Marguerite Empey
| Marguerite Empey | ||
| ||
Feb 1956 | ||
| Also known as: | Diane Webber | |
| Birthdate: | Jul 29, 1932 | |
| Birthplace: | Los Angeles, CA | |
| Height: | ||
| Weight: | ||
Marguerite Diane Empey [aka: Dianne Webber] (born 29 July 1932 in Los Angeles, California-August 19, 2008) is an American model and actress. She is the daughter of screenwriter Arthur Guy Empey.
Under the name Marguerite Empey she was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month in May 1955 and in February 1956, the latter of which includes an underwater photo which clearly shows her pubic hair - a Playboy first. The photos for her 1956 appearance were taken by soft-core porn director Russ Meyer.
Marguerite Empey worked as a chorus girl and took formal ballet training. In 1961, she married Joe Webber. She later took an interest in nudism, appearing in numerous nudist magazines under the name Diane Webber.
Early life
Born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., the daughter of Marguerite (née Andrus), a Hollywood actress and former 'Miss Long Beach' beauty contest winner, and Arthur Guy Empey. She received her formal education at the Hollywood High School. As a child she received ballet lessons from Russian ballerina Maria Bekefi.
Professional model
In the early 1950s she found employment as a chorus girl at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco, whilst developing her professional modelling career. As the decade progressed she modeled for many professional photographers, including Peter Gowland, Bunny Yeager and Keith Bernard.
She was also photographed multiple times at the Spider Pool.
- Marguerite Empey at the Spider Pool
Playmate of the Month
Under the name Marguerite Empey she was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month in May 1955 and in February 1956. The photo-shoot for the 1956 publication being shot by Russ Meyer.
Middle-Eastern dance
From 1969 to 1980 Empey's professional career was as a bellydancing instructor at the now defunct "Everywoman's Village" in Van Nuys, California. She occasionally performed this dance accompanied by some of her better students to the accompaniment of Middle-Eastern music in public places in and around Los Angeles. Empey founded Perfumes of Araby, one of the first Middle-Eastern dance companies in the United States. Empey's dancing shows were sensual but they didn’t pander to a male audience, women and children often attending the performances. For several years Empey led and co-ordinated these outdoor shows with up to forty performers taking part.
Retirement
In her final years she was a librarian and archivist for a law firm in Santa Monica.
Cultural references
Her iconic status among the Playboy models is referenced in the novel, "Thy Neighbor's Wife."
Private life
She married Joseph Webber in 1955 (the marriage was divorced in 1986), from which came a son named John (born 1956).
Death
Empey died on August 19, 2008, in Los Angeles in her 76th year from complications following surgery for cancer.
Filmography
- The Trial of Billy Jack (1974) .... Belly-Dance instructor
- The Witchmaker (1969) .... The Nautch of Tangier
- Sinthia, the Devil's Doll (1968) .... The Housewife
- The Swinger (1966) (uncredited) .... Model #12
- Mermaids of Tiburon (1962) .... Mermaid Queen
Notable TV guest appearances
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea playing "Mermaid" in episode: "The Mermaid" (episode # 3.19) 29 January 1967
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents playing "The Other Woman" in episode: "The Pearl Necklace" (episode # 6.29) 2 May 1961
- Peter Gunn playing "Midge" in episode: "Scuba" (episode # 1.21) 16 February 1959
See Also
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Marguerite_Empey ]
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