Bettie Mae Page (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her
pin-up photos.
[50s pin-up queen Bettie Page dies](_blank)
BBC News, December 12, 2008; accessed 12, December 2008 She was often referred to as the "Queen of Pinups": her long jet-black hair, blue eyes, and trademark bangs have influenced artists for generations. After her death, ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' founder
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 ...
called her "a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society".
A native of
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
, Page lived in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in her early adult years before moving to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to pursue work as an actress. There, she found work as a pin-up model, and she posed for dozens of photographers throughout the 1950s. Page was "Miss January 1955", one of the earliest
Playmates of the Month for ''Playboy'' Magazine. After years in obscurity, she experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s.
In 1959, Page converted to
evangelical Christianity
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
and worked for
Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
,
studying at Bible colleges in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
and
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...
, with the intent of becoming a missionary. The latter part of Page's life was marked by depression, violent mood swings, and several years in a state psychiatric hospital with
paranoid schizophrenia.
Early life
Betty Mae Page, who in childhood began spelling her first name "Bettie", was born in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
, in 1923, the second of six children to Walter Roy Page (1896–1964) and Edna Mae Pirtle (1901–1986). During her early years, the Page family traveled around the country in search of economic stability. At a young age, she had to face the responsibilities of caring for her younger siblings, particularly after her father was convicted for car theft and spent two years in an Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...
, prison.[Essex, Swanson, pp.18-19.]
Page's parents divorced when she was 10 years old, and her mother worked two jobs, one as a hairdresser (during the day) and the other washing laundry (at night).[Essex, Swanson, p.24: "But Edna's divorce did not maker her life any easier. In 1933 America was still steeped in the ]Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
." Unable to care for all her children, Edna placed Page, at 10, and her two sisters in a Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or a ...
for a year. Their father remained in the area, at one point renting a basement room from the cash-strapped Edna. Page said he began sexually molesting her when she was 13 years old.[Essex, Swanson, p.25.]
As a teenager, Page and her sisters tried different makeup styles and hairdos imitating their favorite movie stars. She also learned to sew. These skills proved useful, years later, for her pin-up photography, when Page did her own makeup and hair and made her own bikinis and costumes.
A good student and debate team member at Hume-Fogg High School
Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School is a public magnet high school serving grades 9–12 and located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States.
History
Hume School, serving the first through 12th grades, opened in 1855 on Eighth Avenue ( ...
, she was voted "Girl Most Likely to Succeed."[Essex, Swanson, p.29.] On June 6, 1940, Page graduated as the salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States, Armenia, and the Philippines to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is tr ...
of her high school class with a scholarship. She enrolled at George Peabody College
Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education and Human Development (also known as Vanderbilt Peabody College, Peabody College, or simply Peabody) is the education school of Vanderbilt University, a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee ...
(later part of Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
) with the intention of becoming a teacher. However, the next fall she began studying acting, hoping to become a movie star. At the same time, she got her first job, typing for author Alfred Leland Crabb. Page graduated from Peabody with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree in 1944.
Shortly before graduating from Hume-Fogg High, Page had met William E. "Billy" Neal, a former rival high school sports star two years older than she. In September 1942, he was drafted into the Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
for World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
,[Essex, Swanson, pp.37-38.] and he and Page married on February 18, 1943, before he shipped out.[Tennessee, State Marriage Index, 1780–2002]
page: 282. Retrieved from FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family His ...
January 28, 2012. For the next few years, she moved from San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
to Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
to Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
and to Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
, Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...
, where she felt a special affinity with the country, its people and its culture. She and Neal divorced in 1947.[Essex, Swanson, p. 52: "In November 1947 Bettie moved into the YWCA and filed for a divorce."]
Modeling career
Discovery and early work
In late 1947, Page moved to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where she hoped to find work as an actress. She supported herself by working a secretarial job at the American Bread Company, near Penn Station Pennsylvania Station is a name applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad to several of its grand passenger terminals.
Pennsylvania Station or Penn Station may also refer to
Current train stations
* Baltimore Penn Station
* Pennsylvania Station (Cinc ...
.[Essex, Swanson, p.51.] Within days she became the victim of a sexual assault by a group of men, and retreated home to Nashville, where she briefly worked for the L & N Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.
Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of th ...
