The Chicago Playboy Club opened for business in the winter of 1960, just as American society was embarking on a period of profound transformation. Sexual and social mores were about to change in dramatic ways, and the Playboy Club would lead the way. Within two years it had 300,000 keyholders. With five floors of entertainment, the club appealed to men and women ready to embrace change. In creating an environment that represented the spirit of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner had once again tapped into the zeitgeist for the American male.
The club’s most conspicuous feature was the Bunnies—those incredible women who worked as waitresses and hostesses but who served more as avatars of sexuality. “The main thrust of our creativity,” wrote Hefner, “was to bring the pages of Playboy to life.”
“Not many people are aware of it,” wrote Art Buchwald in 1962, “but Chicago has become the sex-symbol capital of the United States.” Bunnies were encouraged to be sexual figures but were forbidden to see patrons after hours—or even give out their phone numbers. “If any of our girls dates a customer,” Hefner told the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, “she gets fired.”
The Bunny was a prefeminist feminist, a sexy, liberated and independent woman. “It seemed every great-looking woman in town wanted to be a Bunny,” wrote John Dante, who worked as a club bartender. “They were the reason why the club was packed.”
The Playboy Club Chicago forever changed American nightlife. Now it will be transforming TV on NBC’s The Playboy Club. Meet some of the women who made history, and find their nudes inside Playboy!
- Bunny Cheryl Vincent poses as a winsome pitchgirl in a champagne-themed club promotion photo.
- Playmate-Bunny Connie Mason (Miss June 1963) serves beverages in the Playmate Bar.
- Bunny Patti Reynolds is an eye-filling addition to the The Playboy Club’s Penthouse.
- Door Bunny Terri Kimball (Miss May 1964) greets keyholders in the club’s lobby.
See the rest of the Original Bunnies inside Playboy!
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