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Playgirl (1955–1957 magazine)

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Playgirl (1955–1957 magazine)

Playgirl (not to be confused with the later women’s magazine of the 1970s) was a short-lived American men’s magazine published from 1955 to 1957. It was founded and edited by Walter Hale, a San Francisco-based burlesque promoter, under the banner of the Playgirl Publishing Company ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia) ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). The magazine’s content focused on burlesque performers and pin-up photography, targeting a male audience with an interest in erotic entertainment. Playgirl (1955) ran for only four issues (RARE 1955 Playgirl vintage magazine Vol.1 No.1 burlesque pin-up ...) before ceasing publication, notably after a legal dispute with Playboy magazine over its title.

Founding and Publishing Team

Playgirl was launched in 1955 by Walter Hale, who served as its editor-publisher ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). Hale was a colorful figure in the burlesque and carnival circuit – often described as a “carnival barker” style promoter – who produced a string of magazines featuring burlesque dancers (Dull Tool Dim Bulb: Walter Hale and the Beatniks) (Dull Tool Dim Bulb: Walter Hale and the Beatniks). The publishing entity was Playgirl Publishing Co., Inc., based in San Francisco ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia) (Full text of "Playgirl v01n04 (1956) (Darwin DREGS)"). Hale effectively ran the operation with a small team; much of the written content was penned by Hale himself under various pseudonyms ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia), and he even enlisted the burlesque performers to contribute personal anecdotes or humor. The magazine had a do-it-yourself feel: Hale handled editorial duties and filled pages with his own writing and promotional material for his stage shows (Darwination Scans: February 2012) (Darwination Scans: February 2012). As a result, there were no high-profile journalists or fiction writers on the masthead – the focus was squarely on the performers and Hale’s burlesque milieu.

Editorial Direction and Content

Playgirl’s editorial direction centered on cheesecake photography and burlesque. It was explicitly a men’s entertainment magazine “designed primarily for the male market,” similar in spirit to other mid-1950s pin-up and “girlie” magazines ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). However, unlike its upscale competitor Playboy, Playgirl made “no pretense of being a literary publication” ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). Its pages were filled with pictures of burlesque actresses and models in various stages of undress – often nude or nearly nude poses – accompanied by tongue-in-cheek captions, humor pieces, and racy articles. The photographic content was black-and-white (with occasional color tints) and featured well-known striptease stars of the era. Notably, the magazine’s fourth and final issue (1956) spotlighted famed burlesque queens Tempest Storm and Blaze Starr on its cover (Playgirl (1955-1956 Playgirl Publishing) comic books), underscoring the magazine’s emphasis on popular exotic dancers. Other performers such as Evelyn “Treasure Chest” West were featured in candid interviews or columns, adding burlesque insider commentary and bawdy humor to the mix. Playgirl also included cheeky editorials protesting social prudishness and short filler items with a jokey tone (Darwination Scans: February 2012). The overall style was bold and unrefined – one reviewer later noted the “amateurish (in a good way) production values” and intimate, fun vibe of Hale’s magazines (Darwination Scans: February 2012). The magazine’s intended audience was adult men, specifically “sober and sagacious sportsmen” as Hale quipped in one of his other publications (Dull Tool Dim Bulb: Walter Hale and the Beatniks). It catered to men who enjoyed burlesque shows and pin-up photography, offering them a print extension of the striptease entertainment popular in that era. Playgirl was sold for $1.00 per issue (a relatively high price at the time, double that of Playboy’s 50¢) and was published on a roughly quarterly schedule ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia) ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). Uniquely, Hale did not rely solely on newsstand sales – he also distributed the magazine (and related booklets) at carnivals and strip shows, sometimes even giving them away as promotions at the venues he managed (Dull Tool Dim Bulb: Walter Hale and the Beatniks). This grassroots distribution tied the magazine closely to the live burlesque scene and its fans.

