Dorothy at the mansion was always dignified and professional. She did not run around naked or do drugs. Whether it was of her own choosing or maybe Paul coached her, she had a long-range perspective on things that went way beyond her years. Because I was also friends with Candy Loving, the 25th Anniversary Playmate, I know that both of these women were chosen for these 'special' titles solely based upon how they photographed, the response they generated from the readers, and their ability to perform as intelligent, well-spoken emmissaries of Playboy. Dorothy never compromised herself at the Mansion. She was treated respectfully and in according with her status as a married woman and a rising movie star. She only went to the Mansion to network, and it was purely professional. To her, I believe Playboy was merely a stepping-stone. Dorothy was one of the most 'straight-laced' Playmates I knew.
Looking back, I guess the late 70's was a magical place in time. It was before Dorothy died, and the AIDS epidemic began. It was a time of boundless optimism and enthusiasm and hope for the future. It was at the end of a long decade of peace and prosperity for the United States. For me, a young person coming up, I didn't know anything else, so I guess in that respect I took it for granted. I was narrowly focused on my own inadequacies. Being part Hispanic, brunette, and not tall, I tried to make up for my perceived shortcomings with energy and attitude. Nonetheless, I could not compete with Dorothy, no matter how hard I tried... and so we became friends, and I enjoyed her success vicariously, even though sometimes people would trample over me to get to her. She was such a sweetie, it was so easy to be happy for her... I left that scene with somewhat of an inferiority complex, that I was not tall, blonde, and Nordic. Funny how we percieve things, looking back. In light of what happened to her, I have learned to count my many blessings, most importantly, that I am alive and well, and so are those whom I love.
I guess with Dorothy I most enjoyed the simple things we did together. We were like compatriots in a foreign land. She was showing me the ropes professionally, but in the meantime we could just relax together and be ourselves. Shopping, traveling, working out, hanging out just the two of us, not worrying about how we looked, and then going out on double dates with our significant others. I had the most fun simply walking down the street with Dorothy. Everywhere we went together, people just stopped and stared. She was the blonde and I was the brunette. We covered each other's backs.
There is one more memory of Dorothy I would like to share. Her little sister Louise was visiting and the three of us went to see the movie, "Black
Beauty." I felt privileged to go because it gave me the chance to see the special and loving relationship between Dorothy and her kid sister. Louise was most likely around 12 or 13 years old, bespectacled and with braces, awkward and shy. Dorothy fussed over her like a mother hen, protective and proud. It was a rainy afternoon and we drove to Century City to see the film about an Arabian horse stranded on a desert island. Animal lovers that we were, we thoroughly enjoyed it. This was another example of how Dorothy, just by being herself, could take an ordinary family event and turn it into an occasion memorable enough to recall 30 years later.