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De De Lind Interview
(PlayBoy Playmate - Miss August)
She was a model at 14, featured on the cover of Teen Magazine not once, but
twice in 1962.
She appeared on the Donna Reed Show and Leave it to Beaver.
In August 1967, she was Playboy Magazine’s Centerfold.
Fast forward to 1994; Glamourcon asked her to pose for a new series of pin-ups.
Playboy brought her back for their March 1996 issue.
She is-----De De Lind.
Q – In the late 60’s, was it considered a “Big Deal” to
be a Centerfold in Playboy Magazine? Was it considered scandalous? Did you
think or were you told this was a launching pad for stardom for you?
A – Not really. I actually had been reading ‘Playboy’ since
I was 14 years old because my photographer friend Leon discovered me at a swimming
pool in Burbank, California where I grew up. He started me into modeling. He
was an avid Playboy reader. He subscribed to the magazine. So, when I used
to go to his house I used to look through his Playboys ‘cause they were
always around in the living room. Before that, I never really looked at the
magazine. I wasn’t familiar with it. I didn’t know what it was.
But, I was just a mere teenager looking through it and I thought all the girls
inside, the Centerfolds, the Playmate’s were beautiful-----even back
then. Since he was a photographer he was very familiar with Playboy and a lot
of the Playboy photographers. He did ask me at the time if I would ever be
interested in shooting for the magazine. He did get me into Teen Magazine and
a lot of the movie magazines that were out at the time. So, I said it would
be an interesting thing and fun to do, but I would never take off my clothes.
(Laughs). That’s the whole thing that would stop me, but, I really thought,
gee, it would be neat to be a Playmate ‘cause I thought the girls were
just phenomenal. I just really enjoyed the magazine. I was just like 14 years
old. So, I was familiar with it. Leon always told me, when you grow up, when
you get to be 18, and you’re still modeling, you should be a Centerfold.
Think about it. And-----I always did.
Q – In those days, Centerfolds were Topless weren’t
they? It was not Total Nudity was it?
A – It was pretty much nude, but, pubic hair could not show. Some of
the girls were completely nude, but, they always had something in front of
them or on their stomachs or maybe a woman’s hat would be in front of
them or maybe they had on shorts. But, the Playmate that stood out for me,
that I thought was such a great shot was Jill Collins. She had a man’s
shirt on and it was wet. Actually, she didn’t have anything else on but
a pair of heels and she was out by a swimming pool. It was a very sexy shot
but you couldn’t see anything. I thought this is great! Something like
this would be neat. (Laughs).
Q – Before Playboy, what kind of modeling were
you doing?
A – I was just 14 years old. I did a lot of covers for a lot of magazines.
Some European magazines. German magazines. I did some catalog work for bathing
suits. I wasn’t a big New York model, but I was on the cover of Teen
Magazine twice in one year.
Q – Did Leon usher you photos into Playboy?
A – Yes. He did all my test shots. I was 18.
Q – So, the transition from modeling to Playboy wasn’t
very difficult for you?
A – Actually-----it wasn’t. I was very used to the camera. The
only hard part was taking off my clothes ‘cause I had never modeled nude
before. I was a minor and very modest. I could wear the skimpiest of bathing
suits and feel comfortable, or even a towel around me, but, I had to have something.
(Laughs). So, yeah, that was hard. But, other than that I was very used to
the camera.
Q – What happened to your career after you became
a Playmate? Did you receive t.v. offers? Movie offers?
A – A lot of things came my way but I didn’t follow through on
many of them because I didn’t want to be an actress. I didn’t care
for acting at all. I found it to be very hard when you’re shy. I wasn’t
very ambitious at the time. I was very young. I liked modeling. I didn’t
like acting. Things did come my way and I did make a few low budget films,
but, I didn’t have much speaking parts and that was fine with me.
Q – Do you remember any film roles you turned
down that maybe later you were sorry you turned down?
A – Yes. There was a movie called ‘Candy’. I actually turned
it down. I pretty much had the part. The idea of me at the time portraying
a young girl sleeping with all actors-----it didn’t sit well with me.
(Laughs). Because of that I really didn’t want to do the movie.
Q – You mentioned you were shy…..
A – Very.
Q – There are many actors and actresses who are shy, but, when the
director says “Action”, they lose that shyness.
