Bettie Page Reveals All Page #4

I didn't want to see him again

because he had deceived me.

But if I had known he was married

I would never have dated him.

I always wanted to

be a fashion model.

And I went to... let's see, what was

the name of the most famous one?

Ford, that's it.

She says, "Oh, my."

She says, "You would never

do as a fashion model."

She says, "In the first place,

you're not tall enough."

But she says, "More than that,"

she says, "you're too hippy."

You've got to be skin

and bones, you know.

Even back then, to

be a fashion model.

In October 1950, I was

walking out on Coney Island.

Nobody was on the

beach in that area,

except this black

fella, Jerry Tibbs.

He gave me his card and he said,

"I'm a Brooklyn policeman."

He said, "I think you'd

make a good pinup model."

He said, "I have a studio,

if you would come over there

free of charge, I'll

make you up a portfolio

that you could take

around to the studios."

I posed in a couple

of bikinis of his.

But he said, "Bettie, have you

ever tried to wear bangs?"

He said, "You have a very high forehead,

I think you'd look good in bangs."

So I went home and cut me some.

And I've been wearing them ever since,

its sort of been a trademark of mine,

I'm still wearing them.

That's that famous

Bettie Page look, isn't it?

I think I was about 27

when I started modeling,

but I looked much younger.

All of the writers and editors

would say I was 22 years old,

they were saying that for

years that I was 22.

I never refuted it, I never said

anything one way or another,

let them think what they wanted to.

The first modeling I did

was for the camera clubs.

First one was Cass Carr who

was an orchestra leader.

Every Sunday we'd

say we're going out

to Headly Farm in New

Jersey or some other farm,

or we're going out to Fire

Island or Broad Channel Bay.

Bettie Page and four other amateur

models will be with them,

and it would cost ten

dollars or five dollars.

There would be maybe 30

or 40 camera club members

and three or four models.

We would go on field

trips, on weekends,

upstate New York,

over in New Jersey,

on the beaches,

especially on Fire Island.

I got 25 dollars a day.

And we would be gone all afternoon

and they would bring lunches,

and I enjoyed the

outings very much.

They were always polite

and courteous to us.

I enjoyed posing for them.

It was absolutely fun

photographing Bettie.

And I could tell, I think it

shows up in the photographs,

that she enjoyed it too.

She was happy.

She was exhilarated.

She projected.

She came right out at you.

Whereas others were just pretty.

When she turned, she didn't

just turn and smile,

her hands, her body, her feet,

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