Hollywood history is littered with stars who burned bright and then just... faded. But Victoria Vetri, who many fans still know as Angela Dorian, didn't just fade away. She crashed. If you were around in the late '60s, her face was everywhere—from the pages of Playboy to cult classic films like When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth.
Then, decades later, the headlines changed from "Playmate of the Year" to "Attempted Murder." It’s a wild, tragic story that honestly feels like something out of a noir novel. You’ve got the glitz of the Manson-era Hollywood, a connection to Roman Polanski, and a shooting that landed an icon in state prison.
The Dual Identity: Victoria Vetri vs. Angela Dorian
Most people don't realize that Victoria Vetri and Angela Dorian are the exact same person. She was born Victoria Cecilia Vetri in San Francisco back in 1944. Her parents were Italian immigrants, and she eventually made her way to Hollywood High.
Basically, "Angela Dorian" was her stage name for the modeling world. Under that name, she became the September 1967 Playmate of the Month. A year later, she was crowned the 1968 Playmate of the Year. That came with a $20,000 check and a pink AMC AMX—a car that’s still legendary among collectors today.
But Victoria wanted to be an actress.
She used her real name for most of her film credits. If you watch Rosemary’s Baby (1968), there’s a super meta moment where Mia Farrow’s character tells Victoria’s character, "You look like Victoria Vetri." It was a wink to the audience because Roman Polanski, the director, was a big fan of her look. He even allegedly suggested she stick with her real name to distance herself from the "Playmate" label, which back then could be a career killer for serious roles.
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From Hammer Horror to the Moon
In 1970, she landed her most famous leading role as Sanna in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth. It was a Hammer Films production, and Victoria spent most of the movie in a fur bikini. She actually refused to bleach her hair blonde for the role, insisting on a wig instead.
Her fame reached literally out of this world. During the Apollo 12 mission, NASA pranksters actually snuck a tiny photo of Victoria (as Angela Dorian) onto the wrist checklists of the astronauts. Pete Conrad found it while walking on the lunar surface. The caption read: "Seen any interesting hills and valleys?"
It’s crazy to think about. One minute you're a pin-up on the moon, and the next, you're struggling to find work as the 1970s grind on. Like many starlets of that era, the roles started getting smaller. Invasion of the Bee Girls and guest spots on Hogan's Heroes or Land of the Giants kept her busy, but the "A-list" dream was slipping.
The 2010 Shooting and the Fall
The story takes a dark, violent turn in October 2010. Victoria was living in a Hollywood apartment with her husband, Bruce Rathgeb. They’d been married since 1986. According to police reports, an argument broke out.
It wasn't just a shouting match.
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Victoria grabbed a handgun and shot Bruce in the back/chest area from close range. When the LAPD showed up, she reportedly tried to blame a drug dealer, but the story didn't hold up. She was arrested and hit with an attempted murder charge.
The Polanski Connection Returns
Here is a detail that sounds fake but is 100% real: the gun.
During the investigation, it came out that the handgun used in the shooting was allegedly given to her by Roman Polanski decades earlier. It was meant for protection following the horrific Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969. Victoria had been close with Sharon Tate, and the whole Hollywood scene was terrified back then.
In 2011, she pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of attempted voluntary manslaughter. The judge gave her nine years. She was 66 years old when she went into the California state prison system.
Where is Victoria Vetri Now?
Victoria served her time and was released on parole in April 2018. She was 73 at the time. Since her release, she has largely stayed out of the public eye, though some reports suggest she moved back to the Los Angeles area.
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Her marriage to Rathgeb ended in divorce in 2016 while she was still behind bars. It's a somber ending for someone who was once considered the "next big thing" in Hollywood.
Why Her Story Still Matters
People still search for Victoria Vetri because she represents a specific, lost era of Hollywood. She was the bridge between the classic studio system and the "New Hollywood" of the 70s. Her life is a cautionary tale about the pressures of fame and the reality of aging in an industry that prizes youth above all else.
If you're looking into her history, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Don't confuse her with April Tatro. Many old Star Trek fans think Victoria played the cat-woman "Isis" in the episode Assignment: Earth. She didn't. She’s been very vocal about correcting that mistake over the years.
- Check out her Hammer Film work. When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth is actually a masterpiece of stop-motion animation by Jim Danforth. It's worth a watch just for the technical skill.
- The Pink AMX. If you ever see a pink 1968 AMC AMX at a car show, check the VIN. There was only one "Playmate of the Year" car in that specific color, and it’s a massive piece of pop culture history.
The legacy of Victoria Vetri (or Angela Dorian) is complicated. She was a mother, a model, an actress, and eventually, a convicted felon. She’s a reminder that the people we see on screen have lives that are often far more chaotic than the characters they play.
Next Steps for Collectors and Fans
If you are interested in the history of 1960s Hollywood starlets, you should look into the "Hammer Horror" era of films which featured many of Victoria's contemporaries. You can also research the history of the Apollo 12 "checklists" through the NASA archives to see the actual documentation of the prank that made her the first woman "on the moon."