Joey Heatherton, the actress, singer and dancer who became a television sensation during the 1960s and 1970s, has been seen during a rare public outing in Los Angeles.
The retired entertainer stepped outside to collect several delivered packages as she celebrated her 82nd birthday. Wearing a red top with black slacks, Heatherton had her signature blond hair styled half up and half down.
She also paused to speak to her small dog, smiling during the quiet birthday moment.
The appearance offered a rare glimpse of a performer once recognized as one of the era’s most prominent entertainment personalities and sex symbols.
A television favorite with an energetic style
Heatherton became a familiar presence on major variety programs, including The Ed Sullivan Show, Hullabaloo, The Dean Martin Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Her performances combined singing, dancing and playful conversations with the hosts. During one.
memorable appearance on The Tonight Show, she taught Carson how to perform the Frug, a popular dance involving energetic movements of the arms and hips.
Her appearances alongside Dean Martin were also widely remembered. The pair performed Mother Goose rhyme medleys, with Heatherton bringing a breathy delivery and suggestive ad-libs to the material while Martin maintained his characteristically relaxed manner.
Her dynamic performances sometimes drew objections from television censors and conservative viewers during the 1960s.
With her platinum-blond hair, lively personality and high-energy dance routines, Heatherton developed an unmistakable image that helped make her a television fixture.
More than a decade entertaining US troops
Heatherton also spent years performing for American service members as part of Bob Hope’s overseas Christmas and USO tours.
She traveled with Hope’s troupe from 1965 through 1977, including during the Vietnam War. Although the two were described as professional colleagues and touring partners rather than close friends, Hope included Heatherton in his 1966 book, Five Women I Love: Bob Hope.
According to IMDb, Hope memorably described her as “nine feet of girl in four feet of leopard skin.”
The entertainment site also reported that Hope praised Heatherton’s courage after she declined efforts to dissuade her from taking an unescorted helicopter flight to an isolated patrol base.
A career spanning film, music and dance
Heatherton made her movie debut in the 1963 drama Twilight of Honor, playing the wife of a man accused of murder.
She later appeared opposite Susan Hayward in Where Love Has Gone before securing her first leading role alongside Troy Donahue in the 1965 psychological thriller My Blood Runs Cold. The film has since gained recognition as a cult classic.
Her other credits included Bluebeard and the 1977 political satire The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington. In 1997, when she was 52, Heatherton posed nude for Playboy.
Her personal life also attracted public attention. Her marriage to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lance Rentzel ended in divorce in 1971 after he pleaded guilty to exposing himself to an underage girl.
Heatherton faced legal incidents during the 1980s. She was acquitted of obstruction and disturbing-the-peace charges following a 1985 dispute at a passport office. The following year, she was arrested for assault after allegedly injuring former boyfriend and manager Jerry Fischer’s hand with a steak knife during an argument. Fischer subsequently dropped the charge.
Heatherton largely withdrew from acting in the early 2000s, with the 2002 horror-fantasy film Reflections of Evil marking her final reported screen appearance.
Her latest Los Angeles outing showed the former television favorite enjoying a private birthday moment decades after her energetic performances made her one of the most recognizable entertainers of her generation.
