Playboy Baron saves Hollywood, again
By SAMPURNTuesday, April 27, 2010
April 27, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg can now take a relief breath thanks to playboy tycoon Hugh Hefner. The actor- director duo had been trying to save the iconic Hollywood sign but were falling short of $12.5 million which was necessary for buying the piece of land situated to the west of the famous Los Angeles landmark.
Playboy tycoon, Hefner offered the last $900,000 of $12.5 million helping conservationists purchase the 138 acres of land on which the nine iconic 45 ft high letters have stood since 1923.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California acknowledged Hefner’s contribution saying that it was a kind of Hollywood ending that everyone hoped for. He asserted that this sign symbolizes hope, dreams and opportunity.
Hefner, who apart from being the boss of the world famous Playboy magazine is also a film buff, said that Hollywood had a major impact on his life. He added that the sign is Hollywood’s Eiffel Tower and it represents the dreams and aspirations of people around the world.
This is the second time Hefner has saved the sign. In the late 1970s, he rallied donors to help rebuild it after years of neglect had reduced its letters to skeletal metal and tattered panels.
- Kritika Shekhar / Sampurn Wire