.[Essex, Swanson, pp.51-52.] Within weeks, she returned to New York, becoming secretary to a real-estate developer and an insurance broker who shared offices in the Eastern Airlines Building at Rockefeller Plaza.[Essex, Swanson, pp.52-53.]
In 1950, while walking along the Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...
shore, Bettie met NYPD
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
Officer Jerry Tibbs, who was an avid photographer, and he gave Bettie his card. He suggested she would be a good pin-up model. In exchange for allowing him to photograph her, he would help make up her first pin-up portfolio, free of charge. Tibbs suggested to Bettie that she style her hair with bangs in front, to keep light from reflecting off her high forehead when being photographed. Bangs soon became an integral part of her distinctive look.
In late-1940s America, "camera clubs" were formed to circumvent laws restricting the production of nude photos. These camera clubs existed ostensibly to promote artistic photography, but in reality, many were merely fronts for the making of pornography
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, . Page entered the field of "glamour photography
Glamour photography is a genre of photography in which the subjects are portrayed in erotic poses ranging from fully clothed to nude. The term may be a euphemism for erotic photography. For glamour models, body shape and size are directly relat ...
" as a popular camera club model, working initially with photographer Cass Carr. Her lack of inhibition in posing made her a hit, and her name and image became quickly known in the erotic photography industry. In 1951, Bettie's image appeared in men's magazines such as ''Wink'', ''Titter'', ''Eyefull'' and ''Beauty Parade.''[Pérez Seves, ''Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground'', p. 44.]
Early 1950s to 1957: Irving Klaw; film work
From late 1951 or early 1952[Essex, Swanson, p.143: "In late 1951 or early 1952 — concurrently with her camera club and men's magazine modeling — Bettie began modeling for Irving Klaw....] through 1957, she posed for photographer Irving Klaw for mail-order photographs with pin-up and BDSM
BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...
themes, making her the first famous bondage model. Klaw also used Page in dozens of short, black-and-white 8mm 8 mm or 8mm may refer to:
;Film technology
*8 mm film, a photographic cine film format principally intended for domestic use. The term may also refer to later variants:
** Super 8 mm film
** Single-8 film
** 8 mm video format, a type of video record ...
and 16mm
16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, edu ...
"specialty" films, which catered to specific requests from his clientele. These silent one-reel featurettes showed women clad in lingerie and high heels, acting out fetishistic scenarios of abduction, domination, and slave-training; bondage, spanking, and elaborate leather costumes and restraints were included periodically. Page alternated between playing a stern dominatrix
A dominatrix (; ) or femdom is a woman who takes the dominant role in BDSM activities. A dominatrix can be of any sexual orientation, but this does not necessarily limit the genders of her submissive partners. Dominatrices are known for inflic ...
, and a helpless victim bound hand and foot.
Klaw also produced a line of still photos taken during these sessions. Some have become iconic images, such as his highest-selling photo of Page—shown gagged and bound in a web of ropes, from the film ''Leopard Bikini Bound''. Although these " underground" features had the same crude style and clandestine distribution as the pornographic "stag" films of the time, Klaw's all-female films (and still photos) never featured any nudity or explicit sexual content. Commenting on the bondage photos and the reputation they afforded her, Page said retrospectively: They keep referring to me in the magazines and newspapers and everywhere else as the "Queen of Bondage." The only bondage posing I ever did was for Irving Klaw and his sister Paula. Usually every other Saturday he had a session for four or five hours with four or five models and a couple of extra photographers, and in order to get paid you had to do an hour of bondage. And that was the only reason I did it. I never had any inkling along that line. I don't really disapprove of it; I think you can do your own thing as long as you're not hurting anybody else — that's been my philosophy ever since I was a little girl. I never looked down my nose at it. In fact, we used to laugh at some of the requests that came through the mail, even from judges and lawyers and doctors and people in high positions. Even back in the '50s they went in for the whips and the ties and everything else.
In 1953, Page took acting classes at the Herbert Berghof Studio, which led to several roles on stage and television. She appeared on ''The United States Steel Hour
''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S ...
'' and ''The Jackie Gleason Show
''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms.
''Cavalcade of Stars''
Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMon ...
