The Darkside of Bettie Page, Her Death, Interviews and Un-Official Biography Tell-All.

Bettie Page was an American model who became famous in the 50s for her fetish modeling, movie shorts  and pin-up photos. Often been called the “Queen of pinups”, her look, including her jet black hair and trademark bangs, has influenced many artists and aspiring pin-up models alike.

Bettie was one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy once said “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”.

In 1959, she converted to Christianity, and worked for Billy Graham. In 1979 Bettie moved to California and this is where a lot of the dark troubles that plagued Bettie Page started to surface. After moving to California and renting an apartment she had an episode, was arrested and had several criminal charges brought against her for the stabbing of her landlords in 1979. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent several years in a state psychiatric hospital.

Bettie’s life, after her brief career as a model,  was marked by depression and violent mood swings.  After years of obscurity, she experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s and has a significant cult following. Olivia, (Olivia de Berardinis, The Olivia) an American Painter of Pinup Art and Erotic Art, helped to popularize and bring back Bettie Pages image, in her paintings. Another incident that helped to propel her back into the spotlight was a likeness of her in the movie Sky Captain. This movie also helped to propel her back into the public’s eye and launch a comic book of her adventures.

While many people may not want to see or hear about this, there is a dark side to the happy and smiling Bettie Page as we know her. Her Official Biography talks about some things but the un-official biography by Richard Foster who tell’s the real story. Much to what people want to think, he is a man who really likes and admires Bettie Page, he just thought the people should know the real story behind the real Bettie Page. For those of you who asked for it, here is an exclusive interview with Bettie Page, before she died, asking only to be remembered how she was, not wanting people to see her how she is in the interview. There’s also a few pictures of Bettie in 1980 at the Playboy 50th Anniversary Party, and one of her mugshots, and a couple of recommended reading books on Bettie Page, including the one by Richard Foster, the Un-Official Tell-All Biography of Bettie Page.

For some really nice images of Bettie in her heyday, please see this Bettie Page Nude Gallery.

Bettie Page Mugshot

Bettie Page with Olivia the Artist, and Hugh Hefner of Playboy, Playboys 50th

Bettie Page at Playboys 50th with Anna Nicole Smith and Pamela Anderson

Bettie Page 1980

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