Barbara Payton Movies and Career Information

Barbara Payton (November 16, 1927 – May 8, 1967) was an American film actress best known for her stormy social life and eventual battles with alcohol and drug addiction. Her life has been the subject of several books including Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story (2007), by John O'Dowd, and L.A. Despair: A Landscape of Crimes and Bad Times (2005), by John Gilmore. Payon was born Barbara Lee Redfield in Cloquet, Minnesota, the daughter of Erwin Lee ("Flip") Redfield and Mabel Irene Todahl who were Norwegian immigrants. A son, Frank Leslie III was born in 1931 and in 1938, the family moved to Odessa, Texas. With financial assistance from his sister, Payton’s father was able to start his own business, a court of tourist cabins, “Antlers Court,” anticipating it would turn out to be a profitable enterprise in a city like Odessa whose population was booming due to the oil business. By various accounts, Payton’s father was a hard-working but difficult man, emotionally closed off, slow to express himself but quick to temper. His interaction with his children was minimal and child-rearing responsibilities were left to his wife Mabel who occupied herself with her homemaking duties