Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
The Notorious Bettie Page
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 20 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   4,100 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mary Harron
Writers:
Mary Harron (written by) &
Guinevere Turner (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Notorious Bettie Page on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 April 2006 (Canada) more
Genre:
Biography | Drama more
Tagline:
The Pin-Up Sensation That Shocked The Nation. more
Plot:
The story of Bettie Page, uber-successful 1950's pin-up model, one of the first sex icons in America, and the target of a Senate investigation (based on her bondage photos). full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(12 articles)
24 Season 8 Cast And Some Legal News
 (From Screen Rant. 28 May 2009, 8:11 AM, PDT)

Jennifer Westfeldt and John Boyd Sign Up for 24
 (From MovieWeb. 26 May 2009, 6:04 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Nororious or safe? more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gretchen Mol ... Bettie Page

Chris Bauer ... Irving Klaw

Jared Harris ... John Willie
Sarah Paulson ... Bunny Yeager
Cara Seymour ... Maxie

David Strathairn ... Estes Kefauver
Lili Taylor ... Paula Klaw

John Cullum ... Preacher in Nashville

Matt McGrath ... Nervous Man

Austin Pendleton ... Teacher

Norman Reedus ... Billy Neal

Dallas Roberts ... Scotty

Victor Slezak ... Minister in Miami

Tara Subkoff ... June
Kevin Carroll ... Jerry Tibbs
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Ballad of Bettie Page (USA) (working title)
The Last Days of Bettie Page (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for nudity, sexual content and some language.
Runtime:
USA:91 min | Canada:100 min (Toronto International Film Festival)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
USA:R | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | UK:18 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | Japan:R-15 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Portugal:M/16
Company:
HBO Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The final scene, shot in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, is a re-shoot. It had originally been filmed in black and white, but it was decided that it looked too flat. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: A 1956 Pontiac convertible is seen in the pre-March 1955 beach scene where Bettie meets the young man in yellow. more
Quotes:
[for her photo shoot, Bettie is tied up wearing slinky lingerie]
John Willie: Do you mind if I ask you a question, Bettie? What do you think Jesus would think about what you're doing now?
Bettie Page: Well, Mr. Willie, I've thought about this quite a lot and I'm not really sure if I know anymore. I think God has given us some kind of talent and he wants us to use it. That's why he gives it to us.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Indie Sex: Extremes (2007) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Mucha Muchacha more

FAQ

Does the Rape scene in the movie suggests oral rape, anal rape or . . . ?
more
63 out of 72 people found the following comment useful:-
Nororious or safe?, 16 April 2006
10/10
Author: donandlisanyc from United States

If this film strikes you (as it did us and, apparently, others departing the theater) as disappointingly thin, it may be because the subject herself is mildly disappointing. The film faithfully presents us Bettie Page as she probably was: a playful almost-innocent from the rural South whose career as "the pinup queen of the universe" was for her just goofy, natural fun. Her eventual moral qualms, religious conversion and sudden departure from nude and bondage modeling are biographically accurate, yet hard to understand given how untroubled she seemed by her livelihood.

There are many reasons to see this film even so, not least of which are the amazing b&w noir cinematography of W. Mott Hopfel III (complete with old fashioned wipes and dissolves), the 1950's-faithful acting of the cast under the direction of Mary Harron, pitch-perfect performances by some of our most underrated supporting actors (including Chris Bauer, Lili Taylor, Sarah Paulson, Austin Pendleton, Dallas Roberts and Victor Slezak), not to mention the Oscar-worthy and technically difficult lead performance of Gretchen Mol.

Ms. Mol does several scenes fully naked and most others in amazing period lingerie and "specialty" costumes (gloriously assembled by costume designer John A. Dunn), yet she astonishingly maintains Bettie Page's unstudied pleasure in her lush body. To watch Ms. Mol as Ms. Page, an aspiring actress, progressing through degrees of progressively less "bad" auditions and student acting scenes is to see a truly fine actress in complete control of her craft.

The script does effectively bring us into 1950's America, where childhood sexual abuse, lawless abduction and rape, and the legal suppression of brands of pornography which today seem laughably tame, is a reality. 50's New York is evoked with seamlessly-inter cut news reel footage. 50's Miami comes alive in super-saturated, 16mm-style color. The real Bettie Page seems to scamper, smile and pose before us, and yet the effect is curiously lightweight, barely lewd and not at all dangerous.

How odd that bondage's greatest icon should be so lacking in venom, and that this technically excellent biopic should have so little sting.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Who played Herbert Berghof, the acting teacher? Jumping_Elephant
contradictory grppaperboy
Rose McGowan as Bettie? Artistic_Witch
I still love this show loninappleton
online? violent-heart
Who played Roz Greenwood? i_am_the_waves
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Aviator Norma Jean & Marilyn Body Double Cruel Intentions Romeo + Juliet
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Biography section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.