Biography for
Dorothy Stratten More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

28 February 1960, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Date of Death

14 August 1980, West Los Angeles, California, USA (homicide)

Birth Name

Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten

Height

5' 9" (1.75 m)

Mini Biography

Dorothy Stratten's story was brief, glorious and tragic. She was born Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten on February 28, 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She grew up in a rough neighborhood in Vancouver, but kept out of trouble and went through the motions of school. While not a beauty as a child, nor early teen, Stratten came into her own out of high school and attracted the attention of Paul Snider, a promoter and wannabe star. He started dating her and after seeing an advertisement for Playboy's 25th Anniversary Playmate search in 1978, convinced her to pose for photos. Playboy saw the potential in Stratten and flew her out to Los Angeles, California, where she became a candidate. Although she lost out to Candy Loving, Stratten was made a Playmate in the August 1979 issue of Playboy. Soon after, she was pressured into marrying Snider, who had a Svengali-like influence on her.

After her centerfold came out, Stratten found work in a few movies, notably Americathon (1979) and Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979), as well as being the object of Richard Dawson's affection in an ABC-TV special shot at the Playboy mansion. Clearly, her star was on the rise. In 1980, it was revealed that Stratten would be tabbed as the Playmate of the Year by Playboy publisher and founder Hugh M. Hefner. While this was one of the crowning achievements of her career, things were not going well in her marriage to Snider. He bothered her on the set of the movie Galaxina (1980) and when Snider found out she was developing more than a friendly relationship with director Peter Bogdanovich, Snider grew increasingly frustrated.

After a separation, Snider bought a shotgun and talked Stratten into coming to the apartment they used to share in West Los Angeles. Snider tied her up, sexually assaulted her and put the shotgun next to her face and pulled the trigger. Snider then turned the shotgun on himself to complete the murder-suicide. Since her death, Stratten has become something of a minor cult fixture, and has had two (one a television) movies, a song, and a couple of books written about her. The last movie she was in, They All Laughed (1981), was released after her death.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Ken Severson

Spouse

Paul Snider

(1 June 1979 - 14 August 1980) (her death)

Trade Mark

Platinum blonde hair

Voluptuous figure

Deep sultry voice

Her husky voice

Trivia

Playboy Playmate of the Month August 1979.

Playboy Playmate of the Year 1980.

Murdered by husband, Paul Snider.

Interred at Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California, USA, Section D, #170.

In high school (c. 1974-1977), she worked at the local Dairy Queen in Vancouver, British Columbia. 2109 East Hastings Street.

Dated director/actor Peter Bogdanovich.

Bogdanovich married Dorothy's little sister Louise Stratten.

Has become a minor cult figure with a few movies made about her life and even a song written about her.

The song written in Dorothy's honor is "Cover Girl" by Prism.

The murder scene in Star 80 (1983), the film about her life and death, was filmed at the actual apartment where Dorothy died.

Born in a Salvation Army hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Snider hired a private detective to follow Stratten around after she moved into Peter Bogdanovich's Bel Air home.

On Stratten's Playmate data sheet, she listed her major turnoff as "jealous people."

Measurements: 36-26-36 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Graduated from Centennial High School in Coquitlam, British Columbia in 1978.

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams wrote a song dedicated to Dorothy: the poignant "The Best Was Yet to Come." It appears on his 1983 album "Cuts Like a Knife.".

Her tombstone features a quote from Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms." Ironically, Hemingway's granddaughter Mariel Hemingway portrayed her in Bob Fosse's Star 80 (1983).

Grew up in the East Hastings area in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Is buried 2 1/2 miles away from the Playboy Mansion

Is portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis in Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story (1981) (TV)

Appeared on the cover of the Vancouver Canadians (AAA Pacific Coast League Baseball) program, one month before her death.