Robbin Bain Dies: ‘Today Girl’ In Fashion Segments Was 87
Robbin Bain, who was known as the “Today Girl” handling fashion and beauty segments on the NBC-TV morning show, died Oct. 21 in Southampton, N.Y., on Long Island. She was 87 and had breast cancer, according to her daughter.
Her public career began in 1959, when she was named as Miss Rheingold, then the most popular beer in the New York region. For her win, she received $50,000 and spent the next year making appearances in the United States and Europe.
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She turned to modeling, appearing in ads for Helena Rubinstein and Revlon. She was also one of four women, called “Portrettes,” who introduced Jackie Gleason on his television variety show, The Jackie Gleason Show, in 1956 and 1957.
Early in her career, she changed her first name to Robbin to avoid confusion with the actress Barbara Bain.
In late August 1961, Bain joined NBC as the “Today Girl,” working alongside the host John Chancellor and the news anchor Frank Blair. That lasted two months, with Bain leaving because of her pregnancy with her first daughter, Dina.
Survivors include daughters Lara and Dina; her husband, Alexander Guadieri; a stepson, Alexandre Guadieri; and six grandchildren.
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