Celebrating The Career Of Barbi Benton!
There are some iconic Actresses who everyone seems to know – even if they don’t know much about them!
That’s the case for me and Barbi Benton, who it turns out is a close friend with one of my neighbors!
My “2023 Sex Kitten Countdown” has her fascinating story!
Barbi Benton was born on January 28, 1950 in New York City as Barbara Lynn Klein. After growing up in the Big Apple, Hollywood called.
Barbi moved to Los Angeles when she was 16 and began modeling…but her life changed dramatically when she met Hugh Hefner in 1968, when she was 18 years old. The Playboy founder was 42.
Benton made her TV debut on the syndicated show, “Playboy After Dark” in 1969, as Hefner’s Co-Host!
Despite being involved with Hefner for several years, Barbi never was a Playmate of the Month.
But that’s not to say she didn’t grace the cover of the magazine many times!
Barbi was more than just an Actress and Model – she recorded and released four albums for Playboy Records in the 1970’s. One is a collection of her greatest hits performed live in Japan!
Barbi had more than twenty acting credits, mostly in television shows in the late 70’s and 80’s, including such mainstream hits as “The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island.”
She starred in the 1981 thriller “X-Ray”, which was also known as “Hospital Massacre.”
Of course, since it was a medical thriller, she had to undergo a thorough checkup:
She also starred in the sword and sorcery epic “Deathstalker” in 1983:
The warrior Deathstalker is sent by a witch on a quest to find a chalice, an amulet, and a sword, two of which are held by the wicked sorcerer Munkar. Benton played the Princess Codille.
Check out the trailer:
Benton stepped away from the entertainment business and raised a family, and I read that she was a successful Interior Designer.
Barbi was clearly a fan of animals as this Playboy photo shoot reveals:
Bravo to Barbi for a great career!
Benton was one of many Playboy Models who ended up doing a lot of television work in the 80’s…remember Angela Aames?
Angela had TV credits on “Cheers” and more – but she had a tragic end…you can read her story here:
Here’s another Playmate who ended up working in some fun cult movies of that era:
She scored with Rodney Dangerfield and more1
See her credits here:
And Patti McGuire had a great career underway as well:
So, why did she abruptly quit the business? Click here for a fascinating theory:
Of course, Dorothy Stratten was one of Playboy’s most famous Playmates:
She was murdered by her estranged Husband just as her film career was taking off…such a sad story, but I celebrated her life and career and you can see it here:
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Categories: Books / Media, Camp Cult Classics, Classic Action Films, Exploitation Films, Grindhouse, Horror films, JRsploitation, Nudity, sex kittens, Talent / Celebrites
JR-Sploitation! 
What more can you say about Barbi other than repeat what already has been said about her…sexy and sweet. It’s strange how she never became a playmate when you consider Hefner’s other girl friends. I loved watching her as one of the Hee Haw Honeys. Too bad she didn’t stay with the show longer. She also had a hit single back then, “Brass Buckles”, that remains a golden oldie to this day. Barbi also helped Hefner find the home that would become the infamous Playboy Mansion. She is quite the accomplished lady.
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Thanks for sharing that info on the music!
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Of course she was never a Playmate despite being involved with Hugh Hefner – she wasn’t blonde!
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Yep, she was featured many times but never a Playmate!
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I always thought Barbi Benton was so pretty.
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I remember hearing the name associated with Hefner, but I had never seen her before. Good to hear she had a worthwhile life outside of the glamour business.
Best wishes, Pete.
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