Dolly Martin (born Dolly Read on 13 September 1944 in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, England) is an English

pinup A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...

model and actress. She is best remembered for her appearance in ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's 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 Hefner's mother. K ...

'' magazine and as the lead character in ''

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls ''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'' is a 1970 American satirical musical melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, Phyllis Davis, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett, and David Gurian. The film was directed by Russ Meyer and scr ...

''. She sometimes is credited as Margaret Read, Dolly Read Martin or Dolly Martin.

Biography

Career

Read's first onscreen appearance was in the 1963 film ''

The Kiss of the Vampire ''The Kiss of the Vampire'' (also known as ''Kiss of Evil'' on American television) is a 1963 British vampire film made by the film studio Hammer Film Productions. The film was directed by Don Sharp and was written by producer Anthony H ...

'', followed by a role in the British TV series ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'' later that year.IMDb credits for Dolly Read
/ref> In May 1966, she was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month. She posed for the magazine again in 1970. She also worked as 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

Playboy Club The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club R ...

s in Chicago, London and New York City. After appearing in the low-budget erotic film ''That Tender Touch'' in 1969, she landed the lead role of the sexy but naive rock-and-roll singer Kelly MacNamara in Russ Meyer's comedy ''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'' the following year. Throughout the 1970s, Read appeared on television with guest-starring roles in shows such as ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...

'' and ''

Vega$ ''Vegas'' (stylized as ''Vega$'') is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. ''Vegas'' was produced by Aaron Spelling and created by Mich ...

''. She was a frequent panelist on the game show ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelist ...

''. In 2006, Read, along with other cast members, provided commentary and was interviewed for the release of a special edition DVD of ''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls''.

Personal life

In 1971, Read married American comedian Dick Martin. They divorced in 1974 and were remarried in 1978. She was a stepmother to his two sons, Richard Martin and actor Cary Martin. Dick Martin died on 24 May 2008."'Laugh-In' comic Dick Martin dead at 86"
,'' Associated Press'' via CNN, 25 May 2008

Filmography

Films

* ''

'' (uncredited, 1963) * ''That Tender Touch'' (1969) * ''

'' (1970)

Television

*''

'' (1 episode, 1963) *''

Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Goodson- Todman Productions in association with Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June 1984. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with severa ...

'' (1977) *''

'' (1 episode, 1978) *''

'' (1975–1981) *''

'' (2 episodes, 1980) *''

The Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game, panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebr ...

'' (1990–1991)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Dolly 1944 births Living people English female models English film actresses English expatriates in the United States English television actresses Models from Bristol 1960s Playboy Playmates 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Bristol