Vivien Elizabeth Neves[1] (20 November 1947 – 29 December 2002) was a British glamour model, best known for appearing naked in The Times broadsheet newspaper in 1971, and for her regular appearances on Page 3 of the tabloid newspaper The Sun.
Vivien Neves | |
---|---|
Born | Vivien Elizabeth Neves 20 November 1947 Brighton, England |
Died | 29 December 2002 Guildford, England | (aged 55)
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Glamour model |
Known for | Nude modelling |
Spouse | John Kelly |
Children | 1 |
Early life
editNeves was born in Brighton, England, on 20 November 1947, and grew up in a council flat.[2] Her father worked for the gas board.[3] She followed her parents to Walton-on-Thames in Surrey and had several short-lived jobs, leaving school at age sixteen.[2]
Career
editNeves moved to London in the mid-1960s and began working as a "bunny" at the Raymond Revuebar in Soho. She posed as Pet of the Month in Penthouse magazine and became known as "The Body" twenty-five years before the same nickname was applied to supermodel Elle Macpherson. A poster campaign by clothing company Nelbarden featured Neves in a swimsuit and appeared comprehensively on the London Underground.[2]
In 1969 Neves was cast as the model 'Tulia' in the film Whirlpool,[4] which The New York Times described as a "sex-and-violence movie"; its review noted that Tulia "is very pretty, and her clothes come off frequently" but that the film suffered from "certain basic flaws" and was "most impressively undistinguished in its dialogue".[5]
In May 1970 Neves made her first of many appearances as a topless Page 3 girl in The Sun. On 17 March 1971 she appeared in The Times in a full-page advert for Fisons Pharmaceuticals.[2][6] The advert—which featured the strapline "What's a nice girl like you doing in a firm like this?"—caused a sensation; it was the first time a woman had appeared naked in a broadsheet newspaper, and it brought Neves international attention.[2] In the same year she appeared alongside Tony Curtis and Roger Moore in an episode of The Persuaders![2]
Neves retired in early 1973, stating that she was "embarrassed and tired of being in front of the camera".[2]
In the mid-1980s Neves set up the Vivien Neves Modelling Agency, specialising in Page 3 work.[7][8]
Personal life
editNeves moved to Guildford and married John Kelly, a photographer. They had one daughter, Kelly, who became a Page 3 girl in the 1990s. Neves was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1979, and her marriage to Kelly was dissolved in 1985. Neves died on 29 December 2002, after contracting pneumonia.[2][9]
References
edit- ^ "Deceased Estates. Details of the deceased". thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Perrone, Pierre. "Vivien Neves". The Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ "Schande, Schande, Schande!". Die Welt. 4 January 2003. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ "Vivian Neves [sic]. Filmography". BFI. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ Greenspun, Roger (20 August 1970). "Screen: Sex, Violence and Terror:A Victorian Prissiness Marks 'Whirlpool' Vivian Neves Appears at the Cinerama". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ Harrison, Brian (2009). Seeking a Role: The United Kingdom 1951–1970. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 9780198204763. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ Kelsey, Linda (2003). Was It Good for You Too?: Thirty Years of the Cosmopolitan Woman. Robson. p. 38. ISBN 9781861055545. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ Cooke, Diane (13 September 2013). "Taste of the glamorous life". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. Newsquest (North West) Ltd. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ Matthews, Athalie (31 December 2002). "MS claims nude model Neves". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
External links
edit- Vivian Neves at IMDb