List of Playboy Playmates of 1956

{{Short description|none}} __NOTOC__ The following is a list of '''Playboy Playmates of 1956'''. ''Playboy'' magazine named its Playmate of the Month each month throughout the year.

==January== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | imagesize = | name = Lynn Turner | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|12|1}} | birth_place = California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height =5 ft 4 in }}

'''Lynn Turner''' (born December 1, 1935) was an American model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the January 1956 issue.<ref name=janpigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=turner%2C+lynn&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> Her centerfold was photographed by Peter Gowland, the first of his extensive ''Playboy'' career. According to ''The Playmate Book'', Turner did layouts for other men's magazines, including ''Frolic'', ''Jest'' and ''Modern Man Quarterly''. {{clear}}

==February== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | imagesize = | name = Marguerite Empey | birth_name = Diane Marguerite Webber | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1932|7|29}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|08|19|1932|7|29}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | height =5 ft 2 in }} {{main|Diane Webber}} '''Marguerite Empey''' (July 29, 1932 – August 19, 2008) was an American model, dancer and actress. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month in May 1955 and February 1956.<ref name=wkp>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=empey%2C+marguerite&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> The photos for her 1956 appearance were taken by soft core porn director Russ Meyer. {{clear}}

==March== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | name = Marian Stafford | image = | imagesize = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1931|2|7}} | birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1984|8|16|1931|2|7}} | death_place = | height = 5 ft 3 in }} {{main|Marian Stafford}} '''Marian Stafford''' (February 7, 1931 – August 16, 1984) Born Doris Marian Stafford, was an American actress and model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the March 1956 issue.<ref name=wekingly>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=stafford%2C+marian&limit=0 |title=Playmate data|access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> Her centerfold was photographed by Ruth Sondak, and was the first to fold out to three pages. (Prior to this, the centerfolds covered two pages.) In addition to posing for other men's magazines in the decade, Stafford became a popular personality during the so-called Golden Age of Television. She was a regular on game shows such as Treasure Hunt and The $64,000 Question. She was crowned Miss Color TV of 1956 by NBC.

Marian died on August 16, 1984, at age 50.

==April== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | name = Rusty Fisher | image = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|4|5}} | birth_place = Colorado, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height = 5 ft 5.5 in }}

'''Rusty Fisher''' (born April 5, 1935) was an American model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the April 1956 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Sam Wu.<ref name=aprpigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=fisher%2C+rusty&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> Prior to her ''Playboy'' appearance, she had posed for several other men's magazines, often under other pseudonyms such as Rusty Williams and Donna Fisher. {{clear}}

==May== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | name = Marion Scott | image = | imagesize = | birth_name = | birth_place = Berlin, Germany | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|7|18}}

| death_date = | death_place = | height = 5 ft 6 in }}

'''Marion Scott''', a German-born American model, was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the May 1956 issue.<ref name=maypigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=scott%2C+marion&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> Her centerfold was photographed by Herman Leonard. She was the first foreign-born Playmate.

According to ''The Playmate Book'', Scott emigrated to the U.S. along with her parents after World War II ended, and eventually became a fashion model, as well as a frequent cover girl for detective magazines. {{clear}}

==June== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | imagesize = | name = Gloria Walker | birth_name = | birth_place = The Bronx, New York, U.S. | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1937|7|16}} | death_date = | death_place = | height = 5 ft 4 in }}

'''Gloria Walker''' (born July 16, 1937) was an American actress and model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the June 1956 issue.<ref name=junpigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=walker%2C+gloria&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> {{clear}}

==July== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | imagesize = | name = Alice Denham | birth_name = | birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | birth_date = {{birth date|1927|1|21}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2016|1|27|1927|1|21}} | death_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S. | height = 5 ft 2 in }} {{main|Alice Denham}} '''Alice Denham''' (January 21, 1927 – January 27, 2016) was an American writer and model.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/05/arts/alice-denham-ex-playboy-centerfold-dies-at-89.html?_r=0 |title=Alice Denham, Who Kissed and Told About Literary New York, Dies at 89 |first=William |last=Grimes |author-link=William Grimes (journalist) |newspaper=The New York Times |page=B6 |date=February 4, 2016}}</ref> She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the July 1956 issue. Her centerfold was credited to Arthur-James and Mike Shea.<ref name=julypigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=denham%2C+alice&limit=0|title=Playmate data|access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> {{clear}}