''. Her Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...
productions included ''Time is a Thief'' and ''Sunday Costs Five Pesos.'' Page acted and danced in the feature-length burlesque revue film ''Striporama
''Striporama'' is a 1953 comedy film directed by Jerald Intrator. The film starred a number of burlesque comedy, dance and striptease acts that were popular during the early 1950s. Today, it is best known as one of the few feature films starring ...
'' directed by Jerald Intrator
Jerald is a masculine given name which is a variant of Gerald, a German name meaning "rule of the spear". Gerald was brought to Great Britain by the Normans, along with variants Jerold and Jerrold, and the feminine Geraldine. Short forms include J ...
in which she was given a brief speaking role. She then appeared in two more burlesque films by Irving Klaw (''Teaserama
''Teaserama'' is a 1955 American low-budget sexploitation film directed by Irving Klaw. It follows the performance of a burlesque show.
Plot
''Teaserama'' is presented as a documentary film, with all actors and actresses playing themselves. It op ...
'' and ''Varietease
''Varietease'' is a 1954 American burlesque film and the first such directed by Irving Klaw. According to its plot, the iconic pin-up model Bettie Page performs a burlesque show alongside Lili St. Cyr, Chris La Chris, Vicki Lynn, Bobby Shield ...
''). These featured exotic dance routines and vignettes by Page and well-known striptease artists Lili St. Cyr
Marie Frances Van Schaack (June 3, 1918 – January 29, 1999), known professionally as Lili St. Cyr, was a prominent American burlesque dancer and stripper..
Early years
St. Cyr was born Willis Marie Van Schaack in Minneapolis, Minnesota, o ...
and Tempest Storm. All three films were mildly risqué, but none showed any nudity or overtly sexual content.
In 1954, during one of her annual vacations to Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, Page met photographers Jan Caldwell, H. W. Hannau and Bunny Yeager
Linnea Eleanor "Bunny" Yeager (March 13, 1929 – May 25, 2014) was an American photographer and pin-up model.
Early life and career
Linnea Eleanor Yeager was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, to Raymond Conrad and Linn ...
. At that time, Page was the top pin-up model in New York. Yeager, a former model and aspiring photographer, signed Page for a photo session at the now-closed wildlife park Africa USA Africa U.S.A. may refer to:
Amusement parks
* Africa U.S.A., an amusement park in Boca Raton, Florida, 1953–1961
* Marine World/Africa USA, an animal theme park in Redwood Shores, California, now Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Places
* Africa, Ind ...
in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...
. The "Jungle Bettie" photographs from this shoot are among her most celebrated. They include nude shots with a pair of cheetah
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
s named Mojah and Mbili. Page herself made the leopard-skin-patterned jungle girl outfit she wore, along with much of her lingerie. A collection of the Yeager photos, and Klaw's, were published in the book ''Bettie Page Confidential'' (St. Martin's Press, 1994).
After Yeager sent shots of Page to ''Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' founder 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 ...
, he selected one to use as the 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 "Play ...
centerfold in the January 1955 issue of the two-year-old magazine. The famous photo shows Page, wearing only a Santa hat, kneeling before a Christmas tree holding an ornament and playfully winking at the camera. In 1955, Page won the title "Miss Pinup Girl of the World". She also became known as "The Queen of Curves" and "The Dark Angel". While pin-up and glamour models frequently have careers measured in months, Page was in demand for several years, continuing to model until 1957.
Although she frequently posed nude, she never appeared in scenes with explicit sexual content. In 1957, Page gave "expert guidance" to the FBI regarding the production of "flagellation and bondage pictures" in Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
.
1958–92: Retirement; departure from spotlight
The reasons reported for Page's departure from modeling vary. Some reports mention the Kefauver
Carey Estes Kefauver (;
July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. United States House of Representatives, House of ...
Hearings of the as a potential reason, after a young man apparently died during a session of bondage
Bondage may refer to:
Restraints
*Physical restraints
**Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partn ...
which was rumored to be inspired by images featuring Page. After leaving modeling, Page converted to Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
and became a born again
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and se ...
evangelist on December 31, 1959, while living in Key West, Florida
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
. She recalled in 1998, "When I gave my life to the Lord, I began to think he disapproved of all those nude pictures of me."[Cook, ''Playboy'']
p.4
Photographer Sam Menning was the last person to photograph a pin-up of Page before her retirement.
