Biography of Bettie Page.

Born on April 22, 1923 in Nashville Tennessee, Bettie Mae Page was the second of six c***dren born to Walter Roy Page and Edna Mae Pirtle. The family had limited financial resources often taking to move from small and Page had to take responsibility for the care of younger siblings. His life was difficult. Were raised within the Church. Page had a great appeal and intelligence of their parents, but this proved a blessing only half. His mother did not love and her father had abused her.
Page and her two sisters grew up as fans of the movies and loved acting out memorable scenes from any "show movies" that have seen recently. "I've been a fan of the movies all my life," said Page, "this is how I learned to pose, when my little sisters asked me to mimic photos of the stars we saw in magazines and newspapers." Experimenting with different hairstyles and makeup. At an early age Page learned to sew in the local community center, with a skill that would have practical application in the coming years when they fabricate their own clothes, lingerie and bikinis to wear when posing. It was the second best of his high school class. He was also director of the drama club, secretary-treasurer of the student council, co-editor of the school newspaper and yearbook, and voted "most likely to succeed" by his classmates.
The jealousy of her own mother have cost Page a scholarship to Vanderbilt University. In return, he earned a Licentiate in Arts at the Peabody College in Tennessee. It was unusual for a woman to achieve such things in those days. He tried to act as teacher, but his heart-stopping appearance made ​​it impossible for the boys in her class occassionally to something more than his attractive teacher. "I could not control my students," he said with a wink irresistible. "Especially men". Two decades later, Page Peabody would work on a master's degree.

No one was in place like Bettie Page. She thought for herself. He made his own way. Independent. Page built herself, not charging bias of any kind and did not recognize barriers to personal development. Always a free spirit, moved from Tennessee to San Francisco, taking the first of many jobs as secretary, but she dreamed of movie stardom (her favorites were Bette Davis and Gregory Peck). He hoped to get a chance as a model. In his first job with the cameras, Bettie Page was more than dressed: he used fur coats.
Where was, whatever he did, people are distracted and tripped because of its image: the sly smile, black hair, perfect figure. Finally in 1945 one of these people got him an audition, hopeful to visit Hollywood, where, unfortunately, 20th Century Fox mishandled her screen test well. "I combed and makeover to make me look like a caricature of Joan Crawford" he recalled in his southern accent he never lost and complained that Hollywood. "It was horrible. Ran the test for me, I could barely recognize" fled the scene when a producer promised a lucrative movie career in exchange for sexual favors. "I did not like his looks," said Page, "I would not lie with him anyway. was a phenomenon! drove in his big car and scolded me: you'll be sorry! I did "Neither was interested in the attentions of flamboyant director, aviator and inventor Howard Hughes, who also pursued. Hughes phoned and had the team calling her repeatedly with the excuse of wanting to photograph the delicious model. She declined each offer. "Never returned a call," said award-winning pin-up. "I think people can say I made a mistake. But sex is part of love, and you should not do it everywhere unless you're in love. Certainly I did not do"

More than once admitted that he could not answer a telegram from studio chief Jack Warner to make a second screen test at Warner Bros., which is the most regretted mistake in your life. But her first husband, Billy Neal, was returning from the war in the South Pacific, and Page was focused on trying to save a marriage that was falling apart.

During the following years Page traveled from San Francisco to Nashville to Miami, including Port au Prince (Haiti) where she was fascinated by the country and its culture. In November 1947 he returned to the United States and filed for divorce from Billy Neal.
After her divorce from Neal worked briefly in San Francisco and Haiti finally settling in New York where he hoped to find work as an actress. During that time he worked as a secretary. One day in 1950, during a walk along the beach at Coney Island, Page met a police officer named Jerry Tibbs. He was interested in photography, she aspired to be a model, and Tibbs took some pictures and helped her create her first pinup portfolio.

In the late 40's, known as "shooting clubs" were formed as a means to circumvent legal restrictions on the production of nude photos. These clubs were, apparently, to promote artistic photography, but many were merely fronts for covering up the creation of pornography.

With her attractive figure and face so innocently and perhaps inevitably, was drawn into the world of "cheesecake" modeling laughingly, where Page was prolific. Almost immediately it became a recognized face and figure adorning such publications as Wink, Eyeful, Sir!, He, She, Jest, Bare, Stare, Gaze, Vue, Titter, Sunbathing, Beauty Parade, Chicks and chuckles and many others. His evocative photographs were torn from magazines, decorated offices, lockers, garages and all manner of rooms around the world, as if consituyeran a brand new wallpaper Bettie Page. His image was everywhere and attracted worldwide attention and notoriety.

Posing for these photos (some by acclaimed fashion photographer Bunny Yeager), many of the witnesses to the same recall as Page seemed to command the same as if a film director in question. Unintentionally (and without even realizing it) because his ingenuity and dominant personality of Page made the creative force controlling much of his work.

"Generally happy posing, and that seemed to spread in the photographs" explained Page. "Nobody knew this, but I used to imagine that the camera was my boyfriend and I were making love. It was fun to joke with the guy with the camera until he was in sync with the mood of that day that I was"

From 1952 to 1957, she posed for photographer Irving Klaw for mail order via photographs themed pin-up, bondage or sadomasochistic, making her the first famous bondage model. Klaw also used Page in dozens of short black and white 8 and 16mm films "special" ordered by erna specific customers. These silent appearances showed women dressed in lingerie and high heels, fetish scenarios acting a*****ion, domination and slave training with bondage, spanking and elaborate leather costumes and restraints. Page alternated between playing a stern dominatrix and a helpless victim, bound hand and foot. Klaw also produced a line of snapshots taken during these sessions. Some have become iconic images, as the best selling photo of Page, shown gagged and tied a string network in the film "Leopard Bikini Bound". Although these productions underground oil had the same style and type of distribution that pornography of the time, films with women only Klaw (and snapshots) never showed nudity or explicit sexual content.

At the time that Marilyn Monroe was studying acting at the Actors Studio, Page did the same at the renowned Herbert Berghof Studios only blocks away. "I was not trying to be an actress at the time, but wanted to see if it really could act or not "

This gave her various roles in theater and television. Appeared in "The United States Hour" and "Jackie Gleason Show". His off-Broadway productions included "Time is a thief" and "Sunday Costs Five Pesos". Page acted and danced in the film revue "Striporama" by Jerald Intrator. He was given a brief speaking role, the only time his voice has been captured on film. He appeared in two other films of this type by Irving Klaw ("Teaserama" and "Varietease"). These films showed exotic dance routines and vignettes by Page and known as striptease artists Lili St. Cyr and Tempest Storm. The three films were fairly risky, but none showed any nudity or sexual content.

Finally the answer to your question became a resounding "no." Actor Robert Culp taught some classes at Page, and made a single dramatic act with her. The title was "Dark Lady of the sonnets." "He wanted to muhco more than they could," Culp recalled, "It was nice, but it was not an actress, and to continue his strong Southern accent would have been a big problem.

Berghof and his wife, Uta Hagen (both famous exponents of the Stanislavsky method of acting) were impressed by a scene, however, Page was asked what was expressed based on their experiences to succeed in creating a sense of remorse and tragic reality he projected on stage. Page replied "I thought about all the terrible things I have done and how God would punish me for my sins."

In 1954, during one of his annual pilgrimages to Miami, Florida, Page met photographers Jan Caldwell, H. W. hannau and Bunny Yeager. At the time, Page was the best pin-up model in New York. Yeager, a former model and aspiring photographer, hired Page to a photo shoot in the now closed "USA Africa Wildlife Park" in Boca Raton, Florida. Photographs Bettie jungle of this session are among his most celebrated. They include nude shots with a pair of cheetahs named Mojah and Mbili. The printed fabric and leopard skin costume Jungle girl he used, and many of her taken, were made by Page. A large collection of photos of Yeager and Klaw were published in the book "Bettie Page Confidential" (St. Martin's Press, 1994)

After Yeager sent photos of Page to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, selected a photograph to use as the centerpiece of "Playmate of the Month" in January 1955. The famous photo shows Page, wearing only a Santa hat, kneeling before a Christmas tree holding an ornament and playfully winking at the camera eye.

