In March 1965, Carol Lynley took her new sex kitten persona to new heights when she posed semi-nude in the pages of Playboy in a pictorial by Sam Shaw entitled “Carol Lynley Grows Up.” She shocked the Hollywood establishment with Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons leading the charge against her calling her ‘young and foolish.” Carol’s response, “What’s all the excitement about? It’s only skin.” Prior to Lynley’s disrobing, actresses who posed for Playboy were either unknown starlets (i.e. Joan Staley, Marianna Gaba, Dolores Wells, etc), buxom fifties blondes of the Jayne Mansfield type, or more free-spirited European sexpots (i.e. Elke Sommer, Ursula Andress, etc.). Carol opened the floodgates and was soon followed by Joanna Pettet, Sharon Tate, Barbara McNair, Sherry Jackson, Alexandra Hay, Lana Wood, and others. More in my upcoming BearManor Media book Carol Lynley: Her Film and TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy and Suspense
Tom, is your book on Carol Lynley still expected at some point? I hope the virus hasn’t shelved its release.
Stay safe, everybody!
Yes, should have final edit to publisher BearManor Media this month. Thanks for asking.