Dolly Martin

Last updated

Dolly Martin
Playboy centerfold appearance
May 1966
Preceded by Karla Conway
Succeeded by Kelly Burke
Personal details
BornDolly Read
(1944-09-13) 13 September 1944 (age 79)
Bristol, England [1]

Dolly Martin (born Dolly Read; 13 September 1944 [1] ) is an English pinup model and actress. She is best remembered for her appearance in Playboy magazine and as the lead character in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls . She sometimes is credited as Margaret Read, Dolly Read Martin or Dolly Martin. [2]

Contents

Biography

Career

Read's first onscreen appearance was in the 1963 film The Kiss of the Vampire , followed by a role in the British TV series Dixon of Dock Green later that year. [2] In May 1966, she was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month. [3] She posed for the magazine again in 1970. She also worked as a Playboy Bunny at the Playboy Clubs in Chicago, London and New York City.

After appearing in the low-budget erotic film That Tender Touch in 1969, she landed the lead role of the sexy but naive rock-and-roll singer Kelly MacNamara in Russ Meyer's comedy Beyond the Valley of the Dolls the following year. [2]

Throughout the 1970s, Read appeared on television with guest-starring roles in shows such as Charlie's Angels , Fantasy Island and Vega$ . She was a frequent panelist on the game show Match Game . [2]

In 2006, Read, along with other cast members, provided commentary and was interviewed for the release of a special edition DVD of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. [4]

Personal life

Read was born in Bristol, England. [1] In 1971, Read married American comedian Dick Martin. They divorced in 1974 [5] and were remarried in 1978. She was a stepmother to his two sons, Richard Martin and actor Cary Martin. Dick Martin died on 24 May 2008. [6]

Filmography

Films

Television

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Playmate listing" . Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 IMDb credits for Dolly Read
  3. Harpmagazine.com: Russ Meyer - Pussycat Power [ permanent dead link ]
  4. Henderson, Eric (2006). "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls DVD Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
  5. Deseret News, 14 June 1974, p. A2
  6. "'Laugh-In' comic Dick Martin dead at 86" Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine , Associated Press via CNN, 25 May 2008