I hope I live a long, healthy, and happy life here on Planet Earth. It is my sincere wish to continue to elude the Reaper’s grasp for as long as possible. If, for whatever reason, I slip from this mortal coil, I hope Heaven is at least half as awesome as Playboy’s Roller Disco and Pajama Party.
Family Feud’s Richard Dawson is our host for the show. He basically just stands around, delivers cheeky commentary on the action, and tries to get a kiss from Dorothy Stratten. During the roller disco portion of the program, we marvel as celebrities like James Caan schmooze with Playmates on roller skates while dancing to such disco hits as “Bad Girls”, “Ring My Bell”, and “Move on Up”. Meanwhile, Hugh Hefner steals the headdress off the Indian from The Village People and leads a roller disco conga line with Jim Brown in tow while Robert Culp ogles Playmates as they seductively eat popsicles.
Trust me, it’s heavenly.
Halfway through, the party switches gears to a pajama party where The Village People perform inside the Playboy Mansion for guests (including Marjoe Gortner!) dressed in their jammies. Then Dawson interviews several Playmates who are due to appear in the magazine (including Jeana Tomasina and Victoria Cooke). Next, we are treated to behind-the-scenes footage of the Playmate Centerfold shoots, along with more interviews with the Playmates. These moments feel like a pilot for what would later become the Playboy Video Centerfolds. However, since it aired on ABC, there’s no nudity. Other than that, the construction of these sequences is nearly identical.
Back at the party, while people disco to “Makin’ It”, there’s a jaw dropping bit where the puppet Madame is dressed in blackface and tries to goof around with Jim Brown, who is clearly not amused. Finally, Dawson gets a kiss from Dorothy while Chuck Mangione plays in the background.
Strictly speaking as a time capsule, Playboy’s Roller Disco and Pajama Party is rather incredible. It is a perfectly presented package that showcases the allure and sheer fun of the Playboy brand. The scenes with Stratten are a bit sad though knowing her husband would brutally murder her less than a year later. That said, this serves as a nice reminder of a career that could’ve been.
Tomasina and Cooke later hosted the Playmate Workout.
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