Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Legend of Marilyn Monroe



A documentary about the life and career of the ultimate all-time sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, narrated by director John Huston (who worked with her on "The Misfits"). Included are interviews with friends, cast and crew who worked with her and others who knew her, clips from her films and some scenes that were cut from her earliest movies and not seen for many years.

Lana Turner



















Lana Turner (February 8, 1921 – June 29, 1995) was an American actress.
Discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen, Turner first attracted attention in They Won't Forget (1937). She played featured roles, often as the ingenue, in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938). During the early 1940s she established herself as a leading actress in such films as Johnny Eager (1941), Ziegfeld Girl (1941) and Somewhere I'll Find You (1942), and her reputation as a glamorous femme fatale was enhanced by her performance in the film noir The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Her popularity continued through the 1950s, in such films as The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and Peyton Place (1957), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
In 1958, her daughter, Cheryl Crane, stabbed Turner's lover Johnny Stompanato to death. A coroner's inquest brought considerable media attention to Turner and concluded that Crane had acted in self defense. Turner's next film, Imitation of Life (1959), proved to be one of the greatest successes of her career, but from the early 1960s, her roles were fewer. She gained recognition near the end of her career with a recurring guest role in the television series Falcon Crest during 1982 and 1983.
Turner made her final television appearance in 1991, and died from throat cancer in 1995.

Early life

Born Julia Jean Turner in Wallace, Idaho, she was the daughter of John Virgil Madison Turner, a miner from Hohenwald, Tennessee, and Mildred Frances Cowan, a sixteen-year-old Arkansas native. A common and often repeated error is to add the given names of her mother Mildred Frances to her birth name. These names she used when she converted to Catholicism.
Until her film career took off, she was known to family and friends as "Judy". Hard times eventually forced the family to re-locate to San Francisco, where her parents soon separated.
On December 14, 1930, her father won some money at a traveling craps game, stuffed his winnings in his left sock, and headed for home. He was later found dead on the corner of Minnesota and Mariposa Streets, on the edge of Potrero Hill and the Dogpatch District in San Francisco, his left shoe and sock missing. The robbery and murder were never solved. Soon after, her mother developed health problems and was advised by her doctor to move to a drier climate. With her ten-year-old daughter, she moved to Los Angeles in 1931.
Mildred and Lana were very poor, and Turner was sometimes separated from her mother, living with friends or acquaintances so that the family could save money. Her mother worked as a beautician to support them. After Turner was discovered, her mother became the overseer of Turner's career.