On New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
1958, during one of her regular visits to Key West, Page attended a service at what is now the Key West Temple Baptist Church. She found herself drawn to the multiracial
Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-eth ...
environment and started to attend on a regular basis. She would, in time, attend three bible colleges, including the Bible Institute of Los Angeles
Biola University () is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It has over 150 programs of study in nine schools offering bachelor's, ...
, Multnomah University
Multnomah University (MU) is a private Christian university in Portland, Oregon. Composed of a college, seminary, graduate school, and online distance-learning program, the university offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, as well as ...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...
and, briefly, a Christian retreat known as "Bibletown", part of the Boca Raton Community Church, Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...
.
She dated industrial designer Richard Arbib
Richard Henry Arbib (September 1, 1917 in Gloversville, New York – February 22, 1995 in Manhattan, New York City) was an American industrial designer.
He was a design consultant known for working on many products and services. His focus wa ...
in the 1950s, and then married Armond Walterson on November 6, 1958;[Florida, Marriage Index, 1927–2001]
volume: 1776; certificate number: 32899. Retrieved from FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family His ...
January 28, 2012. they divorced on October 10, 1963.
During the 1960s, she attempted to become a Christian missionary in Africa, but was rejected for having had a divorce. Over the next few years, she worked for various Christian organizations before settling in Nashville in 1963, and re-enrolled at Peabody College to pursue a master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in education, but eventually dropped out.[
] She worked full-time for Rev. Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...
. She and first husband Billy Neal remarried very briefly in late 1963 or in 1964, but that marriage was soon annulled.[Essex, Swanson, p.230: "At the end of 1963, Bettie and Billy started seeing each other again.... The two remarried. ... They didn't consummate the marriage. Bettie claims that Billy got the notion that she had contracted a ]venereal disease
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and ora ...
in New York ... ndwas 'unclean'.... fter an incident of domestic violenceBettie was able to procure an annulment...." Note: Cook in ''Playboy'' erroneously gives the remarriage year as 1953.
She returned to Florida in 1966 and married again, to Harry Lear, on February 14, 1966.[Florida, Marriage Index, 1927–2001]
volume: 2493; certificate number: 4402. Retrieved from FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family His ...
January 28, 2012. but that marriage ended in divorce on January 18, 1972.
She moved to Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...
in October 1978.[Essex, Swanson, p.231.] There she had a nervous breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...
and had an altercation with her landlady. The doctors who examined her diagnosed her with acute schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...
, and she spent 20 months in Patton State Hospital
Patton State Hospital is a forensic psychiatric hospital in San Bernardino, California, United States. Though the hospital has a Patton, California address, it lies entirely within the San Bernardino city limits. Operated by the California Depart ...
in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...
. In 1982, After a fight with another landlord, she was arrested for assault, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity and placed under state supervision for eight years.[ She was released in 1992.][
]
Revival of public interest
In the 1950s, artists Gene Bilbrew and Eric Stanton were among the first to paint Bettie images. In 1979, artist Robert Blue had a show titled ''Steps Into Space'', at a gallery on Melrose Place
''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, i ...
in Los Angeles, where he showed his collection of Bettie Page paintings. At that time in New York, Olivia De Berardinis
Olivia De Berardinis, known professionally as Olivia, is an American artist who is famous for her paintings of women, often referred to as pinup or cheesecake art. She has been working in this genre since the mid-1970s, becoming a contributor t ...
had begun painting Bettie for Italian jean manufacturer Fiorucci
Fiorucci () is an Italian fashion label founded by Elio Fiorucci in 1967. The first Fiorucci shop exposed Milan to the styles of Swinging London and to American classics such as the T-shirt and jeans. By the late 1970s, the direction of stylistic ...
. De Berardinis has continued to paint Bettie, and compiled a collection of this artwork in a book titled ''Bettie Page by Olivia'' (2006), with a foreword by Hugh Hefner.
In 1976, Eros Publishing Co. published ''A Nostalgic Look at Bettie Page'', a mixture of photos from the 1950s. Between 1978 and 1980, Belier Press published four volumes of ''Betty Page: Private Peeks'', reprinting pictures from the private-camera-club sessions, which reintroduced Page to a new but small cult following. In 1983, London Enterprises released ''In Praise of Bettie Page — A Nostalgic Collector's Item'', reprinting camera-club photos and an old cat fight photo shoot.
