Connie Kreski
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Playboy centerfold appearance |
January 1968 |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Wyandotte, Michigan |
| Birthdate | September 19, 1946 |
| Date of death | March 21, 1995 |
| Measurements | 35" - 23" - 36" |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in |
| Weight | 118 lb |
| Preceded by | Lynn Winchell |
| Succeeded by | Nancy Harwood |
| Playmate of the Year (PMOY) for |
1969 |
| PMOY preceded by | Angela Dorian |
| PMOY succeeded by | Claudia Jennings |
Connie Kreski (b. 19 September 1946, Wyandotte, Michigan — died 21 March 1995, Beverly Hills, California) was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for January 1968 and was Playmate of the Year for 1969. Kreski had long taffy-colored hair and blue near-sighted eyes.
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[edit] Playboy Playmate
Her original pictorial was photographed by Larry Gordon. She was discovered by a Playboy staffer while attending a University of Michigan football game. Kreski was on a date with a doctor and he introduced her to his friend, Playboy's sports editor.
She was a graduate of Mercy College, a Catholic nursing school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At the time of her photo shoot she had been working for three months at an Ann Arbor psychiatric hospital. She was also studying psychiatry.
[edit] Actress
Kreski left Michigan abruptly when her older sister found out about her upcoming Playmate pictorial, and told their mother. Her mom began to take tranquilizers. This was in September 1967. A two week holiday in London, England turned into a stay of more than a year. She did some modeling, bought two Pekingese and met producer/director Anthony Newley.
In April 1969 Kreski was signed by Newley to play the feminine title role of Mercy Humpe in the Universal Pictures film Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humpe and Find True Happiness? The movie was shot in Malta and starred Milton Berle, Joan Collins, and George Jessel.
[edit] Hollywood Life
Los Angeles Times writer Joyce Haber mentioned Kreski in a newspaper column just days after the murder of Sharon Tate by followers of Charles Manson. Kreski was a member of the murdered actress' social circle along with John Phillips, Michelle Phillips, Tina Sinatra, Jacqueline Bisset, Michael Sarrazin, and Andrew Prine. Kreski was among those invited to the mansion Tate shared with her husband, director Roman Polanski. The home was on Cielo Drive, Los Angeles, California. Haber said that some of those invited declined to attend on the fatal night of August 9, 1969.
Kreski was the girlfriend of James Caan in the early 1970s. The actor was enjoying his greatest popularity with roles in Brian's Song (1971) and The Godfather (1972). In a 1974 interview Caan depicted Kreski as very sweet. He described himself as difficult to live with, requiring a lot of woman to put up with me.
[edit] Death
Kreski died of lung cancer on 21 March 1995 in Beverly Hills, California.
[edit] Trivia
Kreski received a spear gun, a facial moisturizer, a custom billiard cue, and a Ford Shelby GT 500, among the $15,000 in prizes she won with her selection as Playboy's Playmate of the Year in May 1969.
[edit] Film and Television Appearances
- Lost Flight (1969) .... Australian's Wife
- Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969) .... Mercy Humppe
- "Ironside" - "A Matter of Love and Death" .... Arlene (1 episode, 1969)
- "Love, American Style" - Love and the Big Night/Love and Those Poor Crusaders' Wives/Love and the V.I.P. Restaurant (1970) TV Episode (segment "Love and the V.I.P. Restaurant")
- The Trackers (1971) (TV) .... Becky Paxton
- Un homme est mort (aka "The Outside Man") (1972) .... Rosie
- The Black Bird (1975) .... Decoy Girl
- Captains and the Kings (1976) (mini) TV Series .... Pearl Gray
- Aspen (1977) (mini) TV Series (uncredited) .... Jackie Camerovsky
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Burlington, North Carolina, She's On Her Way To Stardom, But Mom's On Tranqulizers, April 30, 1969, Page 58.
- Florence, South Carolina Morning News, Star Chat, Tough Talk From James Caan, January 6, 1974, Page 44.
- Los Angeles Times, Movie Call Sheet, April 15, 1968, Page C21.
- Los Angeles Times, Venus of the Centerfold, July 13, 1969, Page K22.
- Los Angeles Times, Playmate of the Year Ceremonies Present, May 15, 1969, Page D21.
- Los Angeles Times, Living in Era of Uncommon Barbarity, August 12, 1969, Page C11.
- Los Angeles Times, Lived The Part, How James Caan Became Godson, May 30, 1972, Page G1.
[edit] External links
| Playboy Playmates of 1968 | ||||||||||||
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