Liv Lindeland, Playmate of the Year, 1972

When we ran our Playmate story on Norway's Liv Linde--land, we reported that she--like her viking ancestors--had come to America inquest of adventure. In the months since her gatefold debut, she's found it. As our story faded out, the aspiring actress was just preparing to launch a movie career with a role in The Love Machine. Since those premieres--in our pages and on film--Liv, whose name appropriately means life in her native tongue, has seen her hopes of Hollywood success more than fulfilled: She has accumulated an impressive list of credits on the small screen (Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and The Odd Couple) and on the big one (The Marriage of a Young Stock-broker and Evel Knievel). Adding to her movie roster, Liv recently completed Save the Tiger, in which she portrays Jack Lemmon's Danish mistress, and she's now shooting Another Day at the Races with Dean Stockwell. As if all this--plus drama, speech and dance lessons--weren't enough to keep her busy, Liv managed to squeeze in a host of television commercials and loads of personal appearances around the country at colleges, store openings and festivals; one highlight was riding on a water-borne float in the San Antonio Fiesta River Parade. More recently, she has represented the famous Desert Inn of Las Vegas as its Miss Desert Inn of 1972. But this seemingly hectic schedule in no way stopped Liv from pursuing another aspect of her acting career. Last summer, in the Hollywood lull before shooting for the new television season got under way, she found time to star on the stage. She had told us earlier that someday she hoped to reverse the customary showbiz route by moving on from films to the theater--and she wasted no time in doing just that, performing for six weeks in an El Paso stock production of Marriage-Go-Round. Liv enjoyed acting before a live audience and plans another stock stint this summer, if the right offer ("closer to Los Angeles") comes her way. But as this issue goes to press, we must fade out once again, before she heads back to the stage and before she makes her bow as Playmate of the Year. For the announcement of Liv's selection, a champagne luncheon in her honor was planned for May 16 at the new Playboy Club in Chicago's Playboy Center, where the co-hostesses were to be several past Playmates of the Year, including Claudia Jennings (1970) and Sharon Clark (1971). At the luncheon, Liv was to be presented to a corps of press, radio and television personalities by Editor and (text concluded on page 216)Playmate of the year(continued from page 158) Publisher Hugh M. Hefner, who also was to present her with a special $5000 cash prize from Playboy. The queen's ransom by no means ends there; her bounty includes:

The $10,000 Lincoln-Mercury De Tomaso Pantera, in Playmate Pink, a 44-inch-high 150-mph two-seater from Italy, powered by a 351-cubic-inch four-barrel V8 Ford engine.

A Playmate Pink $600 custom-made three-wheel Easy Rider all-terrain vehicle from Track & Sports, Inc., of Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

A Playmate Pink 1972 Schwinn Super Sport ten-speed bicycle and accessories.

A ski week at Arosa, Switzerland, hosted by Roger Staub, plus private ski instruction from the Roger Staub Ski School.

Air transportation to Switzerland via Swissair.

Lodging at the Alps' newest winter-sports resort, the Tschuggen Hotel, Arosa.

Ski fashions by Roffe.

Ski sweaters by Demetre.

Marco Polo down-insulated ski apparel from Don Shingler.

Promark ski gloves by Wells Lamont Corporation.

Spalding Sideral skis.

Gertsch ski bindings.

Foam-injected Spalding ski boots.

Prismatic ski poles and Bausch & Lomb ski glasses and goggles, all from Collins Ski Products.

A près-ski sweaters from Montant.

Après-ski boots by Henke.

Three-piece set of luggage by Playboy/Rathcon.

A Smith-Corona Electra 210 typewriter.

A Sony portable cassette recorder and player with AM/FM radio from Gramophones and Things of Monterey, California.

A Smasher aluminum tennis racket and Playmate Pink tennis balls by Spalding.

Jantzen swimsuits.

Sunglasses from Renauld International.

Hallmark Jet Set Mirror-Go-Lightly by Victory-Hallmark.

A make-up collection from Syd Simons.

Wigs, hairpieces and eyelashes from Brentwood Bellissima.

Seiko designer watches.

A ruby-eyed gold Rabbit pin from Maria Vogt.

With all that bounty, Liv will be set for fashion, travel and sports. But a career-oriented gift for our very career-minded Playmate of the Year also seemed in order. And since Liv had done some professional singing in Norway, what could be better than a recording contract from Playboy Records?

But that's still not all: To top everything off there's a case of pink brut champagne--in magnums--courtesy of Paul Masson, perfect for toasting her good fortune. Here's looking at you, Liv.