Jeanne Carmen (pinup girl in the '50's and girlfriend of Frank Sinatra) is dead at the age of 77 of lymphoma Thursday. Scarlett Johannsson and Kate Bosworth are said to be up for the lead role.
Jeanne Laverne Carmen was born in Paragould, Arkansas on August 4, 1930. She lived a very simple, rural life picking cotton until she ran away at age 13. The first job she landed was a burlesque dancer off-Broadway, which elevated into posing for pin-up shots in girlie magazines. She also did a number of low-budget films with titles like “Guns Don’t Argue” and “The Monster of Piedras Blancas.”
“To put it mildly, the films were short on plot, engaging dialogue, or acting that would ever be confused with the work of an Olivier or Hepburn. They were, however, long on whatever sexual content the producers could get past censors at the time.”
Carmen’s career took a dramatic and unlikely turn in 1949 when she was modeling golf clothes. She discovered a tremendous ability to play golf and make trick shots, which turned into a traveling show. It doesn’t hurt that she was platinum blonde with 36-26-36 measurements carrying around the golf club. Her tricks consisted of hitting a flagstick from 150 yards out time after time and teeing up golf balls in the mouths of brave volunteer spectators.
Carmen is also famously known for her dating life. See was apparently linked with Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. She’s also said to have been a close friend of Marilyn Monroe, and questioned her death being ruled a suicide. Carmen has been featured on The Golf Channel and E! True Hollywood Story.
