Short Biography

Born Barbara Lee Redfield, in Cloquet, Minnesota, she was the daughter of restaurateurs, and raised in Odessa, Texas. In 1945, at age seventeen, she headed for Hollywood in search of a career in movies and was eventually placed under contract by Universal Studios where she began appearing in bit parts. After being discovered by James Cagney and his producer brother William, Payton starred in Cagney’s Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in 1950. She signed a contract with Cagney’s production company.

In 1967, after failed efforts to curb her drinking, she moved in with her parents in San Diego in an attempt to dry out. On May 8, 1967, Payton died at her parents` home; the cause of death was heart and liver failure.

Miscellaneous Information

Friends and Family

Ava Gardner [Friend]

Lana Turner [Friend]

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