Directed by:
Brigitte BermanCast:
Hugh M. Hefner (a.f.), Joan Baez, Tony Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Maher, Spiro Agnew (a.f.), Smokey Robinson, Roger McGuinn, Michael WadleighVOD (1)
Plots(1)
In 1959, Hugh Hefner created his Playboy’s Penthouse: an intimate and eclectic variety show. Featuring a diverse range of talent - Peggy Lord, Pete Seeger, Lenny Bruce, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, to name a few - the show offered a refreshing alternative to the repression and segregation of ‘50s America. Hefner followed in the ‘60s with After Dark, a colorful celebration of counterculture, with guests including Jerry Garcia, Gore Vidal, Sammy Davis Jr. and Michael Wadleigh. Director Brigitte Berman presents Hefner as a civil rights advocate, with excerpts from the shows serving as resounding endorsements of the anti-war, free love and civil rights movements. Interviews include Smokey Robinson, Joan Baez, Tony Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg and Bill Maher. For those who consider Hefner a mere playboy, his role as a civil rights advocate will be a jaw-dropper. (Telluride Film Festival)
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