The #metoo movement has affected every sector of American life. It is a movement against sexual assault and harassment. It is seen as a female empowerment movement. It is shaping policy in the United States. But did a forgotten Playmate of the 1970’s pave the way for this?
Claudia Jennings was Playboy magazine’s Playmate of the Month for November 1969 and also Playmate of the Year for 1970. During the 1970s she was called the “Queen of the B movies.” Jennings was a pioneer in many way for the women who would come after her. She tragically died at the age of 29, in 1979 in an automobile accident on the Pacific Coast Highway. Today, she is largely forgotten and was not included nor mentioned in a list of the 40 most beautiful women of the 1970s. Yet during her life, she was considered one of the most beautiful and desired women of her period.
Since her death, Jennings has been largely forgotten with little information about her and her career available. Now, author Eric Karell, with the cooperation of her friends, co-stars, and families has penned, Claudia Jennings an Authorized Biography. In his book, Karell argues that today’s female stars and even the #metoo movement owes much to Jennings and that she was the forerunner of this movement.
I had a chance to interview Karell to learn more.
What legacy did Claudia Jennings leave?Claudia's greatest legacy is that she is missed, nearly forty years after her death, by her devoted family, friends, and fans. She also stands as the best example of a female film hero who was quite independent, relying on her own courage, strength, and intelligence to triumph. She embodied the concept that a role model could be beautiful, and self-reliant, without being domineering or cruel to men.
Claudia also had a strong maternal instinct, which was a driving force in her private life. Although she never had children of her own, she became the de facto mom to dozens of her friends' sons and daughters.
How could she be considered the forerunner of today's female stars?Claudia was the first popular woman star who did her own stunts, and could easily stand toe to toe with male adversaries. Also, even when fighting it out she never lost her sex appeal and often used it as a means to an end. If one looks at today's stars, such as Gal Gadot, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johannson, and Sigourney Weaver, they all train months before shooting in order to get into physical condition and acquire martial arts skills. Claudia did it in a matter of weeks and never required a stunt or body double. There is no doubt that Claudia made the path much easier for the modern actress by her fearlessness and physical prowess.
Why is she overlooked?This is a great question that has several answers.I believe one reason is that her life ended before her career blossomed. Weeks before her death, she had just accepted roles in several major motion pictures and was slated to star in the original TV show Dallas.
The second reason was that as a Playboy Playmate of the Year, the film community never gave her any credit for having genuine talent. No one in the 1970s believed a woman who posed for Playboy could act. This is despite Claudia's success on stage, TV and in film. Her devotion to Hugh Hefner and Playboy, though somewhat touching, was a double-edged sword. While it gave her publicity her many pictorials also prevented her from getting many opportunities.
The last reason is two-fold. There was a decided effort by those in the media to sensationalize Claudia's private life after she died. the message sent in these various TV programs, newspaper articles and internet entries were for the most part negative.
The next part of the answer is more elusive. No one took it upon themselves to write her true story. The main reason I believe was the bitterness of Claudia's mother, who wanted to protect her daughter's memory. She refused to give her blessing to any attempt to tell the story of her daughter's life, because it would only continue the cycle of exploitation of Claudia's memory.
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