Barbara Lee Payton was an American actress best known for her work in the movies Dallas, Once More, My Darling, and Trapped. She hired a photographer to take pictures of her wearing stylish clothing, and that is how she started her modeling career. She eventually began attracting the attention of fashion designers and later discovered employment in advertising. She quickly made her acting debut and won plaudits for her performance in the semi-documentary movie “Trapped.” The treasury department was the subject of the movie, which centered on a story about it. She also became interested in “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” which was adapted from a Horace McCoy novel. In the civil war movie “Drums in the Deep South,” she also had a pivotal role. Although having a very successful career, her alcoholism and drug addiction finally destroyed her life. She eventually died at an early age from liver and heart disease. Many books were written about her in the years following her passing, including “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story” and “LA Despair: A Landscape of Crimes and Bad Times.”
Career of Barbara Lee Payton
After being signed by a clothing designer to model for junior fashion wear, Barbara Payton’s career officially got underway. Later, she continued to work in print advertising and also starred in clothes advertisements for publications including “Charm” and “Junior Bazaar.”
She made her acting debut in the 1949 movie “Silver Butte.” She rose to fame thanks to her performance in the same-year blockbuster “Trapped.” The film was a semi-documentary on the treasury department and was directed by Richard Fleisher.
The next movie Barbara Payton appeared in was Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye from 1950. The movie, which was directed by Gordon Douglas, was about the life of a criminal who breaks out of jail, kills his gang member, and then resumes his illegal activities. She also had a minor role in the movie “Dallas” that same year.
Over the following few years, she also acted in the movies “Bride of the Gorilla,” “Only the Valliant,” “Run for the Hills,” “The Great Jesse James Raid,” and “The Flanagan Boy” (1953). Her final notable performance was in the 1955 thriller “Death is My Beat.” Edgar G. Ulmer was the director of the movie. The storyline had a businessman who is discovered dead, and his girlfriend is later found guilty of murder.
Individual Life of Barbara Lee Payton
In Cloquet, Minnesota, USA, on November 16, 1927, Barbara Lee Redfield was born under the name Barbara Payton. She was the child of Mabel Irene Todahl and Erwin Lee Redfield. Her parents were immigrants from Norway.
Afterward, her family relocated to Odessa, Texas, where her father opened a business of his own. She began attracting notice for her good looks as she grew older. When she finally made the decision to pursue a modeling career, she hired a photographer to shoot pictures of her wearing stylish clothing.
At the age of sixteen, she eloped with William Hodge, her high school sweetheart. Afterward, the marriage was dissolved at her parent’s request. In February 1945, she later wed combat pilot John Payton, with whom she had a son. She left her spouse, nevertheless, to pursue her work because she felt constrained in her life as a housewife and mother.
Franchot Tone proposed to her in September 1951. They separated, nonetheless, because she persisted in her illicit liaison with actor Tom Neal. Her fourth and final marriage was to George Provas, a 23-year-old executive at a furniture store. This union also resulted in a divorce.
Death of Barbara Lee Payton
Due to Barbara Payton’s drug and alcohol addiction, her life and career were ultimately destroyed. She died on May 8, 1967, at her parents’ house from liver and heart failure. She had just turned 39 when she passed away. In the Cypress View Mausoleum and Crematory in San Diego, California, she was cremated and laid to rest.
Barbara Payton’s Net Worth
One of the wealthiest and most well-known movie actresses is Barbara. According to our research, Barbara Payton has a net worth of $5 million, as reported by Forbes, Wikipedia, and Business Insider.