Gina Dair Profile: The Forgotten Showgirl of 1970s Hollywood

Gina Dair Profile: The Forgotten Showgirl of 1970s Hollywood explores one of those faces you just can’t forget. The first time I watched Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, I was struck by how much stunning beauty filled the screen—one gorgeous woman after another. And yet, somehow, Gina Dair stood out. Her appearance was brief, almost a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but she left a lasting impression. So, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I decided to dig a little deeper into the mystery of Gina Dair.

The Mysterious Career of Gina Dair

Gina Dair, the stage name of Roberta “Bobbie” Grumley, remains one of Hollywood’s most elusive figures from the golden age of exploitation cinema. Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, this Burbank High School graduate carved out a niche as a showgirl, dancer, pin-up model, and actress, yet her contributions have largely disappeared from film history.

According to research uncovered on A Wasted Life blog, Gina Dair worked extensively during this era, though often uncredited. The blog notes that “while a quick and easy search online reveals virtually nothing about Gina Dair, a quick and easy search nevertheless finds a lot of Gina Dair” – referring to the numerous men’s magazine photographs that survive from her modeling career.

Early Life and Family Connections

Born may, 1948 in Pennsylvania, Roberta “Bobbie” Grumley came from a family that would become deeply intertwined with Hollywood’s entertainment industry. The family eventually relocated to California, settling in the Burbank area where both Grumley sisters would attend the local high school and launch their entertainment careers.

The Grumley Family Dynasty

William Grumley (1925-1985), the family patriarch, provided the foundation for his daughters’ eventual Hollywood connections. While comprehensive details about his professional life remain somewhat elusive, historical records confirm he was born in 1925 and passed away in 1985, having witnessed both his daughters’ entertainment careers firsthand.

Rose Marie Scida Grumley (1926-1997) carved out an impressive Hollywood career as the personal secretary to actor Chuck Connors. Born Rose Marie Scida on December 20, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she came from an Italian-American family. According to genealogical records found on Answers.com, her parents were James Scida (died 1958) and Adeline Papa (died 1993), and she had a sister named Florence Scida King.

Rose Marie’s position with Chuck Connors, who starred as Lucas McCain in the iconic television western The Rifleman (1958-1963), was no ordinary secretarial role. Connors, born Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors, became one of television’s biggest stars during the 1960s, and his secretary would have managed not just his professional schedule but had intimate access to Hollywood’s power circles during a golden age of television production.

The relationship between Rose Marie and Chuck Connors extended beyond typical employer-employee boundaries. According to Answers.com, “Rose Marie Grumley was sometimes referred to as Mary or Rosemary. She was Chuck’s longtime companion, secretary, and friend.” This suggests a close personal relationship that lasted until Connors’ death in 1992. Rose Marie outlived her famous employer by only five years, passing away on April 7, 1997, in Camarillo, Ventura County, California. She is buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles County.

The significance of Rose Marie’s role cannot be overstated. During the height of The Rifleman’s popularity, Connors was not just an actor but a cultural icon representing American masculinity and frontier justice. His secretary would have coordinated with network executives, handled fan mail, managed his schedule across multiple projects, and maintained relationships with industry professionals – providing invaluable networking opportunities for the entire Grumley family.

Geographic Roots and the Pennsylvania-California Connection

The Grumley family’s Pennsylvania origins, specifically Rose Marie’s birth in Philadelphia, represent a common mid-20th century migration pattern. Thousands of working-class families relocated from Eastern industrial cities to California during and after World War II, seeking opportunities in the booming West Coast economy and entertainment industry.

This Pennsylvania-to-California trajectory mirrors Bobbie’s own path – born in Pennsylvania around 1947-1948, she was likely an infant or toddler when the family made the cross-country move to Burbank. Growing up as a California native rather than a Pennsylvania transplant would have profoundly shaped her cultural identity and opportunities.

Discovery of the Morris Marriage

According to research documented in A Wasted Life blog, archival records reveal that Bobbie eventually married and took the surname Morris. The blog states: “As ancestry.com reveals, Gina Dair, born 1948, was/is actually the ‘showgirl-dancer-model-actress’ Roberta ‘Bobbie’ [a.k.a. Bobbi] Grumley.”

Further research into various archives has confirmed that Bobbie Grumley adopted the married name Morris, though the identity of her husband and specific details about their marriage remain private. Unlike her sister Jackie’s high-profile marriage to director Greydon Clark, Bobbie’s personal life after her entertainment career has been scrupulously guarded from public view.

This married name appears in various records and databases. The transition from public sexuality (as a top-paid nude model whose images appeared in countless men’s magazines) to private domesticity represents a trajectory common to many models and actresses of her era who chose to leave the entertainment industry for conventional married life.

