Actress: Catherine Bach
(Catherine Bach posing in the film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Image courtesy of Express.co.uk)
(Iconic pinup shot of Catherine Bach in her role as Daisy Duke. Image courtesy of Express.co.uk)
Background
Catherine Bach starred as Daisy Duke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979. Born in Warren, Ohio in 1954 the star graduated from a high school located in Rapid City, South Dakota. She broke out singing in Canton, Ohio for a concert at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. Before starring as Daisy Duke, she had a role in the film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot that premiered in the year 1974.
The Dukes of Hazard was a show featuring two boys Bo and Luke Duke, living with their Uncle Jesse and cousin Daisy on a farm in the south. Avoiding trouble and riding around in their souped-up Dodge Charger was the main plot line of the hit television series.
Bach has continued to act and has been currently having roles in the well-known Soap Opera The Young and the Restless since February 7th 2012 as character Anita Lawson. In addition to acting she sells her 'Daisy' apparel on her website CatherineBach.com to those who wish to wear the clothing style represented by Bach.
Though Bach can be looked at as an entrepreneur for creating her own pin-up poster, she has faced some struggles. In April of 2010 Bach's husband of 20 years, Peter Lopez, committed suicide. The mother of two daughters was left alone to raise a family. Bach now says to anyone who suffers a sudden death in the family, "There’s just certain things that people have to pay attention to and that’s pray a lot, go to church a lot, get therapy, be with your friends, read about it and really, really take care of yourself."
Sexism in the 1970's
The iconic short denim cut off shorts and the tied up top is what Bach is most well known for throughout the tenure of her acting career. Bach, though a major sex symbol of the 1970's knew when it became too much for the public. "They said ‘We want you in a bikini with lots of oil and inch-long fingernails with your hair wet and slicked back. I said, ‘That’s not my character, plus I’m an actress, not a beauty-pageant girl."
The poster was cancelled, and instead she put out her own Daisy-style poster and proceeded to sell five million copies. The big hair, and low cut tops seemed to be a reoccurring pattern for many of the female stars within the 1970's film era. Loni Anderson, a blonde who began her career in the 1970's got her chance at stardom when landing the role as the 'sexy' receptionist on the show WKRP in Cincinnati.
Anderson and Bach were not the only women placed in roles that sexualized woman in the 70's. The list continues for actresses involved in fields that go beyond the camera. Adrienne Barbeau starred in the broadway musicals of Fiddler on the Roof, Women Behind Bars, and Grease. She proceeded to win a Tony Award nomination for her role as 'Sandy' in Grease.
Actress Helen Mirren, claims that the 1970's was the worst decade in Hollywood for sexism. Being in her "prime" during the 1970's Mirren felt the brunt of the sexist attitude that lived among Hollywood."Men saw that as a sort of, 'Oh, fantastic! We can f--- anything, however we like, whenever we like! They're up for grabs, boys!' It was that kind of attitude" said Mirren.
Quotes from Catherine Bach
"I'm an actress, not a beauty- pageant girl."
"I made all my clothes the first season, in response to a really horrible wardrobe choice by the producers.They wanted me to wear a red-and-white checked poodle skirt, a white turtleneck, white go-go boots and — get this — a a blond wig."
(Publicity Image from Dukes of Hazzard. Image courtesy of IGN.com)
Quote about Catherine Bach
"I made sure no butt cheek hung out. You know, the original Daisy, Catherine Bach's shorts were shorter than mine," - Jessica Simpson, an actress who played Daisy in the 2005 remake of the film the Dukes of Hazzard.
Catherine Bach Interview the Dukes of Hazzard
Clip from the film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
Additional Information
‘You've Come a Long Way, Baby’: The Lag Between Advertising and Feminism
Helen Mirren says sexism in the 1970s was worse than '40s and '50s
Catherine Bach - Famous Birthdays
Catherine Bach on a Personal Level
(Page researched and written by Amanda Holland.)
