The Killing of the Unicorn: Dorothy Stratten, 1960-1980

Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten, better known as Dorothy Stratten, appeared in three movies—They All Laughed with Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, and John Ritter; Galaxina, a low-budget sci-fi film; and Autumn Born, another low-budget drama that did not do well. She was also Playboy Playmate of the Month for August 1979 and Playmate of the Year for 1980. However, she is most remembered for her tragic murder at the hands of her husband, Paul Snider. The author of this book, Peter Bogdanovich, is a renowned director of movies such as The Last Picture Show, What's Up Doc, and Paper Moon. He was also close to Dorothy during the last ten months of her life. In his book, Mr. Bogdanovich sheds light on Dorothy's personal side, depicting her as a shy, show more gentle, and caring young woman who was exploited by Hugh Hefner and the Playboy establishment. The most heartbreaking aspect is that Dorothy was left to cope with a dangerous, possessive, and evil man, Paul Snider. According to Peter's account, several people were aware of Dorothy's perilous situation, yet they did nothing to intervene. What befell Dorothy was both shocking and gruesome, but it seems that it could have been prevented. Reflecting on her story, I found it compelling to revisit the final days of Dorothy's life in this book. Additionally, the author made this book distinctive by including Dorothy's poems. show less

Group M1