The Sisters’ Burbank High School Years

Bobbie attended Burbank High School, located in the heart of California’s entertainment industry. The school, situated near major studios including Warner Bros., Disney, and NBC, has educated numerous future entertainment professionals throughout its century-plus history. She graduated in 1966, a pivotal year in American culture as the counterculture movement began gaining mainstream attention and the entertainment industry underwent significant generational shifts.

Her older sister, Jackie Grumley, graduated from Burbank High School just one year earlier in 1965. According to the Burbank High Blog, “Jackie Grumley Clark passed away in 2003 at the young age of 55 years. She graduated from BHS in 1965 and her sister, Bobbi, graduated in 1966.”

A group photograph preserved on the Burbank High Blog shows the sisters during their school years, with Bobbie identifiable in the front row, second from the left, wearing the typical 1960s fashion of the era. This rare image provides one of the few documented pictures of Bobbie from before her modeling career, showing a young woman on the cusp of her transformation into “Gina Dair.”

The timing of their graduations meant that both sisters entered the entertainment industry at what was arguably its most dynamic moment — the mid-1960s, when the dawn of New Hollywood, the British Invasion’s influence on American culture, shifting social attitudes toward sexuality, and the emergence of exploitation cinema as a legitimate (if disreputable) branch of the film industry were reshaping the cultural landscape.

Jackie’s Remarkable Hollywood Career

Jackie Grumley, who would later become known professionally as Jacqulin Cole and Jackie Clark, pursued an even more visible entertainment career than her younger sister. Born in 1947, she was approximately one year older than Bobbie, and her trajectory through Hollywood reveals the remarkable connections the Grumley family cultivated.

Most notably, Jackie served as personal secretary to actor John Wayne, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and most powerful figures. Wayne, whose career spanned from the silent era through the 1970s, was not just an actor but a cultural icon, political figure, and influential industry powerhouse. Having direct access to Wayne’s professional life would have provided Jackie with extraordinary networking opportunities and insider knowledge of Hollywood’s operations at the highest level.

The Burbank High Blog notes: “Jackie was an actress and at one time was the personal secretary to actor John Wayne while her mother was the personal secretary to actor Chuck Connors.”

This meant that both mother and daughter simultaneously served as personal secretaries to two of Hollywood’s most prominent masculine icons of the era. Both Wayne and Connors represented a particular type of American masculinity that dominated 1960s entertainment – tough, independent western heroes who embodied traditional values. The Grumley women’s simultaneous access to both men’s professional circles created an unprecedented networking advantage.

The Significance of Dual Secretarial Positions

The fact that Rose Marie worked for Chuck Connors while Jackie worked for John Wayne represents more than mere coincidence – it suggests strategic family positioning within Hollywood’s power structure. Secretaries to major stars in this era weren’t simply administrative assistants; they were gatekeepers, confidants, schedule coordinators, and often informal career advisors.

These positions would have provided:

• Direct access to studio executives who worked with both stars
• Networking opportunities with other actors, directors, and producers
• Inside knowledge of casting calls, upcoming projects, and industry trends
• Social entrée to Hollywood parties and events where deals were made
• Practical understanding of how the entertainment industry actually functioned

For both Bobbie and Jackie, having family members with such intimate Hollywood access undoubtedly facilitated their own entertainment careers. While neither sister achieved mainstream stardom, both successfully worked consistently in their chosen niches – Bobbie as model and occasional actress, Jackie as character actress in exploitation films.

Geographic Wanderings: Burbank, Los Angeles, Reno, and Las Vegas

A Wasted Life blog’s IMDb “Name Merger” documentation reveals important geographic information about Bobbie’s adult life: “Gina Dair was the stage name of Roberta (‘Bobbi’ or ‘Bobbie’) Grumley, who was a dancer, showgirl, pinup model, and actress in bit parts in movies. She lived in Burbank, Los Angeles, Reno, and Las Vegas.”

This geographic progression tells a story about her career trajectory:

Burbank represented her childhood and adolescent home, where she graduated high school and presumably began modeling.

Los Angeles was the natural next step for modeling and film work, with its concentration of photographers, men’s magazines, and exploitation film producers.

Reno and Las Vegas suggest work in Nevada’s entertainment industry, particularly its showgirl and casino entertainment scene. Both cities hosted major stage shows, revues, and casino entertainment during the late 1960s and 1970s – exactly when Bobbie would have been at peak marketability as a dancer and showgirl.

Las Vegas in particular was experiencing its golden age of showgirl productions during this era. According to Travel Nevada’s article “The Showgirl: A Las Vegas Story,” major productions like “Folies Bergere,” “Jubilee!,” “Lido de Paris,” and “Casino de Paris” employed hundreds of showgirls and dancers. Former showgirl Lou Anne Chessik explained that these productions required tall, attractive women in elaborate costumes, exactly fitting Bobbie’s profile.

