The True Hollywood Mystery Of Carol Wayne!
This is my most-read story of all time, so I’m sharing it with a few updates…it is also “safe for work” as well.
Here’s a “True Hollywood” mystery for you!
For millions of late-night TV fans in the 1970’s, Carol Wayne was one of the most well-known – and beloved – parts of pop culture!
Actress Carol Wayne appeared in a number of TV shows and movies in the 70’s and 80’s, but she is remembered for her appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” – as the “Matinee Lady” in the “Art Fern’s Tea Time Movie” sketches.
She was voluptuous, but had an innocent charm that captivated viewers, and was featured in many popular TV shows at the time, while always being a fixture on Johnny’s iconic late night show.
Here’s a clip from that show, when she was a guest!
Carol’s Tragic “Hollywood Story!”
So what happened? How did someone who was so prominently featured on TV’s biggest show end up dead? And was it an “accident?”
Let’s look at the wild life and sad death of Carol Wayne…
Wayne said she was “discovered” at a Hollywood party and auditioned for The Tonight Show – her appearances made her famous, and led to small parts in a number of films…
Wayne’s career, however, didn’t get the big “break” that you may have expected – after all, she was extremely popular thanks to The Tonight Show, but the roles she got were small – so she did what many of that era did to get attention…
Carol’s Playboy Pictorial!
In February 1984, Carol appeared nude in a pictorial for Playboy – no doubt looking for the breakout role that would continue to move her career forward…but as it turns out, there was much darkness underneath this Hollywood story.
The same year that Wayne appeared in Playboy, she filed for bankruptcy. According to several stories about the Actress, she wasn’t landing movie or TV roles, which led to financial problems – and she reportedly became dependent on drugs and alcohol as a result.
That same year, Wayne made her final film appearance. It was called “Heartbreakers”. My friend Lawrence Levin sent me this note about the film:
HEARTBREAKERS (1984) It’s on YouTube. She plays a dominatrix who has the hots for Peter Coyote who is a starving pin up artist.
He thought I would be interested in Wayne’s story, and I was – because while “breakthrough” roles are few and far between, it was odd that her exposure on the iconic Tonight Show With Jonny Carson wouldn’t have helped her more…
Carol was 41 years old when she made “Heartbreakers” – which did poorly at the box office and didn’t create more opportunities for the Actress.
So, while she appeared in a number of TV shows and films, none were able to help her break out to become a star…
Carol’s Mysterious Death…
Now, the story take a sad and troubling turn.
Reports from that time say that Carol was on vacation in Santiago Bay, Mexico with her boyfriend, car salesman Edward Durston on January 10, 1985.
Allegedly, the couple had an argument, Wayne went for a walk along the beach, and Durston headed to the airport, where he left her bags.
That was the last time anyone saw her alive. A local fisherman found her body floating in shallow bay waters three days later.
Among the questions surrounding her death: Mexican police wondered how Carol drowned in water four feet deep, fully clothed.
She had no cuts or abrasions, ruling out the possibility she could have accidentally fallen from rocks nearby. The coroner stated that death occurred 3 – 4 days earlier – meaning she died while on her “walk alone.”
Carol’s body also tested negative for drugs and alcohol, suggesting she didn’t drunkenly pass out in the water.
Ultimately, her death was ruled “Accidental” and the caae was closed.
So, what happened to Carol Wayne? We will never know. The boyfriend who left her at the resort, Edward Durston, died in 2007…but if you look online you will find some intriguing theories…due to the fact that Durston was also with TV Host Art Linkletter’s daughter when she jumped out of a window years earlier, apparently on LSD.
Durston’s name came up in relation to the Manson murders as an acquaintance of one of the victims of that horrible crime..other than that, nothing can be found to suggest police ever seriously suspected him of involvement in Wayne’s death…
Carol Wayne’s death was called an accident, even with all of the suspicious circumstances. And another sad, cautionary tale of Hollywood – and how tough it is to survive in this town.. .recently, I shared another “True Hollywood Story” about a fallen sex kitten:
Yvette Vickers was the star of “Attack Of The 50-Foot Woman”, but was found dead, isolated and alone, in her house decades later…see the whole story by clicking here:
And this story about a mobster, a movie star and a very sharp knife is riveting as well..check it out here:
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Categories: Cult Movies, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, True Hollywood Mystery, TV Show
johnrieber 
I remember Carol Wayne and the story of her sudden death. Sad that it was never explained to anyone’s satisfaction.
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Very interesting post, John. I had always wondered what happened to her.
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So sad. She was the nice girl, so sweet. It’s tragic that she died and her death was never solved.
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Yes, someone – and my story suggests who – got away with murder and it’s shocking…
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How horrible!
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it was such a sad loss and never really solved, she seemed like such a sweet person
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Yes, a sad end to a life that brought so many joy and happiness – she was a gifted comedienne on The Tonight Show…
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I always really enjoyed her –
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I remember her most from Playboy….her drowning re4minds me of Natalie Wood…..both are suspicious to me. chuq
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Yes that’s a great point…thanks for bringing that up…
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Natal;ie was gorgeous and gone way too soon. chuq
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yes great point. I have always found miss woods death very strange .
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Drowning in four feet of water sounds mightily suspicious to me, John. I only know of her from your posts here, as the Johnny Carson Show was never shown in the UK, and I don’t know her from her few film roles. I had to smile at the description of her in the newspaper obituary as ‘full-figured’. How times have changed…
Best wishes, Pete.
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