Barbara Payton's biography is a tragic tale of a Hollywood starlet who rose to fame with her stunning looks and charming personality, only to have her life disintegrate due to her own destructive choices. Born Barbara Lee Redfield on November 26, 1927, in Cloquet, Minnesota, she grew up to become a blue-eyed, peroxide blonde sexpot. After a quickie marriage at 19, she left home to pursue a career in Hollywood, where she was placed under contract by Universal Studios in 1948.
Barbara's early career consisted of bit parts, but she soon landed co-starring roles opposite notable actors such as James Cagney, Gary Cooper, and Gregory Peck. Despite her talent being overshadowed by her looks and brash personality, she managed to carry her career through her sultry appeal.
However, her reckless lifestyle, marked by numerous high-profile romances with married men, began to take its toll on her career. Her most infamous tryst ended in a violent brawl with two of her boyfriends, Franchot Tone and Tom Neal, resulting in a hospital visit for Tone and a tarnished reputation for Barbara.
Barbara married Tone after his recovery, but left him after just seven weeks and returned to Neal, an abusive relationship that lasted four years. Her career continued to decline, with her making low-budget films such as Bride of the Gorilla.
Desperate to revive her career, Barbara went to England, but her efforts were unsuccessful. She returned to the United States, where she struggled with addiction and eventually turned to prostitution. She was arrested multiple times for various offenses, including passing bad checks, public drunkenness, and prostitution.
In 1967, Barbara moved in with her parents in San Diego to try to dry out, but it was too late. On May 8, 1967, the 39-year-old former starlet was found dead on the bathroom floor, succumbing to heart and liver failure.
