Dorothy Stratten was poised to be the next Marilyn Monroe — until her life came to a tragic sudden end

Dorothy Stratten was a rising star. She was blonde and beautiful, a shy girl with a big heart who worked at the dairy queen until she was plucked from obscurity and put on the cover of Playboy magazine.

To Hugh Hefner, she was the next Marilyn Monroe. To legendary director Peter Bogdonovich, she was his muse. And to her small-time hustler boyfriend from home, she was his ticket to fame and fortune. All three ambitious men adored her. Only one of them murdered her.

It was 1978 and, at the time, those who knew them said Snider saw an opportunity in Stratten and began grooming her. Eventually, he persuaded her to pose for a nude photoshoot, which could help launch her career in Los Angeles.

Over the next two years, the naive but unforgettable centerfold became a Playboy Playmate of the Year while also building an acting career. At the time she was the only playmate to ever be pursued by Vogue magazine.

But before Stratten could reach the heights of her stardom, she was brutally murdered by Snider, the same man who had first discovered her.

In August 1980, Dorothy Stratten, a Playboy Playmate, was discovered dead at just 20 years old. She was the sweet girl next door with the shy grin and quiet voice who didn’t realize how beautiful she was.

Dorothy’s murder nearly destroys Peter Bogdanovich. He publishes a book called The Killing of the Unicorn. He uses the book to go after his old friend, Hef, blaming the Playboy machine for her death. The feud is ugly, personal, and very public. A year later Hef would have has a stroke, he mentioned the allegations as a cause. The falling out will last until his death in 2017 at 91, where he’s laid to rest in the same cemetery as Dorothy.

Star 80 is a Biographical film adapted from ‘Death of a Playmate’ based on Dorothy. The film chronicles Stratten’s relationship with Snider, their move to Los Angeles, her success as a Playboy model, the dissolution of their relationship, and her murder. The death scene was filmed in the same house in which the real murder-suicide took place.