Plans for an alleged network of secret tunnels connecting the iconic Playboy Mansion with nearby celebrity homes in the 1970s have been unearthed.
But are the tunnels merely an urban myth borne from a fanciful idea? Or an April Fools' Day joke?
If they are the former, then they were indulged all the way to the construction stage, as there are supposed plans and photographs of the tunnels partially under construction.
But if they are the latter - which seems more likely - then the ruse is both elaborate and clumsy, having been published by Playboy.com in the US a day early, on March 31.
The plans themselves are at first glance authentic, proposing a network of labyrinthine tunnels linking the Playboy Mansion to other properties.
The network of tunnels is supposed to have been on the drawing board in the late 1970s.
According to the story, the tunnels would have connected to the homes of "Mr J. Nicholson", "Mr W. Beatty", "Mr K. Douglas" and "Mr J. Caan".
It is clearly implied that the celebrities named on the plans would be Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Kirk Douglas and James Caan.
The tunnels would have allowed the four unfettered access to the mansion, which was famous for its lavish, sexually permissive party scene.
But the plans look almost too perfect, lacking pencil notations, or detail in the fine print, such as check boxes that would have been marked through different stages of construction.
It is also highly unlikely that architect's drawings for tunnels linking the properties would name the celebrities.
Playboy's entertainment news website Playboy.com published the plans and said they were discovered after a set of polaroid images showing the partial construction of tunnels on the property had surfaced.
The site quoted an unnamed Playboy executive telling the site's staff "that's probably when they built the tunnels in the 70s".
The plans are undated. The polaroid images are dated 1977.
Playboy has been contacted for comment.