==August== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | imagesize = | name = Jonnie Nicely | birth_name = | birth_place = Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. | birth_date = {{birth date|1936|2|25}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2013|2|6|1936|2|25}} | death_place = Lancaster, California, U.S. | height = 5 ft 7 in }} '''Jonnie Nicely''' (February 25, 1936 – February 6, 2013) was an American model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the August 1956 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Hal Adams.<ref name=augpigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=nicely%2C+jonnie&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref>

Nicely was originally supposed to be a Playmate for the October 1955 issue, but scheduling and creative conflicts temporarily pushed her aside in favor of Jean Moorhead. Before and after her ''Playboy'' appearance, Nicely did additional pin-up modeling, but eventually she went on to a long career as a mechanic at a Rockwell International B-1 bomber plant in California. {{clear}}

==September== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | imagesize = | name = Elsa Sørensen | birth_name = | birth_place = Copenhagen, Denmark | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|3|25}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|4|18|1934|3|25}} | death_place = Florida, U.S. | height = 5 ft 6 in }}

'''Elsa Sørensen''' (March 25, 1934 – April 18, 2013) was a Danish model, and Miss Denmark, who did most of her work under the pseudonym '''Dane Arden'''. Under her real name, she was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the September 1956 issue.<ref name=seppigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=sorensen%2C+elsa&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref>

Her centerfold was photographed by Peter Gowland. She was first married to Guy Mitchell but that marriage ended in divorce. {{clear}}

==October== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | caption = | imagesize = | name = Janet Pilgrim | birth_name = Charlaine Edith Karalus | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|6|13}} | birth_place = Wheaton, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|5|1|1934|6|13}} | death_place = Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. | height = 5 ft 6 in }} {{main|Janet Pilgrim (model)}} '''Janet Pilgrim''' (June 13, 1934 – May 1, 2017) was an American model and office worker for Playboy.<ref name=goodlife>{{cite book|title=Playboy and the Making of the Good Life in Modern America |last=Fraterrigo |first=Elizabeth |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-19-538610-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eVnPQEJkLRMC |pages=123–124, 230}}</ref> She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month three times: July 1955, December 1955 and October 1956.<ref name="novpigs">{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=pilgrim%2C+janet&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> {{clear}}

==November== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate | name = Betty Blue | image = | birth_place = West Memphis, Arkansas, U.S. | birth_date = {{birth date|1931|8|14}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2000|8|23|1931|8|14}} | height = 5 ft 3 in }} {{main|Betty Blue (model)}} '''Betty Blue''' (August 14, 1931 – August 23, 2000) was an American model and actress, and was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the November 1956 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Hal Adams.<ref name=novpigs/> {{clear}}

==December== {{Infobox Playboy Playmate  | image = | imagesize = | name = Lisa Winters | birth_name = Marie Perry | birth_place = Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S. | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|5|18}} | death_date = | death_place = | height = 5 ft 2 in }}

'''Lisa Winters''' (born May 18, 1936, as '''Marie Perry''' in Pompano Beach, Florida) is an American model and actress. She is ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its December 1956 issue and later named as the magazine's first Playmate of the Year for 1957.<ref name=decpigs>{{cite web|url=http://wekinglypigs.com/cgi-bin/nand/search/pmstat?browse=%3A%3ACONFIG%3A%3Amodelbrowse&key=winters%2C+lisa&limit=0 |title=Playmate data |access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> Winters would pose only for Yeager because she felt too shy to be naked in front of any male photographer.

She also worked as a secretary for Hugh Hefner in Chicago's Playboy offices. She starred in two films; her first film was with her Playboy photographer Bunny Yeager, and named ''Bunny Yeager's Nude Camera'' (1963); her second film, in which she starred under her real name, Marie Perry, was named ''Intimate Diary of Artists' Models''. Both films are rated R for nudity.

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Playboy Playmates Of 1956}} Category:1956-related lists Playmates Of 1956