A – Exactly. Because they’re playing a part and it’s not
really them. So, I can understand how that works. You become someone else.
Q – If you had a 14 year old daughter who came
home and told you she was approached by a photographer who wanted to take
pictures of her-----would you be suspicious?
A – Well, yeah. You’re always suspicious. I would do exactly
what my mother did-----contact them. Meet with them. Check out his credentials
and go with my daughter and let’s see what happens.
Q – Since you were featured in these teen magazines,
did you ever get to meet the teen stars of the day?
A – Oh, yes. I was friends with all of them. Johnny Crawford and I
are still friends-----and his brother Bobby. We used to water ski with them,
my friend Leon and I. Bobby Curtola who was a teen pop star was there. I knew
Rusty Hammer from the ‘Rin Tin Tin’ Show. Eddie Hodges. I was at
his birthday party. Annette Funicello was there. I knew Shelley Fabares. I
used to date Paul Petersen. They were all teenage stars. I went to Mona Friedman’s
birthday party.
Q – Would you have met any of the British Invasion
groups? The Beatles? The Stones?
A – Honestly, I wasn’t a Beatles fan nor was I a Rolling Stones
fan. I was pretty conservative. I liked Elvis. I like Rock ‘n’ Roll.
I like The Moody Blues. I wasn’t really into the British. I liked some
of The Beatles songs, but I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to see them.
Q – Would you have met Jim Morrison or Jimi Hendrix?
A – They wouldn’t have interested me. I was born and raised in
California but, I wasn’t a hippie. I was never, ever into drugs. I was
pretty straight. I was a very straight person. I did marry very young. I had
a baby. I was a mom. I never got into the hippie or drug scene. So, those kind
of people didn’t interest me. I did date Bobby Vee and Bobby Curtola.
They were singers. I dated Bobby Fuller. I also knew Jan and Dean. I wouldn’t
go so far to say I dated Jan, but, I was friends with him. So, those are the
kind of pop stars I liked. They were a little bit cleaner-cut. More American,
Apple Pie.
Q – What kind of a guy was Bobby Fuller?
A – I only went out on one date with him. I just knew him through my
friend Leon. He used to shoot his photos. Leon knew a lot of people in Hollywood.
He shot photos of many, many starts. Through him is how I got to meet people.
A lot of the dates were set up just for publicity. But, I really didn’t
know him that well. Bobby Vee-----we did a photo shoot together and we did
go out a few times. But, that was all.
Q – You were on the “Leave it to Beaver Show”?
A – It was just a regular extra role at being in the schoolroom as
one of the children, one of the blonde schoolgirls in the school room with
the blonde ponytail. That’s all I did on that show.
Q – How long were you on the set?
A – Maybe a couple of hours. I went to John Burroughs High School.
I even go to high school on the set. I would just go after school. Sometimes
I would take off a little bit early. I was on maybe 4 or 5 episodes.
Q – What is your life like today? Do you make
personal appearances, sign autographs?
A – I do. I work a lot of the Glamourcon Shows and the autograph shows
around the country. I sell my Playboy pictures memorabilia. I sell my recent
photos, videos, and my own private videos that I’ve made, Posters. DVD’s.
I just work the show circuit. I work with a lot of other Playmates. I was the
first Playmate to have my own personal website, back in 1994 before any other
Playmate had a website. It was actually 1995. I was one of the first Playmates
to get into the mail order business, through the magazine-----Glamour Girls.
Then and Now. I was one of the first Playmates Re-visited. I started the first
of the series. I was March of 1996. That helped boost my career.
Q – Would you recommend that other women follow
your lead and pose for Playboy?
A – It depends on what she’s looking for. If she wants to be
noticed immediately for any kind of show business or movies or t.v. work I
think it’s a great opportunity to get exposure. Without how it used to
be in the 60’s, without anybody thinking anything bad about it ‘cause
nudity today is different from what it was then. It’s so accepted it’s
almost become very, very popular. Even Playboy is still very discreet, I mean
compared to most of those magazines. Playboy still has a lot of class. I would
think Playboy would be the one to be in if you want to be recognized or noticed
because it’s still well read by Hollywood. I wouldn’t recommend
anything else ‘cause they’re not going to take you seriously.
Official website: www.dedelind.com
You can write De De Lind at:
De De Lind
P.O. Box 1712
Boca Raton , Florida 33429
© Gary James All Rights Reserved
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