Reno similarly hosted major entertainment productions. The Las Vegas Sun notes that shows like “Hello Hollywood Hello” at the MGM Grand in Reno employed showgirls and dancers. Given Bobbie’s training and physical attributes (the Playboy article called her “one of the best-paid nude models on the West Coast”), she would have been ideally positioned for such work.

Jackie and Greydon Clark: A Filmmaking Partnership

Jackie’s most significant professional relationship came through her marriage to director Greydon Clark. Clark, born in 1943, worked extensively in exploitation and B-movie cinema throughout the 1970s and 1980s, creating exactly the type of films that would employ both Grumley sisters.

According to the Burbank High Blog, Jackie and Greydon had two sons together: Trevor Clark and Travis Clark, ensuring the family’s entertainment legacy extended to a third generation.

Greydon Clark’s directorial career included numerous exploitation films:

• Satan’s Sadists (1969) – featuring Jackie in a role
• Black Shampoo (1976) – featuring Jackie
• Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977) – featuring Jackie with Bobbie as choreographer
• Angels’ Brigade (1979) – featuring Jackie

This partnership created opportunities for both Grumley sisters to work in exploitation cinema, with Greydon frequently casting Jackie in roles while hiring Bobbie for behind-the-scenes work like choreography.

Working Relationships and Family Collaboration

The sisters’ collaboration created a unique family dynasty in exploitation cinema. Beyond Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, where both sisters appear (albeit Bobbie uncredited), their work together included several Greydon Clark productions.

A Wasted Life blog notes the sisters’ joint appearances: “As explained by a request for a ‘Name Merger’ at the imdb (which, oddly enough, was rejected despite all the proof submitted): ‘Gina Dair was the stage name of Roberta (‘Bobbi’ or ‘Bobbie’) Grumley, who was a dancer, showgirl, pinup model, and actress in bit parts in movies. She lived in Burbank, Los Angeles, Reno, and Las Vegas. Her sister was Jacqulin Cole (deceased), who was married to film director Greydon Clark. The sisters Jackie and Bobbie were in a couple movies together.'”

This passage reveals additional geographic details about Bobbie’s life – beyond Burbank and Los Angeles, she also spent time in Reno and Las Vegas, both cities with significant entertainment industries (particularly Las Vegas’s showgirl and casino entertainment scene, which aligned perfectly with Bobbie’s work as a dancer and showgirl).

Professional Names and Identities

Jackie worked under multiple professional names throughout her career, reflecting the common practice in exploitation cinema of using various pseudonyms. According to the Burbank High Blog, her various screen names included:

• Edith Wheeler
• Jackie Lynn Grumley
• Jackie Clark
• Jacqulin Clark
• Jackie Grumley Clark
• Jacqulin Cole

This multiplicity of names mirrors Bobbie’s own use of pseudonyms (Gina Dair, Gina Dare, Trixie Parrish, Barbara Lang, Blanche Cain), suggesting this was possibly a family strategy or simply standard practice in the type of cinema both sisters worked in.

The Tragedy of Jackie’s Early Death

The Burbank High Blog’s memorial records Jackie’s death: “Jackie died on February 2, 2003 in California” at the age of 55. While the cause of death isn’t specified in available sources, her passing at such a relatively young age represents a tragic loss.

By 2003, Jackie had been married to Greydon Clark for several decades and raised two sons. Her death would have significantly impacted both Bobbie (losing her only sibling and frequent collaborator) and the entire Clark family.

The Burbank High Blog’s decision to memorialize Jackie suggests she maintained connections to her high school community throughout her life, or that her classmates remembered her fondly enough to commemorate her passing.

Family Legacy in Context

The Grumley family’s story represents a particular type of Hollywood trajectory – not A-list stardom, but rather the working professionals who populated the industry’s various tiers. Rose Marie Scida Grumley’s secretarial work for Chuck Connors, Jackie’s secretarial work for John Wayne, and both daughters’ work in exploitation cinema created a family thoroughly embedded in entertainment industry culture.

Their story also reflects the geographic importance of Burbank to the entertainment industry. Burbank High School’s proximity to major studios meant many students grew up with Hollywood as simply part of their local landscape rather than a distant dream. The Grumley sisters’ transition from Burbank High School students to working entertainment professionals followed a well-worn local path.

Connections Through Marriage

Bobbie’s marriage and adoption of the surname Morris remains one of the more mysterious aspects of her biography. Unlike her sister Jackie’s high-profile marriage to a director, Bobbie’s personal life after her entertainment career has remained almost entirely private. The discovery of her married name in archival records represents one of the few confirmations of her life beyond her “Gina Dair” persona.

