Dorothy Stratten
Dorothy Stratten (born Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten) (February 28, 1960 - August 14, 1980) was born in a Salvation Army hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. She grew up and attended high school in Coquitlam. In 1976 while working part-time in a local Dairy Queen, she met a local promoter named Paul Snider (then 26) who coaxed her into sending photos to Playboy. Stratten forged her mother's signature on the model release form. In 1979, she became Playboy's Miss August with a name change to Dorothy Stratten. In 1980, she became Playboy's Playmate of the Year.
Life
In June, 1979, she married Snider in Las Vegas, Nevada. He began to control her life which, eventually resulted in separation and a pending divorce in August, 1980.
On August 14, 1980, Stratten's estranged husband brutally raped and murdered her in her west Los Angeles apartment, apparently jealous over an affair she was having with Hollywood film director Peter Bogdanovich. Snider committed suicide shortly thereafter in the same apartment. Stratten's tragic story was portrayed in the film Star 80 (1983).
Peter Bogdanovich wrote a book about her titled The Killing of the Unicorn. He later married her sister, Louise, and they divorced in 2001.
Filmography
Following her appearance in Playboy, Stratten launched an acting career, appearing in five movies before her death:
- Skatetown USA (1979)
- Americathon (1979)
- Autumn Born (1979)
- Galaxina (1980) - her only starring role
- They All Laughed (1981) - released posthumously
She also appeared on television in Fantasy Island, the Cruise Ship to the Stars episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and in 1980 on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
External links
- Dorothy Stratten at IMDb
- Template:Tvtome person
- Dorothy Stratten Tribute site
- Dorothy Stratten Remember Page