The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

The life of Bettie Page, a 1950s pin-up model and one of the first sex icons in America, who became the target of a Senate investigation due to her risqué bondage photos.

Director:

Mary Harron

Writers:

Mary Harron, Guinevere Turner

Stars:

Gretchen Mol, Lili Taylor, Chris Bauer

4 nominations.

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

Storyline

Portrait of an American innocent. In 1955, Bettie Page (1923-2008 ) waits to testify before a Senate subcommittee investigating the effects of pornographic material on American adolescents and juveniles. In flashbacks, we see her childhood in Tennessee, a brief marriage, a gang rape, and her going to New York City in 1949. There she takes acting lessons, models for photos, and acts in short films for adults, earning the nickname, "The Pin-Up Queen of the Universe." We see her relationship with merchants Irving and Paula Klaw, photographers John Willie and Bunny Yeager, boyfriends, and the public. Through it all, she is wholesome, sporting, and forthright - Eve before the fall.

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Plot Keywords:

bondage | 1950s | new york city | senate | investigation | 

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Taglines:

Show Some Restraint.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for nudity, sexual content and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Picturehouse Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Days of Bettie Page

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$143,131, 16 April 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,410,778, 25 June 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Killer Films, John Wells Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hugh Hefner, a good friend of Bettie's, held a private screening of this movie for Bettie Page and a small group of friends. Bettie reportedly liked the movie and remarked that 'Gretchen Moll' was much prettier than she was. Her only complaint was the films title, saying "I was NEVER notorious!"

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Goofs

Approx. 11 minutes into the film, shows an original footage of a high view of a street. Pedestrians near the top of the view start to cross the road, suddenly they disappear.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

craft service - Grover Cleveland, craft service assistant - Benjamin Harrison

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Connections

Featured in HBO First Look: The Notorious Bettie Page (2006)

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Soundtracks

Mucha Muchacha
Written by Juan García Esquivel
Performed by Juan García Esquivel (as Esquivel)
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music

User Reviews

Inaccurate Account of How Bettie Felt About this Film

I was at the small gathering at Hef's house for this movie. In fact, I had dinner with Bettie just before the movie. We were both Southerners and enjoyed each others' company in a well connected conversation about alternative medicine and spirituality. After dinner, we went into Hef's screening room. I always sit directly in front of Hef's sofa, nearest to the screen. Bettie was several rows back in a chair. All was fine until the rape scene. Betty screamed,"No! No!" from the back of the room and ran out, through the lobby, outside and into an SUV. I followed her. She let me into the SUV with her and I proceeded to calm her down. She was crying,"No one was supposed to know that!" Apparently, only Bettie and one other person (a relative) knew about the gang rape. She was very upset and felt betrayed that her lifelong secret had been exposed and she had to witness it in a room full of strangers. Hef never did come out to see what was going on. Richard Bann, a long timer at Hef's did come out. My friend Elliot Silverstein (director of Cat Ballou and A Man Called Horse) came out. I waved them away. I sat and talked to Bettie for quite a while until her driver appeared and took her away. For ANYONE to say this movie pleased Bettie and she liked it is not true! And whoever wrote that was NOT in the room when this film premiered at Hef's. I was there. I sat in the car with this marvelous woman, then in her 80s and held her hand as she cried. That is the God's honest truth. My heart went out to her. She truly felt that Hollywood had beaten her down yet again.