Hef's the Centerfold in 'Mr. Playboy' Biography

•Hefner's trademark pajamas-around-the-clock look was born in the frenetic early days of the magazine, when his perfectionism kept him in the office day and night.

Hugh Hefner is shown in 1961, left, and earlier this month, right.

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•In 1961, Hefner struck a deal with Columbia to cooperate on a film about his life, starring Tony Curtis. The project blew up largely because of Hefner's attempts to change the tone from a light romp (Curtis juggling a gaggle of girlfriends) to a serious examination of his triumph.

•As the civil rights battles heated up, Hefner pushed integration in his Playboy Clubs, which often involved buying out franchisees in cities such as New Orleans and Miami.

•Throughout Playboy's rapid ascent, Hefner was keeping pace with Dexedrine, an appetite suppressant that affected both his looks and mood; friends and staffers forced him to quit.

•Just how randy was Hefner? One memo notes that he was involved with 11 of the 12 Playmates in the December 1961 "Playmate Holiday House Party" feature.

•Hefner's other excesses involved spending. The Big Bunny, a Douglas DC-9 jet he bought in 1967, cost $4.5 million — plus another $1 million to outfit with a disco, bar, conference room, lounge and, of course, bedrooms. "Hefner wasn't just a pioneering figure in the sexual revolution," Watts says. "The lesser-known fact is that he and his magazine were responsible for the consumer revolution that's been here ever since."