Are instructed How to land serve and even Perch in the upright stance that bunnies must take to stay in the cantilevered underwired and pushed up bosom of the Satin suit they Are also told that if a customers gets fresh to immediately Lell the manager. I m not dumb and i m not easy said Bunny Seeley 22, who during the Day is a psychology major at Iowa stale University. I m a feminist. I m proud to be a i m using my assets to make Money for she said. 1 make better Money Here waiting tables about $50 a night in tips than i did at other Clive s mayor Gene Maddox is a club Booster and key Holder. 1 when i first heard they were going o bring a Playboy club to town sure i was surprised he said. But i had no objections. It s operated in a High class manner. It s an asset o the the stars and stripes Page 16