Film career

Turner's discovery at a Hollywood drug store is a show-business legend. As a sixteen-year-old student at Hollywood High School, Turner skipped a typing class and bought a Coke at the Top Hat Cafe located on the southeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and McCadden Place (not Schwab's Pharmacy), where she was spotted by William R. Wilkerson, publisher of The Hollywood Reporter. Wilkerson was attracted by her beauty and physique, and referred her to the actor/comedian/talent agent Zeppo Marx. Marx's agency immediately signed her on and introduced her to film director Mervyn LeRoy, who cast her in her first film, They Won't Forget (1937).
Turner earned the nickname "The Sweater Girl" from her form-fitting attire in a scene in They Won't Forget. According to her daughter, this was a nickname Turner detested throughout her entire career. In late 1937, she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $100 a week, and graduated from high school in between takes. Her first starring role for MGM was scheduled to be an adaption of The Sea-Wolf, co-starring Clark Gable, but the project was eventually canned. Instead, she was assigned opposite teen idol Mickey Rooney in the Andy Hardy film Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938). It was this appearance that made Louis B. Mayer convinced that Turner could be the next Jean Harlow, a sex symbol who died six months before Turner's arrival at MGM.
Mayer turned her into a glamorous star, mostly popular among college boys, and gave her the leads in several teen-oriented films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, such as Dramatic School (1938), These Glamour Girls (1939) and Dancing Co-Ed (1939). In early 1940, she was also set to star in a remake of Our Dancing Daughters, but the film was never made. From the beginning of her career, Turner stood her ground on her beliefs and was one of the few actresses at MGM to go against Mayer's wishes.
Turner reached the height of her fame in the 1940s and 1950s. During World War II, Turner became a popular pin-up girl due to her popularity in such films such as Ziegfeld Girl (1941), Johnny Eager (1942), and four films with Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer's "king of the lot," Clark Gable. The Turner-Gable films' successes were only heightened by gossip-column rumors about a relationship between the two. Turner even had a B-17 Flying Fortress—the Tempest Turner—named after her. Following the canned The Sea Wolf project, Turner and Gable were set to star in The Uniform in December 1940. Turner was eventually replaced by Rosalind Russell and the film was released as They Met in Bombay (1941).
Meanwhile, Turner was receiving much publicity for her personal life, and her career was one of the very few to be furthered by this. MGM boosted this by changing the title of her latest film to Slightly Dangerous (1943).
After the war, Turner's career continued successfully with the release, in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), which co-starred John Garfield. As claimed in a documentary, Turner did not get along with him and when she found he was her male lead, she responded: "Couldn't they at least hire someone attractive?" The now-classic film noir marked a turning point in her career, and it marked Turner's first femme fatale role.Reviews of the film, and in particular, Turner's performance, were glowing, with a critic of The New York Times writing it was "the role of her career." While not exactly giving up her pin-up credentials, Turner established herself as a skilled actress. The Postman Always Rings Twice was thus a turning point in her career. Turner commented on this:
"I finally got tired of making movies where all I did was walk across the screen and look pretty. I got a big chance to do some real acting in The Postman Always Rings Twice, and I'm not going to slip back if I can help it. I tried to persuade the studio to give me something different. But every time I went into my argument about how bad a picture was they'd say, 'well, it's making a fortune.' That licked me."
She got the role after turning down "four pretty-pretty parts in a row." The film became a box office success, which prompted the studio to take more risks on the star. In August 1946, it was announced Turner was set to replace Katharine Hepburn in the big budgeted historical drama Green Dolphin Street (1947), a role for which she darkened her hair and lost 15 pounds. She was cast due to the persistance of producer Carey Wilson, who was overwhelmed by her performance in The Postman Always Rings Twice. Turner later recalled she was surprised about replacing Hepburn, saying: "And I guess I'm about the most un-Hepburnish actress on the lot. But it was just what I wanted to do." It was her first starring role that did not center on her looks. In an interview, Turner said: "I even go running around in the jungles of New Zealand in a dress that's filthy and ragged. I don't wear any make-up and my hair's a mess." Nevertheless, she insisted she would not give up her glamorous image.
Later that year, Turner headlined Cass Timberlane, a role that Jennifer Jones, Vivien Leigh and Virginia Grey were previously considered for. As of early 1946, Turner was set for the role, but schedules with Green Dolphin Street almost prohibited her from taking the role, and by late 1946, she was almost recast.Production of Cass Timberlane was very exhausting for Turner, as it was shot in between retakes of Green Dolphin Street. Nevertheless, she took the female lead in Homecoming (1948) in August 1947, only moments after finishing Cass Timberlane. She was the studio's first choice for the role, but they were reluctant to offer her the part, considering her overbooked schedule. Paired again with Clark Gable in Homecoming, their chemistry projected on the screen was well received by the audience, and they were nicknamed "the team that generates steam". By this period, Turner achieved the milestone of her film career, and was not only MGM's most popular star, but also one of the ten best paid women in the United States.
In 1948, Turner appeared in her first Technicolor film, appearing as Lady de Winter in The Three Musketeers, opposite Gene Kelly, Van Heflin and June Allyson. In November 1947, she agreed to do the film, thereby giving up an unfinished film project called Bedeviled. However, in January 1948 it was reported that she had withdrawn from the film. Initially, Louis B. Mayer gave her permission for doing so because of her schedule,but she was later that month put on suspension. Eventually, Turner agreed to make the film, but did not start production until March due to having to lose weight. In 1949, she was to headline A Life of Her Own (1950). The project was shelved for several months, and Turner insisted in December 1949 that she had nothing to do with it, saying: "Everybody agrees that the script is still a pile of junk. I'm anxious to get started. By the time this one comes out, it will be almost three years since I was last on the screen, in The Three Musketeers. I don't think it's healthy to stay off the screen that long."
in Mr. Imperium (1951)
During the 1950s, Turner starred in a series of films that failed to succeed at the box office, a situation MGM attempted to remedy by casting her in musicals. The first, Mr. Imperium (1951), was a flop, while The Merry Widow (1952) was more successful. She gave a widely praised performance in Vincente Minnelli's film, The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and later starred with John Wayne in the adventure film The Sea Chase (1955). She was then cast in the epic The Prodigal (1955), but the film and her performance in general were not well received. After the film Diane (1956), MGM opted not to renew her contract. This was a difficult time for Hollywood's major studios because a recent court decision forced them to divest themselves of their movie theaters. In addition, television had caught on in a big way; the public was staying home. Turner was just one of MGM's star roster to be let go.
Turner's career recovered briefly after she appeared in the hugely successful big-screen adaptation of Grace Metalious's best-selling novel, Peyton Place (1957), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Another few box-office failures followed (Another Time, Another Place (1958), for example) when the 1958 scandal surrounding her daughter's killing of Stompanato threatened to derail her career completely.
In the trail of the related negative publicity, Turner accepted the lead role in Ross Hunter's remake of Imitation of Life (1959) under the direction of Douglas Sirk. Universal Studios capitalized on her new-found notoriety; the result was one of the biggest hits of the year, as well as the biggest hit of Turner's career: she owned 50% of the earnings of the picture and for only the first year of the film's career she earned 11 million $. Critics and audiences couldn't help noticing that the plots of both Peyton Place and Imitation of Life had borrowed heavily from Turner's private life. Each film depicted the troubled, complicated relationship between a single mother and her teenage daughter.
She made her last film at MGM starring with Bob Hope in Bachelor in Paradise (1961). Other highlights of this era include two Hunter productions (for whom she did Imitation of Life), Portrait in Black (1960) and Madame X (1966), which proved to be her last major starring role.