Cultural Context and Reception

When Playgirl debuted in 1955, it entered a booming market of men’s magazines that had emerged in the post-war years. Before Playboy’s rise, many men’s publications were essentially pin-up digests or burlesque programs featuring striptease artists. In fact, Hugh Hefner reportedly remarked that at the time, “all of the magazines of the day featured only strippers” (Darwination Scans: February 2012). Playgirl was very much in that mold – part of a tradition that included Robert Harrison’s famous pin-up titles (e.g. Beauty Parade, Wink, Eyeful) and other burlesque-themed magazines like Showgirls and Cavalcade of Burlesque, which were popular with readers in the early 1950s (Darwination Scans: February 2012). By the mid-50s, however, the landscape was shifting: Playboy (launched 1953) offered a more sophisticated blend of nude photography, lifestyle journalism, and fiction, attracting a broader mainstream male audience. In this context, Playgirl’s unabashed burlesque focus was somewhat retrograde and lower-brow, appealing to a niche of enthusiasts rather than the mass market. Reception: Playgirl achieved only modest circulation. Its print run was around 30,000 copies for the first issue and remained roughly static through its two-year run ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). This was a tiny figure compared to Playboy, which by 1957 was selling hundreds of thousands of copies per month ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). The magazine did find a following among burlesque fans, especially on the West Coast; its use of real performers and promotion of Hale’s touring “Play Girls on Parade” revue gave it an air of authenticity for aficionados ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). There is little evidence of mainstream critical attention – magazines like Playgirl were often dismissed by serious critics and largely avoided in polite press due to their risqué content. Within the burlesque subculture, however, Hale’s publications were likely seen as playful souvenirs celebrating the performers. The inclusion of humorous essays and even a tongue-in-cheek “woman’s retort” to the Kinsey Report suggests the magazine tried to engage topical sexual themes, though always in a lighthearted manner (Full text of "Playgirl v01n04 (1956) (Darwin DREGS)"). Overall, Playgirl (1955–57) can be seen as a product of its time: part of the 1950s burlesque and pin-up entertainment world that existed somewhat parallel to the nascent sexual revolution that Playboy was helping to usher into the mainstream.

The most significant event in Playgirl’s brief history was its legal battle with Playboy Enterprises over the magazine’s title. In 1957, Playboy’s publisher (HMH Publishing Co.) filed a trademark infringement and unfair competition lawsuit against Walter Hale and Playgirl Publishing Co., arguing that “Playgirl” was deceptively close to “Playboy” ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). Hugh Hefner’s company asserted that Hale adopted the title to ride on the coattails of Playboy’s growing success and public goodwill ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). Although Hale’s magazine was quite different in content and quality – the court noted “there is no similarity in the makeup and general subject matter of the two publications” ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia) – the name was deemed confusingly similar to Playboy’s brand. During the trial, evidence showed that Hale had a stable of other lurid magazines (with titles like Tom Cat, Girls, Scandoll, Hollywood Confidential) and that he could have published the same material under those or any other name ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). In November 1957, the U.S. District Court in San Francisco ruled in Playboy’s favor, finding a likelihood of confusion and upholding “Playboy” as a valid trademark ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). Playgirl was enjoined from using its name thereafter ( HMH Publishing Co. v. Hale, 156 F. Supp. 594 (N.D. Cal. 1957) :: Justia). The court, however, denied Playboy’s claim for damages, limiting the remedy to an injunction. This lawsuit effectively ended Playgirl’s publication. Rather than attempt to continue under a new title, Hale appears to have ceased the magazine. Industry observers have noted that small magazines hit by such lawsuits often folded due to the hassle and expense of rebranding or fighting in court (Darwination Scans: February 2012). Indeed, after 1957, Hale turned his efforts to other projects – for example, he edited a 1959 sleaze paperback about beatniks under a pseudonym and continued producing titles like Scandoll and Dazzle for a brief time (Dull Tool Dim Bulb: Walter Hale and the Beatniks) (Dull Tool Dim Bulb: Walter Hale and the Beatniks). Playgirl (the 1950s version) thus ended not due to obscenity charges – which were a risk in that era – but because of a trademark dispute with its better-funded rival.

