Neva A. Gilbert (September 1, 1929 – November 12, 2022) was an American model. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its July 1954 issue.[1]
| Neva Gilbert | |
|---|---|
| Playboy centerfold appearance | |
| July 1954 | |
| Preceded by | Margie Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Arline Hunter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 1, 1929 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 12, 2022 (aged 93) Lake Worth, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
Early life
editGilbert was born in New York City and started work at Sears and Roebuck by lying about her age in order to be eligible. She was married at age 16 and divorced within a few years.[2]
Career
editAfter moving to California Gilbert began modeling, and her acting roles included working with Marilyn Monroe.[2] When Playboy was launched, it did not commission its own photo sessions. Gilbert's photos were actually taken by a private photographer, Tom Kelley, the same photographer who photographed Monroe[3] and who sold Gilbert's photos to the Baumgarth Calendar Company.[4] Hugh Hefner bought her photos, (along with the photos of many other models), and, unbeknownst to Gilbert, published them.[4] Gilbert was the seventh playmate in the first year playmates appeared in Playboy magazine.[5]
According to Gilbert,
In those days, I was an aspiring actress. I'd go on assignments with Marilyn Monroe. We did some calendar shots for a photographer named Tom Kelley. A few months later, I heard the pictures had appeared in a new magazine called Playboy, but I couldn't find a copy. I didn't see my centerfold until this year.
— Neva Gilbert, Playboy, December 1979
Gilbert had small parts in two films: Combat Squad (1953)[6] and The Country Girl (1954).[7] She also appeared in various off-Broadway and college theatre productions, especially the plays of Tennessee Williams. Decades later, she returned to Playboy and posed semi-nude for a feature called, "Playmates Forever!", in the December 1979 issue.[2]
Later life and death
editBy 2017 Gilbert was the oldest Playmate,[5] and told an ABC News reporter that she was still looking for work.[8]
Gilbert died in Lake Worth, Florida on November 12, 2022, at the age of 93.[9]
Filmography
edit- The Country Girl (1954) as Lady
- Combat Squad (1953) as Virginia
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Playmate data". Retrieved December 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c Aydlette, Larry (December 2016). "Lake Worth's Neva Gilbert recalls her "lucky" life as one of Playboy magazine's original Playmates". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on December 19, 2016.
- ^ Kleiner, Dick (1979-12-06). "Show World Spotlight". The Times-Tribune. p. 38. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ a b Lennon, Troy (9 December 2015). "Sting in the bunny tail for Playboy's earliest nudes". The Daily Telegraph; Surry Hills, N.S.W. [Surry Hills, N.S.W]. p. 60.
- ^ a b Aydlette, Larry (2017-02-05). "Lake Worth woman named oldest Playmate". The Palm Beach Post. pp. [1], [2]. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ Edwards, Paul M. (1997). A Guide to Films on the Korean War. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 63. ISBN 978-0313303166.
- ^ Parish, James Robert; Stanke, Don E.; Pitts, Michael R. (1977). The all-Americans. Internet Archive. New Rochelle, N.Y. : Arlington House. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-87000-363-9.
- ^ Burbank, Whitney (2017-02-02). "Local former Playboy centerfold relives past". WPBF. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Neva A. Gilbert". Tribute Archive. Retrieved 15 December 2022.