Personal life

Lana Turner in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941).
Turner was well known inside Hollywood circles for dating often, changing partners often, and for never shying away from the topic of how many lovers she had in her lifetime.
Turner was married eight times to seven different husbands:
  • Bandleader Artie Shaw (1940). Married only four months, Turner was 19 when she and Shaw eloped on their first date. The sudden marriage was highly publicized, and there was even talks of MGM releasing her from her contract. She later referred to their stormy and verbally abusive relationship as "my college education".
  • Actor-restaurateur Joseph Stephen Crane (1942–1943, 1943–1944). Turner and Crane's first marriage was annulled after she discovered that Crane's previous divorce had not yet been finalized. After a brief separation (during which Crane attempted suicide), they re-married to provide for their newborn daughter, Cheryl.
  • Millionaire socialite Henry J. Topping Jr. (1948–1952). A brother of Dan Topping, owner of the New York Yankees, and a grandson of tin-plate magnate Daniel G. Reid, "Bob" Topping proposed to Turner at the 21 Club in Los Angeles by dropping a diamond ring into her martini. Although worth millions when they married—the ceremony occurred three days after Topping was divorced from his third wife, actress Arline Judge, who had been previously married to his brother Dan—Topping suffered heavy financial losses due to poor investments and excessive gambling. The couple's marriage resulted in a church trial for the officiant because the marriage took place less than a year after Topping's divorce from Judge.
  • Actor Lex Barker (1953–1957), whom she divorced. In a book written by Cheryl Crane, Crane claimed that he repeatedly molested and raped her, and that it was after she told her mother this that they divorced.
  • Rancher Frederick "Fred" May (1960–1962), who was a member of the May department-store family.
  • Robert P. Eaton (1965–1969);. A movie producer, he went on to write The Body Brokers, a behind-the-scenes look at the Hollywood movie world, featuring a character named Marla Jordan, based on Turner.
  • Nightclub hypnotist Ronald Pellar, also known as Ronald Dante or Dr. Dante (1969–1972). The couple met in 1969 in a Los Angeles discotheque and married that same year. After about six months of marriage, Pellar disappeared a few days after Turner had written a $35,000 check to him to help him in an investment; he used the money for other purposes. In addition, she later accused him of stealing $100,000 worth of jewelry.
She later famously said, "My goal was to have one husband and seven children, but it turned out to be the other way around."