A larger cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
was built around Page during the 1980s, of which she was unaware. This renewed attention was focused on her pinup and lingerie modeling rather than those depicting sexual fetishes
Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has ''a fetish'' for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regard ...
or bondage
Bondage may refer to:
Restraints
*Physical restraints
**Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partn ...
. This attention also prompted speculation of what happened to her after the 1950s. The 1990s edition of ''Book of Lists
The ''Book of Lists'' refers to any one of a series of books compiled by David Wallechinsky, his father Irving Wallace and sister Amy Wallace.
Each book contains hundreds of lists (many accompanied by textual explanations) on unusual or obscur ...
'' included Page in a list of once-famous celebrities who had vanished from the public eye.
In the early 1980s, comic-book artist Dave Stevens based the female love interest of his hero Cliff Secord (alias " The Rocketeer") on Page.
By the mid-1980s, artist Olivia De Berardinis noted that women began to frequent her gallery openings sporting Bettie bangs, fetish clothing, and tattoos of Page. She described "black bangs, seamed stockings and snub-nosed 6-inch stilettos. These are Bettie Page signatures.... Although the fantasy world of fetish/bondage existed in some form since the beginning time, Bettie is the iconic figurehead of it all. No star of this genre existed before her. Monroe had predecessors, Bettie did not."
In 1987, Greg Theakston started a fanzine
A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share ...
called ''The Betty Pages'' and recounted tales of her life, particularly the camera-club days. Additionally, numerous articles about the missing pop-cultural figure began appearing in the mainstream media. Since almost all of her photos were in the public domain, some entities launched Page-related products.
In a 1993 telephone interview with ''Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
''Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'' is an American television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes, socialites and magnates.
It was hosted by Rob ...
'', Page told host Robin Leach
Robin Douglas Leach (29 August 1941 – 24 August 2018) was a British entertainment reporter and writer from London. After beginning his career as a print journalist, first in England and then in the United States, he became best known fo ...
that she had been unaware of the resurgence of her popularity, stating that she was "penniless and infamous". ''Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. ET also airs in Aus ...
'' produced a segment on her. Page was living in a group home in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
. Theakston contacted her and extensively interviewed her for ''The Betty Page Annuals'' V.2.
Her brother Jack finally brought her back into public life, explaining, "My son had noticed all the books and calendars and plates being sold with her face on them,...I called her up and said, 'Bettie, there is a chance for you to make money off this'".
In 1993, Jack persuaded Page to pursue royalties through Chicago attorney James L. Swanson, who with Karen Essex wrote the 1996 coffee table book ''Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-Up Legend''.
Three years later, nearly penniless and failing to receive any royalties
A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
, Page fired Swanson.
In 1993, Page signed with Mark Roesler and his Curtis Management Group, later CMG Worldwide. Page occasionally autographed pinups at her agents' offices in Los Angeles, California.
After Jim Silke made a large-format comic featuring Page's likeness, in the 1990s Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
published a comic book based on her fictional adventures. Eros Comics published several Bettie Page titles, including the tongue-in-cheek ''Tor Love Bettie'' which comically suggested a romance between Page and wrestler-turned-Ed Wood
Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker,
actor, and pulp novel author.
In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...
film actor, Tor Johnson.
In 1996, Page granted a TV interview to entertainment reporter Tim Estiloz for the NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
morning magazine program ''Real Life''. Another biography, ''The Real Bettie Page: The Truth about the Queen of Pinups'' (1997) was written by Richard Foster. The book stated that a Los Angeles County Sheriff's police report said Page had paranoid schizophrenia and, at age 56, had stabbed her elderly landlords on the afternoon of April 19, 1979 in an unprovoked attack, during a fit of insanity.
In 1997, '' E! True Hollywood Story'' aired a feature on Page titled, ''Bettie Page: From Pinup to Sex Queen''.
In a late-1990s interview, Page stated she would not allow any current pictures of her to be shown because of concerns about her weight. However, in 1997, Page changed her mind and agreed to a television interview for the aforementioned ''E! True Hollywood Story'' on the condition that the location of the interview and her face not be revealed (she was shown with her face and dress electronically blacked out). Page allowed a publicity picture to be taken of her for the August 2003 edition of ''Playboy''. In 2006, the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' ran an article headlined "A Golden Age for a Pinup", covering an autographing session at CMG Worldwide. Once again, Page declined to be photographed.