This privacy stands in stark contrast to her very public work as a pin-up model, where her image appeared in countless men’s magazines. The transition from public sexuality to private domesticity represents a common trajectory for many models and actresses of her era.

Generational Hollywood Access

The Grumley family’s story spans multiple generations of Hollywood history:

• First Generation: Rose Marie Scida Grumley working as Chuck Connors’ secretary during television’s golden age
• Second Generation: Jackie working for John Wayne and appearing in exploitation films; Bobbie working as model and actress
• Third Generation: Trevor and Travis Clark growing up in a filmmaking family

This multi-generational involvement in entertainment, while not producing major stars, created a family thoroughly versed in Hollywood’s practical realities – how films actually get made, how careers are built through connections, and how to navigate the industry’s less glamorous tiers.

The Burbank Connection

The family’s Burbank roots proved crucial to their Hollywood access. Burbank has long been known as the “Media Capital of the World,” housing major studios including Warner Bros., Walt Disney Studios, and the former NBC Studios. Growing up in Burbank meant growing up surrounded by entertainment industry professionals and infrastructure.

Burbank High School itself has produced numerous entertainment industry professionals over its century-plus history. The Grumley sisters joined a long list of graduates who transitioned directly from high school into entertainment careers, facilitated by both geographic proximity and family connections.

Working-Class Hollywood

Importantly, the Grumley family’s story represents working-class Hollywood rather than celebrity glamour. Rose Marie’s secretarial work, while providing access to stars, remained labor rather than stardom. Similarly, both sisters worked consistently but never achieved mainstream recognition or significant wealth from their entertainment careers.

This working-class perspective on Hollywood provides important historical context. For every major star, hundreds of working professionals – secretaries, models, bit players, choreographers – populated the industry’s infrastructure. The Grumley family exemplifies this often-overlooked majority.

Privacy and Later Years

According to A Wasted Life, Bobbie Grumley (now Bobbie Morris) “is currently alive and well and enjoying the sun in the same state as Neola Graef” (another forgotten exploitation actress). This suggests she has maintained her California residence while living privately, far from her former public persona as Gina Dair.

Her ability to transition from public pin-up model to private citizen, maintaining anonymity despite her extensive modeling work, demonstrates how thoroughly exploitation cinema existed outside mainstream cultural memory. While her sister Jackie’s marriage to a director kept her more connected to filmmaking communities, Bobbie’s path led away from entertainment entirely.

The contrast between the two sisters’ later lives – Jackie remaining in the industry through her marriage to Greydon Clark until her death in 2003, while Bobbie retired into privacy under her married name – reflects different choices about how to navigate Hollywood careers that never achieved mainstream success.

The Many Names of Gina Dair

Throughout her career, Bobbie Grumley adopted multiple pseudonyms for different projects. Besides Gina Dair (her most common stage name), she also worked under the names:

• Gina Dare
• Trixie Parrish
• Barbara Lang
• Blanche Cain

A Wasted Life blog clarifies an important misconception: “Despite what finds online, this Gina Dair was not the wife of the actor John Dair.” That confusion arose from the actor’s actual wife, Georgina Stewart Lowe Dair (1925-2013), who was from a different generation entirely.

Pin-Up Modeling Career

Before and during her film work, Gina Dair established herself as one of the West Coast’s top nude models. The July 1970 issue of Playboy described her as “one of the best-paid nude models on the West Coast.”

Her photographs regularly appeared in various men’s magazines throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. A Wasted Life notes that these images reveal “Gina had a killer body with perfect half-cantaloupes and a penchant for bad wigs and/or a lot of hairspray” – a typical styling choice of that era.

Additionally, the Playboy article mentioned she was Hawaiian, though this was only partially accurate. While she may have lived in Hawaii at some point, she was actually born in Pennsylvania.

Life After Hollywood: From Showgirl to Healer

After her entertainment career ended in the late 1970s, Bobbie Grumley appears to have embarked on a remarkable transformation. Public records suggest she married and became Bobbie Morris, though intriguingly, she may have had a second marriage to someone with Japanese or Hawaiian heritage, as she also appears in records as Bobbie Taka with several relatives bearing Japanese surnames. Bobbie Morris is 77 years old, and was born in May of 1948.

The geographic trail tells a fascinating story of reinvention. From her North Hollywood base (recorded in 1988, just miles from her Burbank roots), Bobbie eventually relocated to Massachusetts in the early 1990s. However, the most significant chapter of her post-Hollywood life unfolded in Hawaii, where she established the Malama Acupuncture Center in Hilo and became a licensed acupuncturist (LICAC). Records show she maintained addresses in Hilo from 1999 through at least 2017, operating her healing practice for approximately 15 years.