The Stompanato killing

Turner met Johnny Stompanato during the spring of 1957, shortly after ending her marriage to Barker. At first, Turner was susceptible to Stompanato's good looks and prowess as a lover, but after she discovered his ties to the Los Angeles underworld (in particular, his association with gangster Mickey Cohen), she tried to break off the affair out of fear of bad publicity. Stompanato was not easily deterred, however, and over the course of the following year, they carried on a relationship filled with violent arguments, physical abuse and repeated reconciliations.
In the fall of 1957, Stompanato followed Turner to England where she was filming Another Time, Another Place (1958) costarring Sean Connery. Fearful that Turner was having an affair with Connery, Stompanato stormed onto the set brandishing a gun. Connery managed to land a single punch to Stompanato's jaw and took away his gun. Stompanato was soon deported by Scotland Yard for the incident.
Lana Turner's former home in Beverly Hills where Johnny Stompanato was killed in 1958.
On the evening of April 4, 1958, Turner and Stompanato began a violent argument in Turner's house at 730 N. Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. Fearing her mother's life was in danger, Turner's fourteen-year-old daughter, Cheryl, grabbed a kitchen knife and ran to Turner's defense.
Many theories abound as to what happened afterward, but it appears the teenager stabbed Stompanato, killing him. The case quickly became a media sensation. It was later deemed a justifiable homicide at a coroner's inquest, at which Turner provided dramatic testimony. Some observers have said her testimony that day was the acting performance of her life.

Later life

In the 1970s and 1980s, Turner appeared in several television roles, most notably as a guest star for several episodes on the series Falcon Crest as Jaqueline Perrault, but the majority of her final decade was spent out of the public eye.
She died at the age of 74 in 1995 of complications from throat cancer, which was diagnosed in 1992 and which she had been battling ever since, at her home in Century City, Los Angeles, California. She was, until her death, a very heavy smoker.
Turner was survived by Cheryl Crane, her only child, and Crane's life partner Joyce "Josh" LeRoy, whom she said she accepted "as a second daughter". They inherited some of Turner's sizable estate, built through shrewd real estate holdings and investments. However, the majority of her estate was left to her maid, Carmen Lopez Cruz.
For her contribution to the motion-picture industry, Turner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6241 Hollywood Boulevard.
In the 1983, Turner suffered a heart attack but recovered. In the mid-1990s, Turner became a Born-Again Christian.

In literature

Turner is the subject of the poem "Lana Turner has collapsed" by the poet Frank O'Hara.
Turner and Stompanato appear as minor characters in James Ellroy's novel L.A. Confidential.

In music

Turner appears mentioned on the rap section of Madonna's "Vogue" next to stars from the Golden Age era of Hollywood like Bette Davis or Marilyn Monroe.

