After Playmate Claudia Jennings was named our Miss November 1969, the acting hopeful’s professional career took off—eventually. Claudia was working at the Playboy head office as a receptionist in Chicago when photographer Pompeo Posar convinced her to test for Playmate of the Month. She quickly agreed and brought along her best friend to set, her white Samoyed, Latcho. For the all-natural redhead from St. Paul, Minnesota, her dog provided her with a sense of comfort while she was enduring rejection after rejection from the acting world. “Every actress has her particular skills and drawbacks. It's a show-business axiom that if you really want to overcome your limitations, you go to New York, but if you're satisfied with your skills, then you're ready for Hollywood,” she explains. “The reasoning is that with a stage play, you get to work with the same material over a longer period of time than you do with a film, so you have more of a chance to improve.” Ready to improve her acting talent, Claudia planned her move to the West Coast when tragedy struck—someone stole her dog at the airport, but when one door closes, another will soon open. “It may sound like a cliché to say that I never gave a moment’s thought to the possibility of my becoming Playmate of the Year, but, so help me, it’s the truth. I’ve been too busy scrambling for good roles to think about winning titles or to sit around and cry over my lost dog,” admits our Miss 1970. “As Playmate of the Year, I’m more determined than ever to be a really good actress. I don’t want to disappoint those who have written in to say that they’re watching my progress and rooting for me to make it. I came to Hollywood at a lucky time, I think. The established studios are fading and lots of hip people are out here, trying to do exciting things. Films are entering a new era and I’m glad to be a part of it.” Claudia landed roles in drive-in movies like The Unholy Rollers, made guest appearances on popular television shows like The Brady Bunch and almost got the role given to Shelley Hack on Charlie’s Angels. “The movie in which I have a part, One Too Many Mornings, is about a soldier who comes home from Vietnam, complete with medals, only to find out that nobody wants to hear about the four years he spent over there; the war’s just not real to the people around him. But, this is a real situation that lots of our boys have to face when they return, and I’m glad to be associated with a film that tries to deal seriously with a serious subject,” explains the very busy redhead of the film which was screened in Cannes, France. “What I need at this point is some fun and a chance to think things over in a different setting—so I’m packing my bags and going to Europe for a while.” While winning the title Playmate of the Year can be overwhelming, Claudia insists it hasn’t changed who she is, even though she’s enjoyed every moment of being our Miss 1970. “In all honesty, being a Playmate hasn’t really changed me very much. Not too many people have recognized me on the street yet—and, of course, I’m still the same person I was before,” says the beauty who won a Capri by Lincoln-Mercury, a Harley-Davidson and a ten-speed Schwinn Varsity bike all in Playmate pink. “But, my career has gotten a boost it couldn’t have had otherwise and I’ve received a lot of mail, which lets me know that I mean something to a lot of people. To say that I’m grateful would be the understatement of the year.” Claudia Jennings is just the beginning of what looks to be a decade full of beautiful Playmates.