from www.suntimes.com – The swinging concept of the Playboy Club turns 50 this weekend.

The Playboy Club debuted on Feb. 29, 1960, in a cozy four-story building at 116 E. Walton (at Michigan). It gave birth to more than 40 clubs and resorts in 25 states and seven countries while becoming one of the most successful nightclub chains in history. The clubs were a risque hideway at the dusk of Eisenhower-era fallout shelters and “Father Knows Best” values.

Waitresses — a k a “bunnies” — wore rabbit ears and fluffy white cotton tails. They could effortlessly light a guest’s cigarette and were experts on the ample liquor stock. Men were granted entry through a rabbit-headed metal Playboy key. The Chicago club’s nocturnal orange-and-black color scheme played out worldwide.

Like Republicans and vinyl records, Playboy Clubs are making a comeback.

With bunnies as servers and dealers, the Playboy Club opened in 2006 on the 52nd floor of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It was the first Playboy Club in the United States since 1986, when Playboy closed in Lansing, Mich. At the end of this year Playboy plans to open clubs in Cancun, Mexico, and South Beach in Miami. There’s also talk of clubs in New Orleans, Mexico City and China.

Can Chicago be far behind?

“It’s a market we’ll look at,” said Jeff Georgino, senior vice president of location-based entertainment for Playboy Enterprises in Los Angeles.

“We need the right partner in Chicago. The right location. And the right venue to make the concept work.”

Plans are in the works for a celebration of this year’s milestone, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the iconic bunny logo.

The pinnacle, Georgino said, will be “to have 50 parties in 50 cities in one night globally where the Playboy Club will be re-created” in existing nightclubs. That will take place on June 10.

Playboy Radio on Sirius/XM will host specials commemorating the 50th anniversary, and the Las Vegas club will tie in a 50th anniversary party with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner’s 84th birthday on April 9.

Michael Morton, 45, is a managing partner in the Playboy Las Vegas operation. His partners include Palms owner George Maloof, a friend of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Morton’s father was Chicago restaurateur Arnie Morton, one of Hefner’s partners in the first Playboy Club. Morton was also the club’s food and beverage manager. He died in 2005.

“Chicago makes the most sense to me,” Morton said. “Its where it all began. It’s a Chicago company and it’s part of Chicago culture. Chicago embraces its own. A lot of out-of-town concepts haven’t worked in Chicago.”

Arnie Morton became vice president of Playboy Clubs and worked for the company between 1959 and 1973. “My dad built, helped design, operated and managed all the clubs,” Morton said. “He was never involved with the magazine. My deep memories are of the clubs in Lake Geneva and Ocho Rios [in Jamaica].” Morton’s mother, Zorine, met Arnie at a Playboy party in 1960. She still lives in the Chicago area.

By December 1960, more than 50,000 men had signed up as Playboy Club key holders. (A plastic key card replaced the metal key in 1966). The Vegas club has complimentary keys for regular and celebrity guests. The unique list of keyholders include P. Diddy, Kim Kardashian and swimmer Michael Phelps. That’s a hoppin’ bunch.

In 1972, the Chicago Playboy Club moved to the Playboy Building, 919 N. Michigan. The last stop was the 1980 opening at 1960 N. Lincoln Park West, across the street from the Park West. One of its final events was a wild press party for the J. Geils Band to promote its album “Centerfold.” The club closed in 1986.

Performers like Hines, Hines and Dad (featuring Gregory Hines) and R&B singer Ruth Brown performed in the original club’s “Penthouse.” Comic Dick Gregory appeared at the club’s fifth anniversary party free “in appreciation for the role the club has played in the progress of the civil rights movement,” according to the Chicago Daily News.

Jazz musician Gene Esposito, who led the Chicago Playboy Club’s jazz trio between 1963 and 1969, organized a club reunion in 1995. “After the shows they had a twist party in one of the rooms,” Esposito recalled before his death in 1999. “The bunnies would dance with the conventioneers. But you weren’t allowed to touch the bunnies. Then they’d have a contest of musical chairs. The last man would get a bottle of champagne.”

Musical chairs and twist contests.

Don’t look for that at the 50th anniversary celebration.