This career pivot from pin-up model and showgirl to licensed acupuncturist represents a dramatic shift from public sexuality to private healing work. The move to Hawaii also explains the 1970 Playboy article’s reference to her being “Hawaiian” – she may have already been establishing connections there during her modeling years.

Currently, records indicate Bobbie Morris resides in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where she has lived since 1995 in a substantial property in the Berkshire County countryside. At 77 years old, she appears to have successfully maintained the privacy she sought after leaving Hollywood, transitioning from the exploitation film world of the 1970s to a quiet New England life – a journey that took her from the bright lights of Los Angeles through the healing practices of Hawaii to the peaceful hills of Massachusetts.

Complete Filmography

West Side Story (1961)

According to IMDb, Bobbie Grumley appears in this classic musical as an uncredited dancer. If accurate, she would have been approximately 13 years old at the time. The film, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, won 10 Academy Awards and became one of the most celebrated musicals in cinema history.

The plot follows two rival New York street gangs – the Jets (whites) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans) – with a Romeo and Juliet-style romance developing between Tony and Maria.

The Head Mistress (1968)

This sexploitation film marks Gina Dair’s entry into adult-oriented cinema. Directed by Byron Mabe and produced by legendary exploitation filmmaker David F. Friedman, the film tells a bizarre story set in 17th-century Italy.

The plot centers on Marsha Jordan (credited as “Vanessa Van Dyke”) who plays the headmistress of a school for virgins. When a young gardener named Mario infiltrates the school by pretending to be mute, chaos ensues. The film features flagellation, lesbianism, and a particularly memorable scene involving a vengeful houseplant.

Regarding Gina Dair’s role, Vintage Erotica forum user Beutelwolf explains: “The only movie role [of hers] I know of is in Head Mistress. She’s fake credited there, as are nearly all the performers in Dave Friedman movies of that vintage. He says on one of his SWV commentary tracks that he made up goofy names for actors in order to avoid creating stars who might want more money next time.”

The film also featured Samantha Scott (another Beyond the Valley of the Dolls alumna) and explores themes drawn loosely from Boccaccio’s The Decameron. DVD Drive-in describes it as offering “gobs of nudity” and “unparalleled weirdness.”

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Gina Dair’s appearance in Russ Meyer’s baroque masterpiece remains her most significant film credit, even though she doesn’t appear in the official cast listing. The film, written by Roger Ebert, follows an all-girl rock band called The Carrie Nations as they navigate the dangerous waters of Hollywood success.

The July 1970 Playboy pictorial on the film’s women provides the main evidence of her involvement. According to A Wasted Life, the magazine caption reads: “As uninhibited lovers, Gina Dair and Russ Peak wander away from the main action at a party — and create their own in a private pool.”

Like Dair, Russ Peak appears on no cast listing anywhere. The blog notes that despite extensive searching, they “couldn’t even locate a Russ Peak as an actor” – though they did find a Russ Peek who had background appearances in the original Star Trek series.

Interestingly, her sister Jacqulin Cole also appears in the film in a more substantial background role, creating a family connection to this cult classic.

The Love God? (1969)

This Don Knotts comedy, written and directed by Nat Hiken, represented Knotts’ attempt to break away from family-film typecasting. The plot follows Abner Peacock, whose bird-watching magazine gets taken over by publishers who transform it into a risqué men’s magazine.

The July 1970 Playboy article states: “Miss Dair’s last film role was opposite Don Knotts in The Love God, a tepid comedy about a girlie magazine publisher who’s still a virgin.” However, her part was so minimal that she appears on no cast list.

The film featured notable actors including Edmond O’Brien and Maureen Arthur, plus music composed by Vic Mizzy (creator of the iconic Addams Family theme). Tragically, director Nat Hiken died of a heart attack before the film’s release.

Trailers from Hell commentator Larry Karaszewski notes the film “illustrates with sly, cynical wit how even the best intentions can be appropriated and commercialized,” though opinions remain divided on its quality.

Evil Come, Evil Go (1972)

The British Film Institute suggests Gina Dair appears in this notorious sexploitation horror film, though this remains unconfirmed. Directed by Walt Davis and based on a story by former pornographer Bob Chin, the film follows a deranged religious zealot who murders men for having sex for pleasure.

A Wasted Life explains the connection: “Chinn had a hand in making The Danish Connection beyond his cameo. While he worked with Davis to make Evil Come, Evil Go, Davis was simultaneously creating the plot for Danish Connection, therefore the two films share a lot of the same actors, scenery and costumes.”