Comparison to Later Playgirl Magazine

The original Playgirl of 1955–1957 bears little resemblance to the more famous Playgirl magazine launched in 1973. Aside from the name, the two magazines had different audiences and editorial missions. The 1970s Playgirl was conceived as “the magazine for women,” explicitly positioning itself as a feminist or at least female-oriented answer to Playboy, featuring nude male centerfolds and lifestyle content for women (Playgirl Magazine Relaunches: A New Voice, A New Feminine Power Emerges From The Ashes & The “Skye” Is The Limit – The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Skye Parrott, Editor In Chief, Playgirl… | Mr. Magazine) (Playgirl Magazine Relaunches: A New Voice, A New Feminine Power Emerges From The Ashes & The “Skye” Is The Limit – The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Skye Parrott, Editor In Chief, Playgirl… | Mr. Magazine). By contrast, Hale’s 1950s Playgirl was a traditional men’s pin-up magazine featuring female nudity and catered to heterosexual male readers. Culturally, they emerged in very different contexts: the 1973 Playgirl rode the wave of the sexual revolution and women’s lib movement, boasting a readership of women (and a gay male following) interested in eroticized images of men (Playgirl - Wikipedia) (Playgirl - Wikipedia). The 1955 Playgirl, on the other hand, was a product of the conservative 1950s sexual climate – racy for its time, but still focused on female striptease as entertainment for men. It was more of a male burlesque souvenir than a glossy lifestyle magazine. The later Playgirl brand achieved far greater notoriety and longevity, running for decades and becoming an icon of 1970s and 1980s pop culture (with celebrity male nudes, etc.), whereas the original Playgirl was obscure and forgotten by the 1960s. In fact, by the time Playgirl (1973) was founded, the existence of the 1950s Playgirl was largely a footnote. Hefner’s aggressive defense of the Playboy trademark in the 1957 case perhaps cleared the way – intentionally or not – for Playgirl to eventually be used in a non-competing context (a women’s magazine) years later. Modern histories of Playgirl acknowledge the name was first used by Hale’s men’s magazine in the 1950s (Playgirl Magazine Relaunches: A New Voice, A New Feminine Power Emerges From The Ashes & The “Skye” Is The Limit – The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Skye Parrott, Editor In Chief, Playgirl… | Mr. Magazine) (Playgirl Magazine Relaunches: A New Voice, A New Feminine Power Emerges From The Ashes & The “Skye” Is The Limit – The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Skye Parrott, Editor In Chief, Playgirl… | Mr. Magazine), but the two publications are unrelated in content. The original Playgirl’s legacy, if any, lies in its glimpse into 1950s burlesque culture, rather than in the feminist media space that the later Playgirl occupied.

Issue List and Cover Features

Playgirl (1955–57) released a total of four issues during its run (RARE 1955 Playgirl vintage magazine Vol.1 No.1 burlesque pin-up ...). Below is a list of all known issues, with publication dates and cover highlights where available:

Legacy

Though fleeting in existence, the original Playgirl magazine is remembered by magazine historians as an example of mid-century pin-up publishing and the burlesque subculture. It is often footnoted in discussions of Playboy’s early competitors and parody publications; for instance, Playboy’s 20th anniversary issue noted how frequently it was parodied or imitated, and the “Playgirl” title was one such early imitation (albeit an earnest one) that prompted Hefner’s legal ire (Darwination Scans: February 2012) (Darwination Scans: February 2012). In retrospect, Walter Hale’s Playgirl offers a candid snapshot of 1950s erotic entertainment: it straddled the line between risque magazine and burlesque program, and it pushed boundaries in a decade known for conservatism, albeit in a bawdy, carnival-esque fashion. The later use of the name Playgirl from 1973 onward has completely overshadowed Hale’s magazine. Modern audiences hearing “Playgirl” almost invariably think of the women’s magazine with male centerfolds. Nonetheless, the 1955–1957 Playgirl remains a quirky chapter in publishing history. It serves as a reminder that the evolution of adult magazines included not just the well-remembered titans like Playboy and Penthouse, but also small players like Playgirl who tested the waters of public taste and encountered the legal and cultural limits of their time. Today, surviving copies of the original Playgirl are scarce and often sought by collectors interested in vintage pin-up art and burlesque memorabilia, cementing its status as a cult relic of 1950s Americana. References: