Actress who is remembered for her roles in such western-themed films as Only the Valiant and Dallas. She was perhaps most famous for her troubled personal life, which included multiple affairs, drug and alcohol abuse, and prostitution.
She was born in Cloquet, Minnesota, to Norwegian immigrant parents, and she grew up primarily in Odessa, Texas. She began a career in modeling in the mid 1940s.
Her colorful life inspired such books as L.A. Despair: A Landscape of Crime and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story.
Her four marriages-- to william Hodge, John Payton, Jr., actor Franchot Tone, and George Provas -- all quickly ended in divorce. She also became infamous for her affair with actor Tom Neal.
She co-starred with James Cagney in a 1950 film noir titled Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.