In a 1998 interview, she commented of her career, "I never thought it was shameful. I felt normal. It's just that it was much better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day, which gets monotonous."[Cook, ''Playboy'']
p.3
In her last years, she hired a law firm to help her recoup some of the profits being made with her likeness. According to MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
: "Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...
's rocker bangs and throwback skimpy jumpers; Madonna's
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
'' Sex'' book and fascination with bondage gear; Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...
's obsession with all things leather, lace and second-skin binding; Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...
in ''Pulp Fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...
''; the SuicideGirls
SuicideGirls is an online community-based website that revolves around pin-up photography sets of models known as the Suicide Girls.
The website was founded in 2001 by Selena Mooney ("Missy Suicide") and Sean Suhl ("Spooky").
Most of the site ...
website; the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat or Pussy Cat may refer to:
* Cat, a domestic feline
Music Bands
* Pussycat (band), a Dutch country and pop group
* The Pussycats, a 1960s Norwegian rock band
* The Pussycats, a group signed to Kama Sutra Records
Albums
* '' Pussy Ca ...
; and the entire career of Dita Von Teese
Heather Renée Sweet (born September 28, 1972), known professionally as Dita Von Teese, is an American vedette, burlesque dancer, model, and businesswoman. She is credited with re-popularizing burlesque performance, earning the moniker "Que ...
" would not have been possible without Page.[MTV.com](_blank)
Pinup Bettie Page — Who Inspired Katy Perry, Madonna And Many More — Dies At Age 85, MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
December 12, 2008.
In 2011, Page's estate made the ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' annual list of top-earning dead celebrities, earning $6 million and tied with the estates of George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
, at 13th on the list. In 2014, Forbes estimated that Page's estate earned $10 million in 2013.
Death
According to long-time friend and business agent Mark Roesler, Page was hospitalized in critical condition on December 6, 2008. Roesler was quoted by the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
as saying Page had a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
[ and by Los Angeles television station ]KNBC
KNBC (channel 4) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Corona- ...
as claiming Page had pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
. Her family eventually agreed to discontinue life support, and she died on December 11, 2008, at age 85.[
]
Biographies
In 2004, Cult Epics produced the direct-to-DVD biographical film '' Bettie Page: Dark Angel''. Centering on the 1953–1957 Irving Klaw period, it recreates six lost fetish films she did for Klaw. Model Paige Richards plays the title role.
'' The Notorious Bettie Page'' (2005) follows her life from the mid-1930s through the late 1950s. It stars Gretchen Mol as the adult Page. Bonus footage added to the DVD release includes color film from the 1950s of Page playfully undressing and striking various nude poses for the camera.
In 2012, '' Bettie Page Reveals All'' was filmed and premiered, then released nationwide the following year. It was an authorized biographical documentary by director Mark Mori. The documentary included narration from Page herself, culled from more than six hours of interviews with her, as well as commentary from Dita Von Teese
Heather Renée Sweet (born September 28, 1972), known professionally as Dita Von Teese, is an American vedette, burlesque dancer, model, and businesswoman. She is credited with re-popularizing burlesque performance, earning the moniker "Que ...
, Hugh M. Hefner, Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie O'Connell (née Romijn ; born November 6, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Mystique in the original trilogy (2000–2006) of the ''X-Men'' film series, as Joan from '' The Punisher'' ( ...
, Tempest Storm, Bunny Yeager
Linnea Eleanor "Bunny" Yeager (March 13, 1929 – May 25, 2014) was an American photographer and pin-up model.
Early life and career
Linnea Eleanor Yeager was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, to Raymond Conrad and Linn ...
, Paula Klaw, 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 ...
and Naomi Campbell
Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...
.
In popular culture
Fashion and visual art
* For its Polynesia
Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
n-inspired Spring-Summer 2011 ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...
collection, French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
fashion house Christian Dior
Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses ...
styled the hair of its models with Bettie Page as inspiration.
* In Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
, Washington, a homeowner became the subject of a short-lived controversy when he had an artist friend paint a large mural of Page on the side of his home. The mural is visible from Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
, just south of the 65th Street exit. In 2016, the mural was vandalized, leading to a restoration and the addition of drag star Divine
Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.[divine< ...](_blank)
.
