How Hef Saved the Hollywood Sign

Back in the mid-70s, when I was senior editor at Oui Magazine (which Hugh Hefner co-owned with Hachette's Daniel Filipacchi), we ran a pictorial that we shot at the Hollywood sign with girls' being "romanced" by men dressed as Los Angeles policemen. It was pretty racy and I think there were some shots featuring a baton.

Understand that, compared with what you can see today, this was all pretty tame. But, legend has it, the outcry was so loud that Hefner had to agree to donate money to help restore the Hollywood sign to its original glory to get the city officials off his back. (He had just steered his ship into Los Angeles and was trying to be a good neighbor — not that we editors down below in the galley cared one whit.)

I see now that nearly 30 years later, he's made the final down payment on restoring the sign. And all because we wiseacres at Playboy Enterprises had a dumb idea to mix Hollywood history with modern-day soft porn.

You're welcome.