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{{Infobox Playboy Playmate <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox Playboy Playmate/doc]] -->
| name = Bettie Page
| image = Bettie Page-2.jpg
| image_size = 225px
| issue = January 1955
| birth_name = Betty Mae Page
| birth_place = [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]], [[United States|US]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1923|4|22}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|12|11|1923|4|22}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], US
| bust = {{convert|36|in|cm|abbr=on}}
| waist = {{convert|23|in|cm|abbr=on}}
| hips = {{convert|35|in|cm|abbr=on}}
| height = {{convert|5|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="official_facts">[http://www.bettiepage.com/facts/index.html Official website facts page] Accessed December 17, 2011.</ref>
| preceded = [[Terry Ryan (model)|Terry Ryan]]
| succeeded = [[Jayne Mansfield]]
| website =
}}
'''Bettie Mae Page''' (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008) was an American [[model (person)|model]] who became famous in the 1950s for her [[pin-up girl|pin-up]] photos.<ref name="bbcnews">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7778963.stm 50s pin-up queen Bettie Page dies], BBC News, 12 December 2008; accessed 12, December 2008</ref><ref name="nytobit">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/arts/12page.html|title=Bettie Page, Queen of Pinups, Dies at 85 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com|work=nytimes.com|accessdate=December 21, 2010|first=Robert D.|last=McFadden|date=December 12, 2008}}</ref> Often referred to as the "Queen of Pinups", her jet [[black hair]], [[eye color#Blue|blue eyes]], and trademark [[fringe (hair)|fringe]] have influenced artists for generations.<ref name="nytimes"/>

Page was "Miss January 1955", one of the earliest [[Playboy Playmate|Playmates of the Month]] for ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine. "I think that she was a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society,"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997269.html?categoryId=25&cs=1 |title=Bettie Page dies at 85 / Pin-up queen was a pop culture phenomenon |publisher=''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine |date=December 11, 2008 |accessdate=February 27, 2009}}</ref> ''Playboy'' founder [[Hugh Hefner]] told the [[Associated Press]].

In 1959, Page converted to [[evangelical Christianity]] and went on to work for [[Billy Graham]].<ref name=ap /> The latter part of her life was marked by [[Major depressive disorder|depression]], violent [[mood swing]]s, and several years in a state [[psychiatric hospital]].<ref name=latimesobit/><ref name=theage>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/world/pinup-bettie-page-whose-poses-ushered-in-sexual-revolution-dies-20081212-6xn7.html?page=1 |title=Pin-up Bettie Page, whose poses ushered in sexual revolution, dies |last=Sahagun |first=Louis |publisher=''[[The Age]]'' |date=December 13, 2008 | location=Melbourne}}</ref> After years of obscurity, she experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s.

==Early life==
Page was the second of six children born to Walter Roy Page and Edna Mae Pirtle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/articles/Bettie-Paige-162972 |title=Bettie Page Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story |publisher=Biography.com |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref><ref name="official_bio">[http://www.bettiepage.com/about/bio.html Official website biography] Accessed April 4, 2007. {{Wayback | url=http://www.bettiepage.com/about/bio.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> | date=20070312205749 }}</ref> At a young age, Page had to face the responsibilities of caring for her younger siblings. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old. (In the [[1930 United States Census|1930 Census]], a few weeks before Bettie's 7th birthday, her mother Edna Pirtle Page was already listed as being divorced.{{citation needed|date = March 2012}}) After her father, whom Page would accuse of [[child molestation|molesting]] her starting at age 13, was imprisoned,<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE4BB0XP20081213 1950s pin-up queen Bettie Page dies Reuters December 13, 2008]</ref> Page and her two sisters lived in an orphanage for a year.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} During this time, Page's mother worked two jobs, one as a hairdresser during the day and washing laundry at night.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

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. During her early years, the Page family traveled around the country in search of economic stability.<ref name="official_bio"/>

A good student and debate team member at [[Hume-Fogg High School]], she was voted "Most Likely to Succeed".<ref name="official_bio"/> On June 6, 1940, Page graduated as the [[salutatorian]] of her high school class<ref name="official_bio"/> with a scholarship. She enrolled at [[Peabody College|George Peabody College]], 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]] degree in 1944.

In 1943, she married high school classmate Billy Neal in a simple courthouse ceremony shortly before he was [[conscription|drafted]] into the [[U.S. Navy|Navy]] for [[World War II]].<ref>Cook, Kevin. [http://www.playboy.com/arts-entertainment/features/bettiepage/interview/02.html My Story: The Missing Years: Bettie Page Interview], Playboy.com, p. 2, January 1998.</ref><ref name=marriage1943>[https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNZD-YN8 Tennessee, State Marriage Index, 1780–2002]; page: 282. Retrieved from [[FamilySearch]] 2012-01-28.</ref> For the next few years, she moved from [[San Francisco]] to [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] to [[Miami]] and to [[Port-au-Prince]], [[Haiti]], where she felt a special affinity with the country and its culture.<ref name="official_bio"/> In November 1947, back in the United States, she filed for divorce.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

==Modeling career==
Following her divorce, Page worked briefly in [[San Francisco]], and in [[Haiti]]. In 1949,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://art-bin.com/art/abpage.html |title=The Bettie Page Revival |publisher=Art-bin.com |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref> she moved to [[New York City]], where she hoped to find work as an actress. In the meantime, she supported herself by working as a secretary. In 1950, while walking along the [[Coney Island]] shore, she met Jerry Tibbs, a police officer with an interest in photography. She was a willing model, and Tibbs took pictures of her and put together her first pinup portfolio.<ref name="official_bio"/> It was Tibbs who first 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 clubs existed, ostensibly, to promote artistic photography; but in reality, many were merely fronts for the making of [[pornography]]. Page entered the field of "[[glamour photography]]" as a popular camera club model, working initially with photographer [[Cass Carr]].<ref name="official_bio"/> Her lack of inhibition in posing made her a hit. Her name and image became quickly known in the erotic photography industry; in 1951, her image appeared in men's magazines such as ''Wink'', ''Titter'', ''Eyefull'' and ''Beauty Parade.''<ref name="official_bio"/>

From 1952 through 1957, she posed for photographer [[Irving Klaw]] for [[mail-order]] photographs with pin-up and [[BDSM]] themes, making her the first famous [[fetish model|bondage model]]. Klaw also used Page in dozens of short, black-and-white 8mm and 16mm "specialty" films, which catered to specific requests from his clientele. These silent featurettes showed women clad in lingerie and high heels, acting out [[sexual fetishism|fetish]]istic 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]], 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 film|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.

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]]'' and ''[[The Jackie Gleason Show]]''.<ref name="official_bio"/> Her [[Off-Broadway]] productions included ''Time is a Thief'' and ''Sunday Costs Five Pesos.'' Page acted and danced in the feature-length burlesque revue film ''[[Striporama]]'' by Jerald Intrator. She was given a brief speaking role, the only time her voice has been captured on film. She then appeared in two more burlesque films by Irving Klaw (''[[Teaserama]]'' and ''[[Varietease]]''). These featured exotic dance routines and vignettes by Page and well-known striptease artists [[Lili St. Cyr]] and [[Tempest Storm]]. All three films were mildly risque, but none showed any nudity or overtly sexual content.

In 1954, during one of her annual vacations to [[Miami]], [[Florida]], Page met photographers Jan Caldwell, [[H. W. Hannau]] and [[Bunny Yeager]].<ref name="official_bio"/> 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 U.S.A. Park|Africa USA]] in [[Boca Raton, Florida]]. The ''Jungle Bettie'' photographs from this shoot are among her most celebrated. They include nude shots with a pair of [[cheetah]]s named Mojah and Mbili. The leopard skin patterned ''[[Jungle girl (stock character)|Jungle Girl]]'' outfit she wore was made, along with much of her lingerie, by Page herself. A large 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]]'' founder [[Hugh Hefner]], he selected one to use as the [[Playboy Playmate|Playmate of the Month]] 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".<ref name="official_bio"/> 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.<ref name="nytimes" /> Although she frequently posed nude, she never appeared in scenes with [[Sexually explicit material|explicit sexual content]].

In 1957, Page gave "expert guidance" to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] regarding the production of "flagellation and bondage pictures" in [[Harlem (New York City)|Harlem]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0412101bettiepage1.html |title=Bettie Page, FBI Consultant |publisher=[[The Smoking Gun]] |accessdate=October 23, 2012}}</ref>

The reasons reported for her departure from modeling vary. Some reports mention the ''[[Estes Kefauver|Kefauver]] Hearings'' of the [[United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce]] (after a young man apparently died during a session of [[Bondage (BDSM)|bondage]] which was rumored to be inspired by bondage images featuring Page). However, the most obvious reason for ending her modeling career and severing all contact with her prior life was her conversion to born-again [[Christianity]] while living in [[Key West, Florida]] in 1959.<ref>Cook, Kevin: [http://www.playboy.com/arts-entertainment/features/bettiepage/interview/04.html My Story: The Missing Years: Bettie Page Interview], Playboy.com, p. 4, January 1998.</ref>

==Years out of the spotlight==
Photographer [[Sam Menning]] was the last person to photograph a pin-up of Page before her retirement.<ref name=hc>{{cite news|first=Roger|last=Catlin|title=Sam Menning: Photographer, Character Actor |url=http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2010/04/sam-menning-photographer-chara.html|work=[[Hartford Courant]]|publisher= |date=2010-04-06 |accessdate=2010-04-17|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5p4Ww2Epb|archivedate=2010-04-17|deadurl=no}}</ref>

On [[New Year's Eve]] 1958, during one of her regular visits to [[Key West, Florida]], Page attended a service at what is now the Key West Temple Baptist Church. She found herself drawn to the [[multiracial]] environment and started to attend on a regular basis. She would in time attend three bible colleges, including the [[Bible Institute of Los Angeles]], [[Multnomah School of the Bible]] in [[Portland, Oregon]] and, briefly, a Christian retreat known as "Bibletown", part of the Boca Raton Community Church, [[Boca Raton|Boca Raton, Florida]].

She dated industrial designer [[Richard Arbib]] in the 1950s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} She then married Armond Walterson in 1958;<ref name=marriage1958>[https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VJKS-3J1 Florida, Marriage Index, 1927–2001]; volume: 1776; certificate number: 32899. Retrieved from [[FamilySearch]] 2012-01-28.</ref> they divorced in 1963.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

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. She worked full-time for Rev. [[Billy Graham]].<ref name="nytimes"/><ref name=ap>{{cite news |first= |last= | authorlink= |title=Pinup model Bettie Page dies in L.A. at 85 |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28185814/ |quote=Bettie Page, the 1950s secretary-turned-model whose controversial photographs in skimpy attire or none at all helped set the stage for the 1960s sexual revolution, died Thursday. She was 85. |work=[[Associated Press]] at [[MSNBC]] |year=2008 |accessdate=2008-12-12 }}</ref>

She briefly remarried Billy Neal, her first husband, who helped her to gain entrance into missionary work; however, the two divorced again shortly thereafter.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} She returned to Florida in 1967, and married again, to Harry Lear,<ref name=marriage1967>[https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VJDM-ZRV Florida, Marriage Index, 1927–2001]; volume: 2493; certificate number: 4402. Retrieved from [[FamilySearch]] 2012-01-28.</ref> but this marriage also ended in divorce in 1972.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}}

She moved to [[Southern California]] in 1979.<ref name=ap/> There she had a [[nervous breakdown]] and had an altercation with her landlady. The doctors who examined her diagnosed her with acute [[schizophrenia]], and she spent 20 months in a state mental hospital in [[San Bernardino, California]]. After a fight with another landlord she was arrested for assault, but was found [[insanity defense|not guilty by reason of insanity]] and placed under state supervision for eight years.<ref name=ap/> She was released in 1992.<ref name=theage/>

A [[cult following]] was built around her 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]] or [[bondage (sexual)|bondage]], and she gained a certain public redemption and popular status as an icon of erotica from a bygone era. This attention also raised the question among her new fans of what happened to her after the 1950s. The 1990s edition of the popular ''[[The Book of Lists|Book of Lists]]''<ref name = "Wallechinsky">{{cite book |last = Wallechinsky |first = David |author2=Amy Wallace |authorlink = David Wallechinsky |title = The People's Almanac Presents the Book of Lists — the '90s Edition |publisher = Little Brown & Co |year = 1993 |isbn = 978-0-316-92079-7 }}</ref> included Page in a list of once-famous celebrities who had seemingly vanished from the public eye.

==Revival==
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.<ref name="cultsirens">{{cite web |url = http://www.cultsirens.com/page/page.htm |publisher=Cult Sirens |title=Bettie Page}}</ref> 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.

In the 70’s, artists Eric Stanton, Robert Blue and Olivia De Berardinis were among the first to start painting Bettie images. In 1979 artist Robert Blue had a show in LA at a gallery on Melrose “Steps Into Space” where he showed his collection of Bettie Page paintings. At that time in New York artist [[Olivia De Berardinis]] had begun painting Bettie for Italian jean manufacturer Fiorucci. Olivia has continued to paint Bettie, culminating in a book collecting this artwork “Bettie Page by Olivia” published by Ozone Productions, Ltd. in 2006, with a foreword by Hugh Hefner.<ref name=official_bio /> To mark the millennium on an international scale, renowned Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama created original art of Bettie Page style placing her on the pedestal of highly accomplished beautiful women.

By the mid 80's Olivia would note that women began to frequent her gallery openings sporting Bettie bangs, fetish clothing and tattoos of Ms.Page. Olivia said, “Black bangs, seamed stockings and snub nosed 6″ stilettos. These are Bettie Page signatures, anyone who dons them wears her crown. 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.” <ref name=official_bio />

In the early 1980s, comic book artist [[Dave Stevens]] based the female love interest of his hero Cliff Secord (alias "[[The Rocketeer]]") on Page.<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Corliss |authorlink=Richard Corliss |title=Bondage Babe Bettie Page Dies at 85 |url= http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1866059,00.html?imw=Y |quote=The beatification process began in 1980, when artist Dave Stevens created a Bettie character in his graphic novel The Rocketeer. |publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] magazine |accessdate=2008-12-12 | date=December 11, 2008}}</ref> In 1987, [[Greg Theakston]] started a [[fanzine]] called ''The Betty Pages''<ref name="cultsirens" /> and recounted tales of her life, particularly the camera club days. For the next seven years, the magazine sparked a worldwide interest in Page. Women dyed their hair and cut it into bangs in an attempt to emulate the "Dark Angel".{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} The media caught wind of the phenomenon and wrote numerous articles about her, more often than not with Theakston's help. Since almost all of her photos were in the public domain, opportunists launched related products and cashed in on the burgeoning craze.

In a 1993 telephone interview with ''[[Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous]]'' Page told host [[Robin Leach]] that she had been unaware of the resurgence of her popularity, stating that she was "penniless and infamous". ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'' produced a segment on her. Page, who was living in a [[group home]] in [[Los Angeles]], was astounded when she saw the ''E.T.'' piece, having had no idea that she had suddenly become famous again. Greg Theakston contacted her and extensively interviewed her for ''The Betty Page Annuals'' V.2.

Shortly after, Page signed with Chicago-based agent James Swanson. Three years later, nearly penniless and failing to receive any [[royalties]], Page fired Swanson and signed with [[CMG Worldwide|Curtis Management Group]], a company which also represented the [[James Dean]] and [[Marilyn Monroe]] [[Estate (law)|estates]]. She then began collecting payments which ensured her financial security.

After Jim Silke made a large format comic featuring her likeness, [[Dark Horse Comics]] published a comic based on her fictional adventures in the 1990s. [[Eros Comics]] published several Bettie Page titles, the most popular being the tongue-in-cheek ''Tor Love Bettie'' which suggested a romance between Page and wrestler-turned-[[Ed Wood]] film actor, [[Tor Johnson]].

The question of what Page did in the obscure years after modeling was answered in part with the publication of an official biography in 1996, ''Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-up Legend.''<ref>{{cite book |last=Essex |first=Karen |author2=James L. Swanson |title=Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-Up Legend |year=1996 |publisher=General Publishing Group |location=Los Angeles |isbn=1-881649-62-8}}</ref> That year, Bettie Page granted an exclusive one-on-one TV interview to entertainment reporter Tim Estiloz for a short-lived [[NBC]] morning magazine program ''Real Life'' to help publicize the book. The interview featured her reminiscing about her career and relating anecdotes about her personal life, as well as photos from her personal collection. At Page's request, her face was not shown. The interview was broadcast only once.

Another biography, ''The Real Bettie Page: The Truth about the Queen of Pinups''<ref>{{cite book |last = Foster |first = Richard |title = The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About the Queen of the Pinups |year = 1997 |publisher = Carol Publishing Group/Birch Lane Press |isbn = 1-55972-432-3 }}</ref> written by Richard Foster and published in 1997, told a less happy tale.
Foster's book immediately provoked attacks from her fans, including Hefner and [[Harlan Ellison]], as well as a statement from Page that it was "full of lies," because they were not pleased that the book revealed a Los Angeles County Sheriff's police report that stated that she suffered from [[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.<ref>{{cite book |last = Foster |first = Richard |title = The Real Bettie Page: The Truth About the Queen of the Pinups |year = 1997 |publisher = Carol Publishing Group/Birch Lane Press |isbn = 1-55972-432-3 |pp=120–32}}</ref> However, Steve Brewster, founder of The Bettie Scouts of America fan club, has stated that it is not as unsympathetic as the book's reputation makes it to be. Brewster adds that he also read the chapter about her business dealings with Swanson, and stated that Page was pleased with that part of her story.

In 1997, ''[[E! True Hollywood Story]]'' aired a feature on Page entitled, ''Bettie Page: From Pinup to Sex Queen''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.tv.com/e!-true-hollywood-story/bettie-page-from-pinup-to-sex-queen/episode/215589/summary.html |title=E! True Hollywood Story: Bettie Page: From Pinup to Sex Queen |publisher=TV.com}}</ref>

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 rare television interview for the aforementioned ''E! True Hollywood Story''/Page special 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). In 2003, Page allowed a publicity picture to be taken of her for the August 2003 edition of ''Playboy''. In 2006, the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' ran an article headlined ''A Golden Age for a Pinup'', covering an autographing session at her current publicity company, [[CMG Worldwide]]. Once again, she declined to be photographed, saying that she would rather be remembered as she was.

In a 1998 interview with ''Playboy'', she commented on her career:

{{bquote|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.}}

Within the last few years, she had hired a law firm to help her recoup some of the profits being made with her likeness. According to [[MTV]]: "[[Katy Perry]]'s rocker bangs and throwback skimpy jumpers. [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna's]] '' [[Sex (book)|Sex]]'' book and fascination with bondage gear. [[Rihanna]]'s obsession with all things leather, lace and second-skin binding. [[Uma Thurman]] in ''[[Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction]]''. The [[SuicideGirls]] Web site. The [[Pussycat Dolls]]. The entire career of burlesque dancer [[Dita Von Teese]] and [[Bernie Dexter]]" would not have been possible without Page.<ref name="mtv">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1601231/20081212/story.jhtml MTV.com], Pinup Bettie Page — Who Inspired Katy Perry, Madonna And Many More — Dies At Age 85, [[MTV]] December 12, 2008.</ref> Many rockabilly and gothic girls emulate Bettie's hairstyle with the black blunt bangs. You can see Bettie's hairstyle and timeless facial features emulated in many modern pin-up models, such as [[Dita Von Teese]] and Masuimi Max.

In 2011, her estate made the ''[[Forbes]]'' annual list of top-earning dead celebrities, earning $6 million and tied with the estates of [[George Harrison]] and [[Andy Warhol]], at 13th on the list.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2011/10/25/the-top-earning-dead-celebrities/|author=Dorothy Pomerantz|date=October 25, 2011|title=The Top-Earning Dead Celebrities|work=Forbes|accessdate=May 11, 2012}}</ref> In 2014 , Forbes estimated that Page's estate earned $10 million in 2013.<ref name="Top Earning Dead Celebrities">{{cite web | url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2013/10/23/michael-jackson-leads-our-list-of-the-top-earning-dead-celebrities/ | title=10 Richest Dead Celebrity Earners | publisher=Forbes.com | date=29 January 2014 | accessdate=21 March 2014 | author=Pomerantz, Dorothy}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Bettie Page grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Brentwood, California.JPG|thumb|Bettie Page's grave]]
According to long-time friend and business agent [[Mark Roesler]], on December 6, 2008, Bettie Page was hospitalized in critical condition.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news |title=Pinup Bettie Page hospitalized after heart attack |first=James |last=Beltran |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Google News |date=December 5, 2008 |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jZUqEZI68r9LHs45IyvnFNrflxowD94SUIAO0 }}</ref> Roesler was quoted by the [[Associated Press]] as saying Page had suffered a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]]<ref name=ap/> and by Los Angeles television station [[KNBC]] as claiming Page was suffering from [[pneumonia]].<ref name=knbc>{{cite news |url=http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/entertainment/FAMED-PINUP-GIRL-IN-CRITICAL-CONDITION.html |title=Famed Pinup Girl in Critical Condition |work=KNBC-TV |date=December 5, 2008 }}</ref> Her family eventually agreed to discontinue life support, and she died at 18:41 PST on December 11, 2008.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |first=McFadden |last=Robert D. |title=Bettie Page, Queen of Pinups, Dies at 85 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/arts/12page.html?_r=1&hp |quote=Bettie Page, a legendary pinup girl whose photographs in the nude, in bondage and in naughty-but-nice poses appeared in men’s magazines and private stashes across America in the 1950s and set the stage for the sexual revolution of the rebellious ’60s, died Thursday in Los Angeles. She was 85. |work=[[New York Times]] |date=December 11, 2008 |accessdate=December 12, 2008}}</ref><ref name=latimesobit>
{{cite news
|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/12/bettie-page-the.html
|title=Pinup queen Bettie Page dead at 85
|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]
|date=December 11, 2008
|accessdate=December 11, 2008
|quote=Bettie Page, the brunet pinup queen with a shoulder-length pageboy hairdo and kitschy bangs whose saucy photos helped usher in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, has died. She was 85.
|first=
}}
</ref>

She is buried at [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]. Her headstone lists her name as "Bettie Mae Page" and includes the legend "Queen of Pin-Ups".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=page&GSfn=bettie&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSst=6&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=32128419&df=all& |title=Bettie Page (1923–2008) - Find A Grave Memorial |first= |last=|work=findagrave.com |year=2011 |accessdate=February 24, 2011}}</ref>

==Filmography==
* ''[[Striporama]]'' (1953)
* ''[[Varietease]]'' (1954)
* ''[[Teaserama]]'' (1955)
* ''Irving Klaw Bondage Classics, Volume I'' (London Enterprises, 1984)
* ''Irving Klaw Bondage Classics, Volume II'' (London Enterprises, 1984)
* ''Bettie Page: Pin Up Queen'' (Cult Epics, 2005)
* ''Bettie Page: Bondage Queen'' (Cult Epics, 2005)
* ''100 Girls by Bunny Yeager'' (Cult Epics, 2005)
* ''Bizarro Sex Loops, Volume 4'' ([[Something Weird Video]], 2007)
* ''Bizarro Sex Loops, Volume 20'' (Something Weird Video, 2008)

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) are on the Cult Epics DVD release ''Bettie Page: Pin Up Queen''.

The DVD ''100 Girls by Bunny Yeager'' (also by Cult Epics) is a documentary with behind-the-scenes footage on Yeager's photo sessions with Page and other pin-up models. Page also appears in another set of Irving Klaw bondage reels in ''Bizarro Sex Loops, Volume 20'', a collection of vintage fetish shorts produced by [[Something Weird Video]].

==Biographies==
In 2004, Cult Epics produced the biographical film ''[[Bettie Page: Dark Angel]]''. This low-budget straight-to-disc biopic centers on the 1953–1957 Irving Klaw period, faithfully recreating 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 actress [[Gretchen Mol]] as the adult Page. Bonus footage added to the DVD release includes rare 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 Academy Award-nominated director [[Mark Mori]]. The documentary included narration from Bettie Page herself, culled from over 6 hours of interviews prior to her 2008 death. The film also included commentary from individuals such as [[Dita Von Teese]], [[Hugh M. Hefner]], [[Rebecca Romijn]], [[Tempest Storm]], [[Bunny Yeager]], [[Irving Klaw|Paula Klaw]], [[Mamie Van Doren]] and [[Naomi Campbell]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1776086/ Bettie Page Reveals All (2012) - IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bettiepagemovie.com/bettie-page/bettie-page-film-trailers.php |title=Bettie Page Reveals All - Film Trailers, Movie Trailers |publisher=Bettiepagemovie.com |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Leach |first=Robin |url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/apr/05/reveals-all-bettie-page-emerges-seclusion-unveil-s/ |title=In ‘Reveals All,’ Bettie Page emerges from seclusion to unveil secret past - Las Vegas Sun News |publisher=Lasvegassun.com |date=2012-04-06 |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/bettie-page-reveals-all-film-393383 |title=Bettie Page Reveals All: Film Review |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2012-11-20 |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>

==Guitars==
In 2006, Page and [[Halo Guitars]] collaborated to produce a limited edition of custom guitars, released at the 2007 Winter [[NAMM]] show in southern [[California]]. The total run of one hundred guitars was handmade and designed by [[luthier]] Waylon Ford, art was designed by Pamelina H. and the only collector guitar series authorized by Bettie Page.<ref>[http://www.haloguitars.com/store/Bettie-Page-Guitar.html HALO Custom Guitars, Inc. - Bettie Page Authorized Guitar]</ref>

==In popular culture==
* In one of his numerous fictional back-page biographical sketches, [[Harlan Ellison]] claimed to be "writing a biography of Bettie Page for young adults".<ref>[http://harlanellison.com/biosurreal.htm Harlan Ellison: Surreal Biographies]</ref>
* Alternative country band [[BR5-49]] 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.<ref>[http://www.bettiepage.com/fanclub/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=37 Transcript from an Interview with Bettie Page]</ref>
* The [[Jazz Butcher]] included the song "Just Like Betty Page" on the 1984 album, ''A Scandal in Bohemia'', 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."<ref>[http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/lyrics/betty_page.html The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy: Just Like Betty Page]</ref>
* The BD-3000 luxury droid in ''[[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith]]'' was inspired by Bettie Page.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.starwars.com/databank/droid/bettybot/?id=bts |title=BD-3000 luxury droid |publisher=starwars.com}}</ref>
* Swedish concept band DC-Pöbeln (a.k.a. Dagcenterpöbeln) from [[Örebro]] put Bettie Page on the cover of their only record ''Bettan/Dödgrävaren'' in 1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.borft.com/details.php?ProdID=124 |title=DC-PÖBELN - Bettan/Dödgrävaren |author= |work= |publisher= |accessdate=September 1, 2010}}</ref>
* The [[Concrete Blonde]] song "Jenny I Read", from the album [[Mexican Moon]], is rumored to be about Bettie Page.
* In [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s film ''[[Death Proof]]'', [[Rosario Dawson]] pays homage to Page with her trademark haircut.<ref>http://www.bettiepagemovie.com/wordpress/?p=105</ref>
* In [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|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]], just south of the 65th Street exit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=105176 |title=Siding with Bettie: Despite City Scrutiny, Local Homeowner Stands by Mural |last=Mirk |first=Sarah |work=theStranger.com |publisher=Index Newspapers, LLC |date=November 14, 2006 |accessdate=May 30, 2011 }}</ref>
* 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.<ref>{{cite web|author=PS3 |url=http://playstationlifestyle.net/2012/02/02/warner-bros-details-lollipop-chainsaw-pre-order-bonuses/ |title=Warner Bros. Details Lollipop Chainsaw Pre-Order Bonuses |publisher=Playstationlifestyle.net |accessdate=2013-03-12}}</ref>
* For its [[Polynesia]]n-inspired Spring-Summer 2011 [[ready-to-wear]] collection, [[France|French]] fashion house [[Christian Dior S.A.|Christian Dior]] styled the hair of its models with Bettie Page as inspiration.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dior Spring/Summer 2011 at Paris Fashion Week|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_MAasbEoI4|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=8 September 2012|year=2010}}</ref>
* Beyoncé pays homage to Bettie Page in her music videos for "[[Video Phone (song)|Video Phone]]" and "[[Why Don't You Love Me (Beyoncé Knowles song)|Why Don't You Love Me]]".<ref>James Montgomery. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1626404/20091116/knowles_beyonce.jhtml MTV.com], Beyonce And Lady Gaga's 'Video Phone' Clip: A Brightly Colored Fantasy Set To Life; Hype Williams-helmed clip premiered on MTV.com at midnight, November 17, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-17.</ref>
* Page's image is seen in the [[Jeff Koons]] painting Antiquity 3.<ref>{{cite web|last=Russeth|first=Andrew|title=‘Jeff Koons: New Paintings and Sculpture’ at Gagosian Gallery and ‘Jeff Koons: Gazing Ball’ at David Zwirner|url=http://galleristny.com/2013/05/jeff-koons-new-paintings-and-sculptures-at-gagosian-gallery-and-jeff-koons-gazing-ball-at-david-zwirner/|work=GalleristNY}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.bettiepage.com}}
* [http://thebettiepage.com TheBettiePage.com], web guide to Bettie Page
* {{dmoz|Business/Arts_and_Entertainment/Models/Individual/P/Page,_Bettie}}
* {{IMDb name|0656114}}
* {{Find a Grave|32128419}}
* {{YouTube|BT72NwdtZSA|Bettie Page speaking part in ''Striporama'' film}}

<!--spacing-->

{{Bettie Page}}
{{playmates of 1955}}

{{Authority control|VIAF=27873794}}

{{Persondata<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
|NAME= Page, Bettie
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Page, Betty Mae
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= [[model (person)|Model]]
|DATE OF BIRTH= April 22, 1923
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
|DATE OF DEATH= December 11, 2008
|PLACE OF DEATH= [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Page, Bettie}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:American female adult models]]
[[Category:Baptists from the United States]]
[[Category:Biola University alumni]]
[[Category:Bondage models]]
[[Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
[[Category:Burlesque performers]]
[[Category:Converts to Christianity]]
[[Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction]]
[[Category:Glamour models]]
[[Category:Multnomah University alumni]]
[[Category:Peabody College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Florida]]
[[Category:People with schizophrenia]]
[[Category:Playboy Playmates (1953–1959)]]
[[Category:Vanderbilt University alumni]]

{{Link GA|de}}

Revision as of 20:01, 9 June 2014

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