Claudia Jennings
Encyclopedia
Claudia Jennings was an American model and actress. Jennings was Playboy
magazine's Playmate of the Month in November 1969 and later Playmate of the Year 1970. Her original pictorial was photographed by Pompeo Posar
.
Jennings had been a receptionist at Playboy before posing for the magazine. After her appearances in Playboy, Jennings became an actress in 1970s "exploitation" movies and in television. In 1973, she had a guest appearance on The Brady Bunch
.
Jennings died in a morning car accident when a van hit her as she drove her Volkswagen Beetle
convertible. Jennings was driving to the house of her ex-lover, Steve Herman, to pack her belongings. It was assumed that Jennings had a problem with drugs, and that it may have contributed to her death. An autopsy
, however, showed that there was no presence of drugs in Jennings' body at the time of the accident. She was two and a half months away from her 30th birthday.
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine's Playmate of the Month in November 1969 and later Playmate of the Year 1970. Her original pictorial was photographed by Pompeo Posar
Pompeo Posar
Pompeo Posar was a Playboy magazine staff photographer who photographed many centerfold spreads and accompanying pictures of women featured as playmate of the month...
.
Jennings had been a receptionist at Playboy before posing for the magazine. After her appearances in Playboy, Jennings became an actress in 1970s "exploitation" movies and in television. In 1973, she had a guest appearance on The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
.
Jennings died in a morning car accident when a van hit her as she drove her Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
convertible. Jennings was driving to the house of her ex-lover, Steve Herman, to pack her belongings. It was assumed that Jennings had a problem with drugs, and that it may have contributed to her death. An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
, however, showed that there was no presence of drugs in Jennings' body at the time of the accident. She was two and a half months away from her 30th birthday.
Filmography
- The Love MachineThe Love Machine (film)The Love Machine is a 1971 film adaptation of the Jacqueline Susann novel The Love Machine. Written by Samuel A. Taylor and directed by Jack Haley, Jr., it starred John Phillip Law, Dyan Cannon, Robert Ryan, Jackie Cooper, and David Hemmings.-Plot:...
(1971) .... Darlene - Jud (1971) .... Sunny
- Trampa Mortal (1972)
- The Stepmother (1972) .... Rita
- Unholy RollersUnholy RollersUnholy Rollers is a 1972 American action comedy film directed by Vernon Zimmerman and starring Claudia Jennings.- Cast :*Claudia Jennings as Karen Walker*Louis Quinn as Mr. Stern*Betty Anne Rees as Mickey*Roberta Collins as Jennifer*Alan Vint as Greg...
(1972 - aka Leader of the Pack) .... Karen Walker - Sisters of DeathSisters of Death (film)Sisters of Death is a 1977 American film directed by Joseph Mazzuca and starring Claudia Jennings.-Plot:During an all-girl secret society initiation, one of the new members is killed playing Russian Roulette...
(1972) - Group MarriageGroup marriageGroup marriage, also known as multi-lateral marriage, is a form of polyamory in which more than two persons form a family unit, with all the members of the group marriage being considered to be married to all the other members of the group marriage, and all members of the marriage share parental...
(1972) .... Elaine - 40 Carats40 Carats (film)Forty Carats is a 1973 American film directed by Milton Katselas, based on the play by Jay Presson Allen. The screenplay was written by Leonard Gershe and directed by Milton Katselas. The cast include Liv Ullman, Edward Albert, Gene Kelly, Binnie Barnes, Deborah Raffin, Nancy Walker, and Natalie...
(1973) .... Gabriella - The Single GirlsThe Single GirlsThe Single Girls is a 1974 exploitation film about a group of swingers at a Caribbean resort who are stalked by a mysterious killer. The film was directed by Beverly Sebastion and Ferd Sebastion, and stars Claudia Jennings, Jean Marie Ingels, and Greg Mullavy....
(1973 - aka Bloody Friday) .... Allison - Truck Stop WomenTruck Stop WomenTruck Stop Women is a 1974 film, directed by Mark L. Lester and partly financed by Phil Gramm, about a mother and daughter who run a brothel for truckers on the New Mexico highways, and fight back when the Mafia tries to take over their operation. Claudia Jennings appears in this film and is naked...
(1974) .... Rose - 'Gator Bait'Gator Bait'Gator Bait is a 1974 thriller film written, produced, and directed by Beverly Sebastion and Ferd Sebastion. The film starred former Playboy "Playmate of the Year" Claudia Jennings. It was followed by the sequel Gator Bait II: Cajun Justice- Plot :...
(1974) .... Desiree Thibodeau - Willie and Scratch (1975)
- The Man Who Fell to EarthThe Man Who Fell to Earth (film)The Man Who Fell to Earth is a 1976 British science fiction film directed by Nicolas Roeg.The film is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, about an extraterrestrial who crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought...
(1975) .... Peter's Wife (uncredited) - Sisters of Death (1977) .... Judy
- Moonshine County Express (1977 - aka Shine) .... Betty Hammer
- The Great Texas Dynamite ChaseThe Great Texas Dynamite ChaseThe Great Texas Dynamite Chase is a 1976 criminal comedy film directed by Michael Pressman.-Cast:*Claudia Jennings ... Candy Morgan*Tara Strohmeier ... Pam Morgan*Jocelyn Jones ... Ellie-Jo Turner*Miles Watkins ... Boyfriend...
(1977 - aka Dynamite Women) .... Candy Morgan - DeathsportDeathsportDeathsport is a 1978 science fiction B-movie produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush and Nicholas Niciphor. The film stars David Carradine and Playboy Playmate Claudia Jennings.-Plot:...
(1978) .... Deneer - Fast CompanyFast Company (1979 film)Fast Company is a 1979 film by Canadian director David Cronenberg. It was written by Phil Savath, Courtney Smith, Alan Treen and Cronenberg, and stars William Smith, John Saxon, Claudia Jennings and Nicholas Campbell...
(1979) .... Sammy
Notable TV appearances
- Barnaby JonesBarnaby JonesBarnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
- "To Denise, with Love and Murder" (1973) - The Brady BunchThe Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
- "Adios, Johnny Bravo" (1973) - The F.B.I. - "Deadly Ambition" (1974)
- CannonCannon (TV series)Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
"Lady in Red" (1974), and "Bobby Loved Me" (1974) - Movin' OnMovin' On (TV series)Movin' On is an American drama series that ran for two seasons , between 1974 and 1976. It originally appeared on the NBC television network...
- "Ann's Party" (1974) - Caribe - "School for Killers" (1975)
- The Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
- "Underground" (1976) - LucianLucianLucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
- "Nightmare" (1978) - 240 Robert - "Bank Job" (1979)