Arline Hunter (born Arlene J. Hunter; December 16, 1931 – September 11, 2018) was an American actress and model. She was perhaps best known as '' Playboy's''

Playmate of the Month A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...

for August 1954. Her

centerfold The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched magazines (as opp ...

was the first not to be purchased from the John Baumgarth Co. by

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...

, and was instead photographed by

Ed DeLong Ed, ed or ED may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc * Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media * ''Ed'' (TV series), a TV series that ran fro ...

, who went on to become one of the more prolific ''Playboy'' photographers in the 1960s.

Career

Much of Hunter's fame was built upon her resemblance to

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

; indeed, her ''Playboy'' pose was obviously inspired by Monroe's notorious 1949 nude photo session with Tom Kelley from which her own ''Playboy'' photo came. The similarity in look between Hunter and Monroe also came into play when a nude Hunter starred in a

stag film A stag film (also blue movie or smoker) is a type of pornographic film produced secretly in the first two-thirds of the 20th century. Typically, stag films had certain traits. They were brief in duration (about 12 minutes at most), were silent, d ...

called, ''The Apple-Knockers and the Coke''. For many years there have been those who have seen the film and have mistaken Hunter for Monroe. Hunter went on to have a film career that consisted mostly of sexy parts in B-movies such as ''White Lightnin' Road'' and ''The Art of Burlesque''. She also appeared alongside the

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

in 1957's ''

Outer Space Jitters ''Outer Space Jitters'' is a 1957 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Joe Besser). It is the 182nd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starring t ...

''. She appeared as a dancer in ''

Sex Kittens Go to College ''Sex Kittens Go to College'' (a.k.a. ''Beauty and the Robot'') is a 1960 American comedy film by Allied Artists Pictures, produced and directed by Albert Zugsmith and starring Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld and Mijanou Bardot. The film was also ...

'', which starred fellow bombshell

Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and sex symbol. She is perhaps best known for the rock 'n' roll, juvenile delinquency exploitation film ''Untamed Youth'' (1957). Early life Van Do ...

. She also had guest roles in prominent television series such as ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

'' and ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chronicl ...

'', and appeared in a 1962 episode of '' Straightaway''. Hunter was married to Prussian-born Wolfgang Wergin until his death in February 2006.Wolfgang Wergin obituary
/ref> Hunter died in

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

on 11 September 2018, at the age of 86.

Filmography

Films

* ''The Apple-Knockers and the Coke'' (1948) * ''The Art of Burlesque'' (1950) as Betty * ''Baghdad After Midnight'' (1954) (credited as Arlene Hunter) * ''

Casanova's Big Night ''Casanova's Big Night'' is a 1954 American comedy film starring Bob Hope and Joan Fontaine, which is a spoof of swashbuckling historical adventure films. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Hope plays a tailor who impersonates Giacomo Casanova, ...

'' (1954) (uncredited) as Girl in window * ''

Son of Sinbad ''Son of Sinbad'' is a 1955 American adventure film directed by Ted Tetzlaff. It takes place in the Middle East and consists of a wide variety of characters, including over 127 women. The film was shot in 1953 and planned to be released in 3D ...

'' (1955) (as Arlene Hunter) as Tartar Girl * ''

'' (1957) (uncredited) as Sunev Girl * ''

Revolt in the Big House ''Revolt in the Big House'' is a 1958 American film noir directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Gene Evans, Robert Blake and Timothy Carey. Portions of the film were shot on location at Folsom State Prison in California. Blacklisted screen ...

'' (1958) as Girl * ''

The Angry Red Planet ''The Angry Red Planet'' (also called ''Invasion of Mars'' and ''Journey to Planet Four'') is a 1959 American science fiction film directed by Ib Melchior and starring Gerald Mohr. Melchior reportedly had an initial production budget of only $2 ...

'' (1960) as Joan * ''

'' (1960) as Nurse * ''The Ruined Bruin'' (1961) * ''White Lightnin' Road'' (1965) as Ruby * ''

Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title ''Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Harmon Jones and written by Morey Amsterdam, John Davis Hart, William Marks and George Schenck. The film stars Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Richard Deacon, Joey A ...

'' (1966) as Girl Student * '' Big Daddy'' (1969)

Television

* ''

'' - "The Case of the Fraudulent Photo" (1959) as Receptionist * ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded to ...

'' - "The Jackass" (1959) as Saloon Girl * ''

Johnny Staccato ''Johnny Staccato'' is an American private detective television series starring John Cassavetes which ran for 27 episodes on NBC from September 10, 1959 through March 24, 1960. Synopsis Titular character Johnny Staccato, played by John Cassavetes ...

'' - "Swinging Long Hair" (1960) as Photographer * ''

The Jim Backus Show ''The Jim Backus Show'' is a 39-episode American television sitcom that aired in broadcast syndication in 1960 and 1961. The series was also known as ''Hot Off the Wire''. Premise The program focuses on Backus in the role of Mike O'Toole, the edi ...

'' - "Floundered in Florida" (1961) (credited as Arlene Hunter) as Angela * ''

'' - "Robbie and the Chorus Girl" (1965) as Beauty

References

External links