The 1950s pin-up sensation Bettie Page died Thursday at age 85. Hers was a remarkable tale, one that the newspaper obituaries will struggle to tell.
That's because Page was a visual artist who worked with her body -- naked or nearly so -- in a parade of pin-up pictures and black-and-white fetish films. Her sins would be PG- or R-rated these days, but in the 1950s Page was a bold sexual pioneer, a person of interest to preachers and postal inspectors alike.
Bettie Page's naughty career and religious conversion inspired not one but two biopics in the final years of her life. Both are out on DVD.
For a good time, call "Bettie Page: Dark Angel
." The low-budget film comes from director Nico B. of Cult Epics, who re-creates Page's 8mm bondage films to a rockabilly beat. Actress Paige Richards looks like Page's kid sister, bringing high spirits and a killer body to the part.
." The low-budget film comes from director Nico B. of Cult Epics, who re-creates Page's 8mm bondage films to a rockabilly beat. Actress Paige Richards looks like Page's kid sister, bringing high spirits and a killer body to the part. "Dark Angel" focuses on the final years of Page's career, in which she cheerfully makes fetish films with the notorious producer Irving Klaw and his sister. The re-creations serve as chapter breaks to the biographical scenes. The acting is pretty stiff, and likely to put off viewers who don't get the gag. DVD extras include "How to Pose Nude," an extended photo session in South Florida with Page's longtime photographer Bunny Yeager shooting Richards. It drags on a bit, but there's plenty of Richards in the buff.
"The Notorious Bettie Page
" stars Gretchen Moll (pictured), who in real life looks nothing like the pin-up queen. She pulls it off regardless, thanks to padding and a lot of milk shakes. This movie works the darker end of the street, opening with the Senate probe of Page's bondage films and tracking back to the sexual abuse the busty model endured as a girl and young woman. Still, it's mostly an upbeat affair, due to Moll's fine performance.
" stars Gretchen Moll (pictured), who in real life looks nothing like the pin-up queen. She pulls it off regardless, thanks to padding and a lot of milk shakes. This movie works the darker end of the street, opening with the Senate probe of Page's bondage films and tracking back to the sexual abuse the busty model endured as a girl and young woman. Still, it's mostly an upbeat affair, due to Moll's fine performance. The film has high production values and is beautifully shot in black and white, except for a bit of oversaturated color footage. "The Notorious Bettie Page" was directed and produced by women.
Check out some real Bettie Page films at Amazon.
Comments