Bettie Page in a coma

1950's pinup model, Playboy bunny and cult figure Bettie Page is in the hospital in serious condition.

LOS ANGELES ˆ Bettie Page, a 1950s pinup known for her raven-haired bangs
and saucy come-hither looks, was hospitalized in intensive care after
suffering a heart attack, her agent said Friday.

"She's critically ill," Mark Roesler of CMG Worldwide told The Associated
Press.

He said the 85-year-old had the heart attack Tuesday and was hospitalized
Friday in the Los Angeles area.

A family friend, Todd Mueller, said Page was in a coma. When asked to
confirm, Roesler said, "I would not deny that," but he would not comment
further on her condition.

Page, a secretary turned model, is credited with helping set the stage for
the sexual revolution of the rebellious 1960s. She attracted national
attention with magazine photographs of her sensuous figure that were tacked
up on walls across the country.

Her photos included a centerfold in the January 1955 issue of then-fledgling
Playboy magazine, as well as controversial sadomasochistic poses.

Page later spent decades away from the public eye, and during that time
battled mental illness and became a born-again Christian.

After resurfacing in the 1990s, she occasionally granted interviews but
refused to allow her picture to be taken.

Mueller credits his business dealings with Page for bringing her out of
seclusion. He said he first met her in 1989 when he offered her "a bunch of
money" to show up at autograph signings.

"I probably sold 3,000 of her autographs, usually for $200 to $300," he
said. "Eleanor Roosevelt, we got $40-$50. ... Bettie Page outsells them
all."

Bettie Page was the inspiration for the character and love interest of Cliff Secord, the hero of "The Rocketeer"

Our thoughts are with her.