The film stars Cleo O’Hara as Sarah Jane Butler, a traveling preacher who seduces and murders men. Critical Condition describes it as a film that “borders on the pornographic and is definitely not for anyone who is easily offended or religious.”

Notably, John Holmes is credited as assistant director and appears briefly as a pool player in the background. The film has since achieved cult status for its bizarre mix of religious satire and graphic violence.

Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972)

In this Brian De Palma comedy, Gina Dair has a brief, uncredited appearance as an “Exotic Dancer.” Despite the minimal role, a photograph of her from the film was prominently featured in the newspaper advertisement for the Melbourne Star Adult Cinema screening.

The film stars Tom Smothers as a marketing executive who quits his job to become a tap-dancing magician under the tutelage of Orson Welles. The production proved disastrous – De Palma’s first studio picture was taken away from him, reshot, recut, shelved, and then barely released.

Shock Cinema describes the film as having “amusingly offbeat sequences” but notes that “Smothers displays all the personality of processed cheese spread.” Nevertheless, some critics consider it “a brilliantly funny absurdist comedy” that deserved better recognition.

Interestingly, the film was paired in a double feature with the Blaxploitation classic Super Fly (1972) at various drive-in theaters.

The Danish Connection (1974)

Filmed in 1972 but released in 1974, this remains the only film where Gina Dair’s name appears prominently on the promotional poster. The fifth installment in the Johnny Wadd series, it represents the first R-rated (rather than X-rated) entry in the franchise.

Directed by Walt Davis (with permission from series creator Bob Chin), the film follows private detective Johnny Wadd (John Holmes) as various parties pursue a Danish formula for male virility. According to descriptions, Gina Dair plays one of the plastic-draped women who “torture” Wadd in a white room.

Rare Films provides the plot: “Wealthy but impotent Herbert Steele desires his secretary, Kitty, and is willing to pay $1,000,000 or more for the formula. He’s hired private eye, Johnny Wadd, but Wadd has disappeared after a trip to Hawaii.”

The film reuses footage from the previous Wadd film Tropic of Passion (1973) and shares cast and crew with Evil Come, Evil Go. Adult DVD notes: “The Danish Connection, despite the odd switching of film styles, in all of its weirdness is a fun film with a good-looking cast and enjoyable softcore scenes.”

The soundtrack was composed by Jack Millman (aka Johnny Kitchen), who worked on numerous obscure 1960s and 1970s records ranging from psychedelic rock to Latin jazz.

Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977)

For this cult classic, Gina Dair worked behind the camera rather than in front of it. IMDb lists Bobbie Grumley under “Additional Crew” as the film’s choreographer.

Directed by her brother-in-law Greydon Clark (married to her sister Jacqulin Cole), the film follows four cheerleaders and their teacher who are kidnapped by Satanists. Her sister Jacqulin has a prominent role as Ms. Johnson, the cheerleaders’ chaperone.

The cast includes horror veterans John Ireland, Yvonne De Carlo, John Carradine, and Jack Kruschen. All Movie describes it as a “boneheaded (but thoroughly enjoyable) campfest” that “delivers everything such a ridiculous moniker would suggest.”

Loft Cinema calls it “deeply silly and mind-numbingly awesome, with chintzy special effects, terrible fashion choices and a story that seems to be made up as it goes along.” The film has since become a beloved entry in the cheerleader sexploitation subgenre.

Notable Collaborators

Throughout her career, Gina Dair worked with several legendary figures in exploitation cinema:

Russ Meyer – The “King of the Nudies” directed her uncredited appearance in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Meyer was known for casting unknown actresses to avoid “highly exaggerated salaries and prima donnas.”

David F. Friedman – This legendary exploitation producer likely cast her in The Head Mistress. Friedman pioneered the “roughie” subgenre and worked extensively with Herschell Gordon Lewis.

Walt Davis – This mysterious director/writer worked with Dair on at least two films (Evil Come, Evil Go and The Danish Connection). Davis was known for creating some of the “most ridiculously gory” adult films of the era.

John Holmes – The legendary adult film star appeared alongside her in The Danish Connection and worked as assistant director on Evil Come, Evil Go.

Greydon Clark – Her brother-in-law directed Satan’s Cheerleaders, for which she served as choreographer. Clark also directed Black Shampoo and Angels’ Brigade, both featuring her sister Jacqulin.

Bob Chin – This adult film director and writer created the Johnny Wadd character and had connections to several films featuring Dair.

Memorable Quotes About Gina Dair

From the July 1970 Playboy pictorial:

“Miss Dair’s last film role was opposite Don Knotts in The Love God, a tepid comedy about a girlie magazine publisher who’s still a virgin.”