Film
* The BD-3000 luxury droid in '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) was inspired by Bettie Page.
* In Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
's 2007 film ''Death Proof
''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American action-thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he purports to be "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...
'', Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama '' Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include ''He Got Game'' (1998), ''Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in Bl ...
pays homage to Page with her iconic haircut.
Comics
* In 1966, comic book writer Robert Kanigher and artist Sheldon Moldoff
Sheldon Moldoff (; April 14, 1920 – February 29, 2012) was an American comics artist best known for his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" (uncredited collaborators ...
created DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
character Poison Ivy, basing her appearance on Page, including her signature bangs. The DC Comics Bombshells line of figurines launched in 2011 modeled Poison Ivy's look on Page's pin-up appearances.
* In ''Mickey Spillane's Mike Danger'', a comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series published by Tekno Comix and BIG Entertainment from September 1995 to April 1997, the artist's image of Holly, Mike Danger's assistant was influenced in some measure by Bettie Page's look and hairstyle.
* ''Bettie Page Comics'' is a 1996 one-shot comic published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
and illustrated by Cary Grazzini, Dave Stevens and Jamie S. Rich
Jamie S. Rich is an author of both prose and graphic novel fiction, a web series host, and editor of American comic books. He is currently Executive Editorial Director at IDW Publishing.
Career
As writer
His first published work was the novel ...
, starring pin-up model Bettie Page.
* In 2017, a new ''Bettie Page'' comic was created by David Avallone and Colton Worely.
Literature
* In one of his numerous fictional capsule biographies for his books, Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
claimed to be "writing a biography of Betty icPage for young adults".
* During the 1970s and 1980s, The UK music magazines '' Sounds'' and ''Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
'' (latterly 'rm') featured a journalist Beverley Glick, whose pen-name was "Betty Page", inspired by Page.
* Page is the subject of the 2020 novel ''Bettie Page: Aphrodite Rising'' by Kimberly Us, which suggests an engagement with the goddess Aphrodite in Page's career, building on influences such as ''Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief''.
Television shows
* In ''Orange is the New Black
''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a ...
'', the character Alex Vause is described by correctional officer Joel Luschek as "the Bettie Page of Litchfield".
* In ''The Venture Bros.
''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on February 16, 20 ...
'' 3rd season opening episode, " Shadowman 9: In the Cradle of Destiny", a costumed villain model called "Bettie Rage" briefly appears.
Video games
* In Suda51's video game '' Lollipop Chainsaw'', a pre-order downloadable outfit took inspiration from Bettie Page as a pinup girl outfit, and included her signature haircut with bangs.
Music
* German punk band Bettie Ford recorded the song "Bettie Page" for their album ''League of Fools'' (2004).
* Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
pays homage to Bettie Page in her music videos for " Video Phone" and " Why Don't You Love Me".
* Industrial metal band Bile
Bile (from Latin ''bilis''), or gall, is a dark-green-to-yellowish-brown fluid produced by the liver of most vertebrates that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In humans, bile is produced continuously by the liver (liver bi ...
released a song called "Betty Page" on their album ''Sex Reflex'' (1999).
* Alternative country band BR5-49
BR549 (originally spelled BR5-49) was an American country rock band founded in 1993. It originally consisted of Gary Bennett (lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar), Don Herron (steel guitar, resonator guitar, fiddle, mandolin, acoustic gu ...
recorded an ode to Page named "Bettie, Bettie" on their 1996 debut EP ''Live From Robert's''. In interviews, Page stated that this was her favorite of the songs written about her.
* Swedish concept band DC-Pöbeln (also known as Dagcenterpöbeln) from Örebro
Örebro ( , ) is the sixth-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Örebro Municipality, and capital of the Örebro County. It is situated by the Närke Plain, near the lake Hjälmaren, a few kilometers inland along the small river Svartån, and ...
put Bettie Page on the cover of their only record ''Bettan/Dödgrävaren'' (1985).
* The Jazz Butcher
The Jazz Butcher was the alias of British singer/songwriter Pat Fish (Patrick Huntrods). It also served as the name of the band, though adjuncts were frequently used to distinguish between Fish’s persona and band itself (The Jazz Butcher Cons ...
included the song "Just Like Betty Page" on the album ''A Scandal in Bohemia'' (1984), using Page for a simile in the chorus "You have me/As far as I can see/roped and trussed just like dear Betty Page."