In 1955, Bettie won the title "Miss Pinup Girl of the World". It was also known as the "Queen of Curves" and "black angel". While models and glamor pin-up often had careers that lasted only months, Page was in demand for several years, continuing her modeling career until 1957. Although often posing nude, never appeared in scenes with explicit sexual content.

The reasons for a departure from modeling vary. Some mention hearings Kafauver the Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency of the Senate, that after a young man apparently died during a bondage which was rumored, was inspired by Page, who finished with the business of photographs of bondage and S & M Klaw. In fact, the U.S. Congress called to testify and explain the pictures in which she appeared. While she was excused from appearing before the committee, the negatives of many of her photos were destroyed by court order. For many years the negatives survived were i*****l to reproduce. However, the most obvious reason to end his career and many of his contacts with his former life was his conversion to Christianity while living in Key West, Florida in 1959, combined with the trials of 1957.
On New Year's Eve 1958, during one of his regular visits to Key West, Florida, Page was a servcio in the now Temple Baptist Church of Key West. We found attracted to the multiracial environment and started going regularly. Eventually go to 3 Bible schools, including the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Multnomah Bible College in Portland, Oregon and, briefly, a Christian retreat called "Bibletown" part of the Christian community of the Church of Boca Raton, Florida.

He maintained a relationship with the industrial designer Richard Arbib in the 50's. He then married Armond Walterson in 1958. They divorced in 1963.

During the 60's, tried to become a Christian missionary in Africa, but was rejected for being divorced. During the following years he worked for various Christian organizations before settling in Nashville in 1963. He worked full time for the Reverend Billy Graham.

He married a second time, and briefly, with her first husband, who helped her win a place in missionary work, but they divorced shortly thereafter. She returned to Florida in 1967, where he married again to Harry Lear, but this marriage ended in divorce in 1972.

He then moved to Southern California in 1979. There he had a nervous breakdown and had an altercation with her landlady. The doctors who examined acute schizophrenia was diagnosed and spent 20 months in a psychiatric hospital in San Bernardino, California.

After another altercation with another home, was arrested for assault, but was found not guilty by insanity and was placed under state supervision for 8 years. He was discharged from Patton State Hospital in 1992 in San Bernardino County.

A cult of fans created around during the 80's, which she was unaware. This renewed attention was focused on his job as a lingerie model rather than on those that showed paraphilias, and earned some redemption by the people and status as an icon of popular erotica of a new era. This care also raised the question in their new fans about his whereabouts after the 50. The 1990 edition of the popular "Book of Lists" Page includes a list of the 11 most famous celebrities who seem to have vanished from the face of the earth.

In 1976, Eros Publishing Co. published "A nostalgic look at Bettie Page", a mixture of photos from the 50. Between 1978 and 1980, Belier Press published 4 volumes of Bettie Page: Private peeks, photo reprints private shooting club, which reintroduced Page to a new but small following. In 1983, London Enterprises released "In praise of Bettie Page" - a nostalgic item for collectors, reprinting photographs of the club and an old photo session "catfight."

In the early 80's, comic book artist Dave Stevens based the love interest of his hero Cliff Secord (alias "The Rocketeer") in Page. In 1987, Greg Theakson started a fanzine called "The Betty Pages" and recounted stories of his life, particularly on the days of the photography club. For the next 7 years, the magazine revived worldwide interest in Page. Women dyed their hair cut with bangs in an attempt to emulate the "black angel". The media were involved in the phenomenon and wrote numerous articles about her, often with the help of Theakston. Since most of his photographs were included in the public domain, opportunists launched related products with his image and took advantage of the uproar created.