From Vintage Erotica forum discussing her career:

“She’s fake credited there, as are nearly all the performers in Dave Friedman movies of that vintage. He says on one of his SWV commentary tracks that he made up goofy names for actors in order to avoid creating stars who might want more money next time.”

From A Wasted Life blog’s extensive research:

“While a quick and easy search online reveals virtually nothing about Gina Dair, a quick and easy search nevertheless finds a lot of Gina Dair.”

Fascinating Trivia

Multiple Identities: Beyond her various stage names, Gina Dair’s married name is Bobbie Morris, though little is known about her personal life after leaving the entertainment industry.

Playboy Recognition: The July 1970 Playboy pictorial featuring the women of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls remains the most substantial documentation of her film career, as she rarely received official screen credits.

Family Dynasty: Both Grumley sisters worked in exploitation cinema, with their mother and sister both serving as personal secretaries to major Hollywood stars (John Wayne and Chuck Connors).

The Hawaiian Mystery: Playboy described her as Hawaiian, though this was only semi-true – she lived there at some point but was born in Pennsylvania.

IMDb Rejection: According to A Wasted Life, a “Name Merger” request submitted to IMDb attempting to connect her various pseudonyms was rejected “despite all the proof submitted.”

Still Alive: Unlike many of her contemporaries from 1970s exploitation cinema, Gina Dair is reportedly still alive and “enjoying the sun” in an undisclosed location.

Burbank High Photo: A group photo from Burbank High School (found on the school’s blog) shows Bobbie Grumley in the front row, second from the left, providing one of the few verified images of her from before her modeling career.

Name Credit Rarity: The Danish Connection poster remains the only known promotional material to feature her stage name “Gina Dair” prominently, making it a unique artifact of her career.

Legacy and Current Status

Today, Gina Dair remains what A Wasted Life calls “long overlooked and forgotten” despite being “highly visible” through her numerous magazine appearances. Her story represents countless performers who worked in exploitation cinema during its golden age – often uncredited, using multiple names, and rarely achieving lasting recognition.

According to Ancestry.com research cited by the blog, she continues to live quietly under her married name, Bobbie Morris. Unlike many of her contemporaries who pursued mainstream careers or faded into obscurity, she has maintained complete privacy.

Her sister Jacqulin Cole‘s marriage to director Greydon Clark created a lasting family connection to exploitation cinema history. The Clark family had two sons, Trevor and Travis, ensuring the family’s entertainment legacy continues.

The Burbank High Blog’s tribute to Jackie Grumley Clark in 2003 provides one of the few public acknowledgments of the Grumley sisters’ contributions to film history, noting their unique family connections to Hollywood’s golden age.

Conclusion

Gina Dair’s career exemplifies the challenges of documenting exploitation cinema history. Working under multiple names, often uncredited, and in films that were rarely preserved or properly documented, she nevertheless contributed to some of the era’s most memorable cult classics.

From her early work as a top-paid pin-up model to her appearances in Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and the Johnny Wadd series, she represented the entrepreneurial spirit of 1970s independent cinema. Her family’s deep Hollywood connections and her sister’s parallel career created a unique entertainment dynasty that deserves greater recognition.

For vintage cinema enthusiasts and exploitation film historians, Gina Dair remains an intriguing figure – simultaneously visible (through countless magazine photographs) and invisible (through lack of film credits). Her story reminds us that behind every cult classic were numerous talented performers whose contributions have been largely forgotten by mainstream film history.

Further Reading: The Burbank High Blog provides additional information about the Grumley family, while A Wasted Life blog offers the most comprehensive research into Gina Dair’s film career available online.

Gina Dair – Comprehensive Profile

Gina Dair profile summary

Personal Identification

Birth Name: Roberta “Bobbie” Grumley

Stage Names & Aliases:

• Gina Dair (primary stage name)
• Gina Dare
• Trixie Parrish
• Barbara Lang
• Blanche Cain

Married Name: Bobbie Morris (possibly also Bobbie Taka from a second marriage)

Birth Information

Date of Birth: May 1948 (possibly 1947, but most sources indicate May 1948)

Place of Birth: Pennsylvania, USA

Current Age: 77 years old (as of 2025)

Physical Characteristics

Measurements: 37-23-36

Hair Color: Dark hair (brunette)

Eye Color: Not specified in available sources

Build: Described as having a “killer body with perfect half-cantaloupes”

Notable Features: Known for wearing wigs and using considerable hairspray (typical of late 1960s/early 1970s styling)

Family Background

Father: William Grumley (1925-1985)

• Occupation: Not extensively documented

Mother: Rose Marie Scida Grumley (1926-1997)