* My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult used a photo of Bettie Page on the cover of their 1991 album '' Sexplosion!''
* Hungarian rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and b ...
band Mystery Gang Rockabilly Trio recorded the song "My Baby Wants to Look Like Bettie Page".
* American rock singer and songwriter Evan Olson
Evan Scott Olson (born 1967) is an American rock singer and songwriter based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Professionally known since the early 2000s for his work as a songwriter for film and television, Olson received renewed interest in his e ...
included a reference to Bettie Page in his song "So Much Better" featured on the album ''One Room'' (1999). The line mentioning her was "Better than a book of Bettie Page pictures". The song was the subject of "The Case of the Missing Hit", the 158th episode of the '' Reply All'' podcast released on March 5, 2020.
* Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...
took inspiration from Page for the visuals promoting her album '' Teenage Dream''.
* Post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
group Public Image Ltd released a song called "Bettie Page" on their album '' What the World Needs Now...'' (2015).
* Swing revival band Royal Crown Revue released the song "Port-au-Prince (Travels with Betty Page)" on their album ''The Contender'' (1998).
* American guitarist and former Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epo ...
member Rick Vito celebrated Betty on his album ''Band Box Boogie'' (2003), with the song "Where Did You Go Betty Page?"
Astronomy
* Minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...
184784 is named for her.
Other
* In 2006, Folsom Street Fair introduced a women's area, first dubbed "Bettie Page's Secret" then changing its name in subsequent years to "Venus' Playground".
Filmography
* ''Striporama
''Striporama'' is a 1953 comedy film directed by Jerald Intrator. The film starred a number of burlesque comedy, dance and striptease acts that were popular during the early 1950s. Today, it is best known as one of the few feature films starring ...
'' (1953)
* ''Varietease
''Varietease'' is a 1954 American burlesque film and the first such directed by Irving Klaw. According to its plot, the iconic pin-up model Bettie Page performs a burlesque show alongside Lili St. Cyr, Chris La Chris, Vicki Lynn, Bobby Shield ...
'' (1954)
* ''Teaserama
''Teaserama'' is a 1955 American low-budget sexploitation film directed by Irving Klaw. It follows the performance of a burlesque show.
Plot
''Teaserama'' is presented as a documentary film, with all actors and actresses playing themselves. It op ...
'' (1955)
* ''Irving Klaw Bondage Classics Volume I'' (London Enterprises 1984)
* ''Irving Klaw Bondage Classics Volume II'' (London Enterprises 1984)
* ''100 Girls by Bunny Yeager'' (Cult Epics 2005), a documentary with behind-the-scenes footage on Yeager's photo sessions with Page and other pin-up models
* ''Bettie Page: Bondage Queen'' (Cult Epics 2005)
* ''Bettie Page: Pin Up Queen'' (Cult Epics 2005), a compilation of her burlesque dancing performances from ''Striporama'', ''Varietease'', and ''Teaserama'', plus ''The Exotic Dances of Bettie Page'' (13 black-and-white dancing and cat-fight shorts)
* ''Bizarro Sex Loops Volume 4'' (Something Weird Video
Something Weird Video is an American film distributor company based in Seattle, Washington. They specialize in exploitation B to Z films, particularly the works of Harry Novak, Doris Wishman, David F. Friedman and Herschell Gordon Lewis.
I ...
2007)
* ''Bizarro Sex Loops Volume 20'' (Something Weird Video 2008), Page appears in a set of Irving Klaw bondage reels in a collection of vintage fetish shorts
See also
* Charles Guyette
* John Willie
* Gene Bilbrew
* Fetish fashion
References
Further reading
* ''Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground'' by Richard Pérez Seves. Atglen: Schiffer Publishing, 2018.
External links
*
*
*
*
Bettie Page
at FBI Records: The Vault official FBI website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Page, Bettie
1923 births
2008 deaths
1950s Playboy Playmates
20th-century Baptists
20th-century American women
American burlesque performers
American female adult models
Baptists from Tennessee
Bondage models
Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Converts to Christianity
Glamour models
Multnomah University alumni
Peabody College alumni
People from Key West, Florida
People from Nashville, Tennessee
People with schizophrenia