Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2003 | 10:52 a.m.
Playboy, the seminal men's magazine, was founded in Chicago.
Hugh Hefner's famously naughty Playboy mansion is in Los Angeles.
The late, great Playboy Club immortalized in Gloria Steinem's famous Esquire article, "I Was a Playboy Bunny," was in New York.
But the 50th anniversary weekend of the men's magazine is taking place this month in Las Vegas. The calendar of celebratory events has just been finalized.
"We celebrated the opening of the Palms with an event at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and we've had a great relationship with Hef and Playboy ever since," Palms owner George Maloof said.
"It's fitting that Playboy will celebrate at the Palms."
The party starts Sept. 19 with a private reception at ghostbar. More than 25 past Playmates and a long list of athletes and entertainers are expected.
Then there are a series of parties, fashion shows, model searches and memorabilia displays (including one of Hefner's old beds), which are open to the public.
The weekend closes with a Kid Rock concert Sept. 21.
Lawyers in love
Congrats to some local legal lovers.
Michael Davidson lost his run for district attorney last year, but he won solo practitioner Patty Blakeman. Davidson, now associated with the firm of Kolesar & Leatham, married Blakeman, his one-time campaign manager, Friday night at Lake Las Vegas.
Also, big-shot barrister Randall Jones (of Harrison, Kemp and Jones) got legal Saturday night in La Jolla, Calif., with Kathleen Murphy.
She is the popular president of the Southern Nevada Association of Woman Attorneys.
Television stars
Producers and camera crews from "The Oprah Winfrey Show" are expected in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
They'll shadow Metro's STOP unit (Stop Turning Out Child Prostitutes) for a future segment on the top-rated syndicated talk show.
Sgt. Gil Shannon -- who recently did a "Dateline" segment on NBC about prostitution in hotels -- is expected to be on camera for the Winfrey show.
Return of glam?
As first reported here Friday, Elton John is coming to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace next year to be a headliner on the evenings when Celine Dion is off.
After reading the item, a local entertainment wag predicted the second coming of flamboyant Vegas legend Liberace.
"Can you imagine the fun Elton will have in a place like this?" the tongue wagged. "The costumes, a big white piano, maybe he'll even start up again with those great old glasses."
The British pop star famously wore some outrageous eye wear early in his career, featuring everything from his name in diamonds to blinking lights and feathers.
Action Jacksons
Former Jackson Five brother Jackie Jackson spent a good 45 minutes Sunday night in the doorway of the Big Apple Bar at New York-New York watching lounge players Tony Perry and Tezz Yancey of Soul Desire.
Also, a BBC camera crew was in Antiquities inside the Forum Shops at Caesars the other day, interviewing owner Toby Stoffa about a recent Michael Jackson shopping spree.
Record take
Lots of Vegas on "The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon" over the weekend.
The 77-year-old host, still fairly bloated from steroid medication he takes for pulmonary fibrosis, was assisted in his duties by Ed McMahon during the 21-hour fund-raiser, which netted a record $60.5 million, according to Associated Press reports.
The largest donation, according to AP, was $18.3 million from the International Association of Fire Fighters. Local smoke-eaters were all over Vegas streets this weekend holding boots for contributions.
Also appearing on the local telecast were Dion (live from Caesars Palace), Cher (just after her MGM Grand show Sunday night), Don Rickles, Lance Burton, Ronn Lucas, Tony Orlando and Clint Holmes.
Vegas news
Lots of Vegas in the Paper of Record over the weekend.
The New York Times Sunday magazine set its fashion spread in Las Vegas under the head, "Vegas, Baby: Only swingers and scofflaws allowed."
Featured were Wayne Newton, Penn & Teller, Luxor showgirls Karen Fujimoto, Christine Jenks and Stephanie Smith and "Folies Bergere" performer Barbara May.
There was also a positive review of "Poker Face," Katy Lederer's memoir of a dysfunctional family drawn together by its common love of gambling.
The author's brother is Las Vegas resident Howard Lederer, a world-class poker player.
VegasBits
Yeah Yeah Yeah: About halfway into the show, casino developer Bob Stupak and Las Vegas Councilwoman Janet Moncrief were escorted to front-row center seats at the Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band concert at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday night ...
Everywhere: Brooke Burke, the former host of E!'s "Wild On!," spent the weekend in Vegas squiring around a group of radio station contest winners from around the nation. The group was spotted Saturday night at the Voodoo Lounge, Tabu, Risque and Rain in the Desert ...
Double bill: Twin entertainers Mark & Clark began a two-week run Monday at the Imperial Palace's Kabuki Lounge ...
Winner: The Ritz Carlton in Lake Las Vegas has received the highest ranking in the "Luxury" segment of the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, which was released last week ...
Palms players: Actor Alec Baldwin and baseball player Mo Vaughn were partying -- separately -- at Rain in the Desert on Friday night. Down the hall at N9NE, former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin dined a few tables away from Playboy centerfold Victoria Fuller. And pop star and Las Vegas resident Pink hosted the "Pimp 'N Ho Ball" at the Skin Pool Lounge Sunday night. 'N Sync-er JC Chasez, who attended, primped earlier at Michael Boychuk's AMP Salon.
From Sun wires
Jessica Lynch, the former prisoner of war whose capture and rescue from an Iraqi hospital made her a national hero, has agreed to a $1 million book deal with publisher Alfred A. Knopf.
"I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story," co-written by Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg, is scheduled to come out in mid-November with a first printing of about 500,000 copies, a Knopf spokesman said today.
Lynch, 20, received a medical discharge last week from the Army, making her eligible to pursue book or movie deals.
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