• Born: December 20, 1926, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Ethnicity: Italian-American
• Occupation: Personal secretary to actor Chuck Connors (star of “The Rifleman”)
• Also known as: Mary or Rosemary
• Relationship with Connors: Longtime companion, secretary, and friend
• Death: April 7, 1997, Camarillo, Ventura County, California
• Burial: San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, Los Angeles County

Maternal Grandparents:

• James Scida (died 1958)
• Adeline Papa (died 1993)

Maternal Aunt: Florence Scida King

Sister: Jackie Lynn Grumley Clark / Jacqulin Cole (June 22, 1947 – February 2, 2003)

• Occupation: Actress and personal secretary to John Wayne
• Married to: Director Greydon Clark
• Children: Trevor Clark and Travis Clark (nephews)
• Death: February 2, 2003, California, age 55

Brother-in-law: Greydon Clark (born 1943)

• Occupation: Exploitation film director

Education

High School: Burbank High School, Burbank, California

• Graduation Year: 1966
• Notable: Located near major studios (Warner Bros., Disney, NBC)

Professional Career

Primary Occupations:

• Pin-up model
• Nude model
• Showgirl
• Dancer
• Actress
• Choreographer

Career Period: Late 1960s – late 1970s (approximately 1968-1977)

Reputation: Described by Playboy (July 1970) as “one of the best-paid nude models on the West Coast”

Geographic History

Childhood/Youth:

• Pennsylvania (birth)
• Burbank, California (raised)

Adult Career Locations:

• Burbank, California
• Los Angeles, California
• North Hollywood, California (1988)
• Reno, Nevada (showgirl work)
• Las Vegas, Nevada (showgirl work)

Post-Career Locations:

• Hawaii – Hilo (1999-2017): Operated Malama Acupuncture Center
• Massachusetts (early 1990s relocation)
• Pittsfield, Massachusetts (1995-present): Current residence in Berkshire County countryside

Career Transformation

Later Career: Licensed Acupuncturist (LICAC)

• Practice: Malama Acupuncture Center, Hilo, Hawaii
• Duration: Approximately 15 years (1999-2017)
• Represents dramatic shift from entertainment to healing profession

Filmography

West Side Story (1961) – Uncredited dancer (age 13, if accurate)

The Head Mistress (1968) – Uncredited role (pseudonym used)

The Love God? (1969) – Minimal uncredited role opposite Don Knotts

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) – Uncredited background role (pool party scene with Russ Peak)

Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972) – Uncredited “Exotic Dancer”

Evil Come, Evil Go (1972) – Unconfirmed appearance

The Danish Connection (1974) – Featured role (only film with her name on poster)

Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977) – Choreographer (behind-the-scenes role)

Notable Collaborators

• Russ Meyer (director – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls)
• David F. Friedman (producer – The Head Mistress)
• Walt Davis (director – Evil Come, Evil Go, The Danish Connection)
• John Holmes (co-star – The Danish Connection)
• Greydon Clark (brother-in-law, director – Satan’s Cheerleaders)
• Bob Chin (adult film director/writer)
• Roger Ebert (screenwriter – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls)

Media Appearances

Playboy Magazine (July 1970):

• Featured in pictorial “The Dolls of ‘Beyond the Valley'”
• Two photographs published
• Described as Hawaiian (partially inaccurate – lived there but born in Pennsylvania)

Other Men’s Magazines:

• Numerous photographs throughout late 1960s and early 1970s
• Extensive modeling portfolio

Current Status

Living Status: Alive and well (as of 2025)

Current Residence: Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Privacy: Maintains complete privacy, successfully transitioning from public persona to private life

Age: 77 years old

Legacy & Recognition

Documentation Challenges:

• Often uncredited in films
• Multiple pseudonyms created confusion
• IMDb “Name Merger” request rejected despite submitted evidence
• Represents countless overlooked exploitation cinema performers

Historical Significance:

• Example of working-class Hollywood
• Part of unique family entertainment dynasty
• Representative of exploitation cinema’s golden age
• Successfully transitioned to completely different career path

Distinguishing Characteristics

Career Style:

• Frequently uncredited appearances
• Multiple professional pseudonyms
• Work in exploitation/sexploitation cinema
• Transition from on-camera to behind-the-scenes work (choreography)

Personal Traits:

• Maintained privacy after entertainment career
• Successfully reinvented herself professionally
• Complete career pivot from modeling to healing arts

Family Connections:

• Extraordinary Hollywood access through mother and sister’s secretarial positions
• Multi-generational entertainment industry involvement
• Strategic family positioning within Hollywood power structure

Sources

• Burbank High School
• Burbank High 1966 (married name Morris)
• John Dair Marriages
• A Wasted Live
• Vintage erotica forum (gallery)
• River of Filth Collectibles (magazines)

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