New book about Barbara Payton contains previously unpublished photos

Barbara Payton was an acclaimed actress from Hollywood's Golden Era. She passed away at the age of 39.

The cause of death was heart failure after battling alcohol and drug addiction for years had destroyed her physically and emotionally.

A new book which will be released later this year, titled "Barbara Payton: A Life in Pictures," will include hundreds of never-seen-before photos.

Read more on our Twitter account @amomama_usa and scroll down for details about the book.

Autobiographer and film journalist, John O'Dowd, said on Facebook that the book would come out in October and he is excited about the release. He added:

"I've worked very hard on the project for the past seven or eight years, and I especially want it to be an exciting and much-anticipated thing for Barbara's many fans."

He believes that her "wild and outrageous antics" was just a mask for "deep and inner desolation." O'Dowd is currently doing the final proof of the biography.

The book also contains insets from her sister-in-law, Jan Redfield, who believed that Payton could have conquered the film industry if she was only able to "rein in her life."

Her big break came in the late forties when she was cast by William Cagney in "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" alongside James Cagney and Helena Carter.

Three years later she portrayed Lorna Vecchi in "Bad Blonde," a role that brought her critical acclaim.

Her last role was in 1955, and her addiction battles spiraled out of control during the next eight years. She refused rehabilitation saying she would "rather drink and die."

She fell ill in 1967 and moved back to California to her parents, where she passed away of heart and liver failure in her folks' home.

Fans can read more about her life in O'Dowd's 2007 biography titled "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story."