Connie Mason (born August 24, 1937) is an American model and actress who was ''

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 ...

'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its June 1963 issue. Mason then acted in the gore movies pioneered by

Herschell Gordon Lewis Herschell Gordon Lewis (June 15, 1926 – September 26, 2016) was an American filmmaker, best known for creating the " splatter" subgenre of horror films. He is often called the "Godfather of Gore" (a title also given to Lucio Fulci), though hi ...

, ''

Blood Feast ''Blood Feast'' is a 1963 American splatter film. It was composed, shot, and directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis, written by Allison Louise Downe from an idea by Lewis and David F. Freidman, and stars Mal Arnold, William Kerwin, Connie Mason, ...

'' and ''

Two Thousand Maniacs! ''Two Thousand Maniacs!'' is a 1964 American horror film written and directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis and starring 1963 ''Playboy'' Playmate Connie Mason. It follows a group of Northern tourists who are savagely tortured and murdered during a ...

'' Her centerfold was photographed by

Pompeo Posar Pompeo Posar (; February 21, 1921 – April 5, 2004) was a ''Playboy'' magazine staff photographer who photographed many centerfold features and accompanying pictures of women featured as playmate of the month. Notably, he was responsible for th ...

. She was also a

Playboy Bunny A Playboy Bunny is a waitress who works at a Playboy Club and selected through standardized training. Their costumes were made up of lingerie, inspired by the tuxedo-wearing Playboy rabbit mascot. This costume consisted of a strapless corset te ...

at the Chicago club.

Biography

Mason was born in 1937 in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and began her career in the early 1960s. She attended a private school for girls in Danville, Virginia. At the age of 17, she moved to Florida with her family. She was managing the cosmetics department for

Jordan Marsh Jordan Marsh (officially Jordan Marsh & Company) was an American department store chain that was headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and operated throughout New England. It was founded by Eben Dyer Jordan and Benjamin L. Marsh in 1841. The ...

in Miami. There, her parents went to the opening of the new Playboy Club. They were guests of their friend Tony Roma. Roma suggested to her father (who built custom homes) that his daughter apply to be a bunny at the newly opened Playboy club. Playboy clubs were all the rage across the country and in London, England. He said they were looking for pretty girls with great personalities and good figures. Mason was hired as the "camera bunny", and was a huge hit with all the customers because of her "bubbly personality". Mason then moved to Chicago, and met Hugh Hefner and moved into his mansion and went to work at the club as the bunny photographer. He asked her if she would be interested in testing with the magazine's staff photographer, to be featured as center fold for the popular ''Playboy'' magazine. She was chosen by Hefner to be ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its June 1963 issue. Then, one night when she was working, Mason was introduced to the

Oleg Cassini Oleg Cassini (11 April 1913 – 17 March 2006) was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after starting as a designer in Rome, and quickly got ...

, Jackie Kennedy's personal designer. Cassini encouraged her to come to New York City, where he introduced her to the Eileen Ford Agency. The agency signed Mason, thus beginning a career in fashion modeling and national TV commercials. Mason was discovered by director

in 1963; she was cast in the starring role to work in the horror movie ''

'' (1963) directed by him the same year. This was followed by the leading part in the film ''

'' (1964), also directed by Lewis. She met and married Shelly Kasten in New York City, who was the entertainment director for all the Playboy Clubs. Mason previously married actor, Tony Young from 1958 to 1962.

Filmography

* '' Walk Like a Dragon'' (1960) (uncredited) as Diane * ''

'' (1963) as Suzette Fremont * ''

Two Thousand Maniacs ''Two Thousand Maniacs!'' is a 1964 American horror film written and directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis and starring 1963 ''Playboy'' Playmate Connie Mason. It follows a group of Northern tourists who are savagely tortured and murdered during a ...

'' (1964) as Terry Adams * ''

Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon ''Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon'' is a 1970 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Otto Preminger. The film is based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Marjorie Kellogg. Plot Junie Moon is a girl whose face was scarred in ...

'' (1970) (uncredited) as Extra * ''

Lovers and Other Strangers ''Lovers and Other Strangers'' is a 1970 American romantic comedy film directed by Cy Howard, adapted from the 1968 Broadway play of the same name by Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The cast includes Richard S. Castellano, Gig Young, Cloris L ...

'' (1970) (uncredited) as Extra * '' Made for Each Other'' (1971) (as Connie Snow) as Ingrid * '' Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971) (uncredited) as Woman at Whyte House * ''

Rolling Man ''Rolling Man'' is a 1972 American made-for-television drama film directed by Peter Hyams in his directorial debut. It premiered on ABC as the ''ABC Movie of the Week'' on October 4, 1972. Plot Lonnie, a former star athlete in high school, now wo ...

'' (1972) as Connie * '' The Godfather: Part II'' (1974) (uncredited) as Extra * '' Sudden Death'' (1977) (uncredited) * ''

Doctors' Private Lives ''Doctors' Private Lives'' is a 1978 American made-for-television drama film starring John Gavin, Donna Mills, Ed Nelson, Barbara Anderson and directed by Steven Stern. It was broadcast on ABC on March 20, 1978. It was a pilot for a short-lived ...

'' (1978) as Anne * ''

Tangiers Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...

'' (1982)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Connie 1937 births Living people 1960s Playboy Playmates Models from Washington, D.C.

Biography

Filmography

See also

References

External links