In 1993 in a telephone interview with "Lifestyles of the rich and famous," Page told host Robin Leach that she was not aware of the resurgence of popularity, saying he was "penniless and infamous." Entertainment Tonight produced a segment on it. Page, who was living in a group home in Los Angeles, was surprised when he saw the story of Etentertaiment Tonight, having no idea that had become famous again. Greg Theakston contacted her and interviewed her at length for the "Betty Page Annuals V.2"

Shortly after, Page signed with agent James Swanson of Chicago. Three years later, nearly penniless and without benefits, Page fired Swanson and signed with Curtis Management Group, a company that also represented the property of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. Then she started to receive profits that ensured its financial stability.

After Jim Silke made a large format comic with a character like her, Dark Horse Comics published a comic based on his adventures in the 90 fictitious. Eros Comics published several Bettie Page titles, the most popular strip called "Tor Love Bettie", which suggested a romance between Page and wrestler-turned-actor of films of Ed Wood, Tor Johnson.

The question of what Page did in the dark years after modeling was answered, in part, with the publication of an official biography in 1996: "Bettie Page: Life as a pinup legend." That year, Bettie Page granted an exclusive interview and face to face with the entertainment reporter Tim Estiloz in a morning NCB and to help publicize the book. The interview contained reminiscences of his career and tales of anecdotes about his personal life as well as photos from his personal collection. At the request of Page, his face was not shown. The interview was broadcast only once.

Another biography "The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About Queen of Pinup" written by Richard Foster and published in 1997 showed a different story at fairy tale. Foster's book immediately provoked attacks from her fans, including Hefner and Harlan Ellison, and a statement claiming that Page was "full of lies" because they were not happy that the book reveals that a police officer Los Angeles had reported that Page suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and, at the age of 56, had stabbed his old home on the afternoon of April 19, 1979, in an unprovoked attack during a fit of madness. However, Steve Brewster, founder of the club fans of Bettie Scouts, said it is not as unflattering as the book makes it look. Brewster adds that he also read the chapter on business with Swanson, and stated that Page was pleased with that part of its history.

In 1997, "E! True Hollywood Story" was a chapter on Page named "Bettie Page: From Pinup to Sex Queen."

In an interview in late 1990, Page said he would not allow current photos of her, proeucpaciones about his weight. However, in 1997, Page changed his mind and agreed to grant an interview to the aforementioned television channel "E!", Provided that the location of the entrtevista and face were not shown, being shown with his face and clothing electronically altered. In 2003, Page allowed a publicity photo was taken for her August issue of Playboy magazine. In 2006, Los Angeles Times released an article titled "A Golden Age for the pinup", covering an autograph session in its advertising company, CMG Worldwide. Again, declined to be photographed, saying he wanted to be remembered as it was at the peak of his career.

In an interview with Playboy magazine in 1998, commented on his career: "I never thought it was a shame. I felt normal. Was much better than being eight hours a day typing on a typewriter, which becomes monotonous"

In recent years, had hired a firm to help recover some of the gains made on the basis of their image.

According to MTV, "The hair and dress Katy Perry, The book" Sex "by Madonna and her fascination with bondage, Rihanna's obsession with the leather and lace, Uma Thurman in" Pulp Fiction ", the site" Suicide girls ", the Pussycat Dolls, all the race of ex-wife of Marilyn Manson Dita Von Teese" would not have been possible without Page.

There are rumors that the developers of the game "The Sims 3" were inspired by it to create the appearance of the character of Agnes Crumplebottom. Except for hair color (brunette Bettie Agnes is blond), the court is the same and the shape of the face like its features show a striking resemblance to the model.

Bettie Page died on December 11, 2008 due to pneumonia in a hospital in Los Angeles. He was 85 years old. He suffered a heart attack a week earlier and did not regain consciousness. Its popularity as an underground icon and guilty pleasures phenomenon has continued despite the fact that Page disappeared from public view in the late 1950's, making many believe that one of the most photographed of the twentieth century was already dead .


BETTIE PAGE. MY LOVE , MY HEART ALLWAYS WITH YOU.