Filmography

Year Title Role Co-stars Notes
1937 They Won't Forget Mary Clay Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson Turner's film debut
Topper Uncredited Constance Bennett, Cary Grant, Roland Young, Billie Burke
The Great Garrick Mademoiselle Auber Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland
1938 The Adventures of Marco Polo Nazama'a Maid Gary Cooper, Sigrid Gurie, Basil Rathbone
Love Finds Andy Hardy Cynthia Potter Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland
The Chaser Miss Rutherford (scenes deleted) Dennis O'Keefe, Ann Morriss, Lewis Stone
Four's a Crowd Passerby (uncredited) Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell, Patric Knowles
Rich Man, Poor Girl Helen Thayer Robert Young, Lew Ayres, Ruth Hussey
Dramatic School Mado Luise Rainer, Paulette Goddard
1939 Calling Dr. Kildare Rosalie Lewett Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day
These Glamour Girls Jane Thomas Lew Ayres
Dancing Co-Ed Patty Marlow Richard Carlson, Artie Shaw Turner met her future husband Artie Shaw on this film and they married soon after
1940 Two Girls on Broadway Patricia 'Pat' Mahoney Joan Blondell, George Murphy Remake of the 1929 hit film The Broadway Melody
We Who Are Young Marjorie White Brooks John Shelton
1941 Ziegfeld Girl Sheila Regan James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr Turner's breakthrough role
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Bea Emery Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman Turner was originally to play Ivy Pearson the prostitute, with Bergman playing Bea. However the roles were switched.
Honky Tonk Elizabeth Cotton Clark Gable, Claire Trevor Turner's first of four films with Clark Gable
1942 Johnny Eager Lisbeth Bard Robert Taylor, Van Heflin
Somewhere I'll Find You Paula Lane Clark Gable, Robert Sterling Second film starring Turner and Gable
1943 The Youngest Profession Herself (guest star) Virginia Weidler, John Carroll Cameo role
Slightly Dangerous Peggy Evans/Carol Burden Robert Young, Walter Brennan
Du Barry Was a Lady Cameo Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly Uncredited guest star
1944 Marriage Is a Private Affair Theo Scofield West John Hodiak, James Craig
1945 Keep Your Powder Dry Valerie 'Val' Parks Laraine Day, Susan Peters
Week-End at the Waldorf Bunny Smith Ginger Rogers, Walter Pidgeon, Van Johnson Remake of the 1932 film Grand Hotel. Turner played the role similar to Joan Crawford's in that film
1946 The Postman Always Rings Twice Cora Smith John Garfield Considered to be Turner's greatest performance and her signature film. Turner herself regarded this as one of her personal favorites
1947 Green Dolphin Street Marianne Patourel Van Heflin, Donna Reed, Richard Hart
Cass Timberlane Virginia Marshland Spencer Tracy
1948 Homecoming Jane 'Snapshot' McCall Clark Gable, Anne Baxter, John Hodiak Third film starring Turner and Gable
The Three Musketeers Milady de Winter Gene Kelly, Vincent Price, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Angela Lansbury
1950 A Life of Her Own Lily Brannel James Ray Milland, Louis Calhern, Ann Dvorak The only film Turner made with George Cukor as director
1951 Mr. Imperium Fredda Barlo Ezio Pinza
1952 The Merry Widow Crystal Radek Fernando Lamas
The Bad and the Beautiful Georgia Lorrison Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Gloria Grahame
1953 Latin Lovers Nora Taylor Ricardo Montalban
1954 The Flame and the Flesh Madeline Pier Angeli, Carlos Thompson
Betrayed Carla Van Oven Clark Gable, Victor Mature Fourth and final film starring Turner and Gable
1955 The Prodigal Samarra Edmund Purdom, Louis Calhern
The Sea Chase Elsa Keller John Wayne
The Rains of Ranchipur Lady Edwina Esketh Richard Burton, Fred MacMurray
1956 Diane Diane de Poitiers Roger Moore, Marisa Pavan, Pedro Armendariz Turner's last film under her 18 year contract with MGM.
1957 Peyton Place Constance MacKenzie Lee Philips, Hope Lange, Diane Varsi, Russ Tamblyn, Arthur Kennedy Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actress
1958 The Lady Takes a Flyer Maggie Colby Jeff Chandler
Another Time, Another Place Sara Scott Sean Connery, Barry Sullivan
1959 Imitation of Life Lora Meredith John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Juanita Moore, Susan Kohner Turner's most successful film. The last film directed by Douglas Sirk
1960 Portrait in Black Sheila Cabot Anthony Quinn, Sandra Dee, John Saxon
1961 By Love Possessed Marjorie Penrose Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Jason Robards
Bachelor in Paradise Rosemary Howard Bob Hope
1962 Who's Got the Action? Melanie Flood Dean Martin
1965 Love Has Many Faces Kit Jordan Cliff Robertson, Ruth Roman
1966 Madame X Holly Parker John Forsythe, Constance Bennett, Burgess Meredith, Ricardo Montalban
1969 The Big Cube Adriana Roman George Chakiris, Karin Mossberg, Richard Egan
1974 Persecution Carrie Masters Trevor Howard
1976 Bittersweet Love Claire Robert Lansing, Celeste Holm
1980 Witches' Brew Vivian Cross Teri Garr, Richard Benjamin
1991 Thwarted Margo Lane William Hauckes, Victor Helou Turner's last film appearance








Friday, February 11, 2011

Mamie Van Doren





















































Mamie Van Doren (born February 6, 1931) is an American actress, American singer and sex symbol.

Van Doren was born Joan Lucille Olander in Rowena, South Dakota, the daughter of Warner Carl Olander (March 30, 1908 – June 4, 1992) and Lucille Harriet Bennett (January 21, 1912 – August 27, 1995). She is of three-quarters Swedish ancestry; the remainder is mixed English and German. Her mother named her after Joan Crawford. In 1939, the family moved to Sioux City, Iowa. In May 1942, they moved to Los Angeles.
In early 1946, Joan began working as an usher at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The following year, she had a bit part on an early television show. She also sang with Ted Fio Rito's band and entered beauty contests. Van Doren was married for a brief time at seventeen. She and first husband, Jack Newman, eloped to Santa Barbara. The marriage dissolved quickly, upon her discovery of his abusive nature. In the summer of 1949, at age 18, she won the titles "Miss Eight Ball" and "Miss Palm Springs". She was also engaged to marry legendary boxer Jack Dempsey, but broke off the engagement when she signed her first contract with Universal.
Joan was discovered by famed producer Howard Hughes on the night she was crowned Miss Palm Springs. The pair dated for several years. Hughes launched her career by placing her in several RKO films.

Early career

Hughes provided Van Doren with a bit part in Jet Pilot at RKO, which was her motion picture debut. Her line of dialogue consisted of one word, "Look!" and she appears uncredited in the film. Though production of the movie was from 1949 to 1953 (delays by Hughes), it was not released until 1957. The following year, 1951, she posed for famous pin-up girl artist Alberto Vargas, the painter of the glamorous "Vargas Girls." His painting of Van Doren was on the July cover of Esquire.
Van Doren did a few more bit parts in movies at RKO, including His Kind of Woman (1951) starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell and Vincent Price. About her appearance in that one, Van Doren has said, "If you blinked you would miss me. I look barely old enough to drive."
Van Doren then began working on the stage. She was a showgirl in New York in Monte Proser's nightclub version of Billion Dollar Baby. Songwriter Jimmy McHugh discovered her for his musicals, then decided she was too good for the chorus line and should have dramatic training. She studied with Ben Bard and Bliss-Hayden. While appearing in the role of Marie in a showcase production of Come Back, Little Sheba, Van Doren was seen by Phil Benjamin, a casting director at Universal International.

Career

On January 20, 1953, Van Doren signed a contract with Universal Studios. The studio had big plans for her, hoping she would bring the same kind of success that 20th Century Fox had with Marilyn Monroe, the reigning sex symbol of the era. Van Doren, whose signing day coincided with the inauguration of President Eisenhower, was given the first name Mamie for Ike's wife, Mamie Eisenhower. Other Van Dorens, who were unrelated to Mamie, were a prominent and noted family of American intellectuals; these Van Dorens included two Pulitzer Prize winning brothers, Carl (biographer) and Mark (poet), and Mark's wife Dorothy, an academic and historian. Mark and Dorothy's son, Charles Van Doren, made front page news both by winning $129,000 on a television game show in 1957, then admitting in 1959 that the program was rigged. The publicity around this scandal kept the name 'Van Doren' in the newspapers and tabloids.
Van Doren's first movie for Universal was Forbidden, playing a singer. She then made All-American (1953), playing her first starring role as Susie Ward, a wayward girl who is the man-trap at a campus beer joint. This film also starred Tony Curtis. In Yankee Pasha starring Jeff Chandler and Rhonda Fleming, she played a slave girl, Lilith. In 1956 she played opposite a pre-fame Clint Eastwood in Star in the Dust.
Van Doren starred in several bad girl movies that later became cult films. She also appeared in some of the first movies to feature Rock & Roll music and became identified with this rebellious style, and made some rock records. In the film Untamed Youth in 1957, she was the first woman to sing rock and roll in a Hollywood musical (Eddie Cochran did the music for the film). This film was later featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000's "Untamed Youth" (1990).
Some of Van Doren's more noteworthy movies include Teacher's Pet (1958) at Paramount, Born Reckless (1958) at Warner Bros., High School Confidential (1958), and The Beat Generation (1959), the latter two at MGM. But Van Doren was just as well known for her provocative roles. She was in prison for Girls Town (1959), which provoked censors with a shower scene where audiences could see Van Doren's naked back. As Eve in The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1960) she wore only fig leaves, and in other films, like The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina (1959), Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) and Vice Raid (1960) audiences were clued in as to the nature of the films from the titles.
Many of Van Doren's film roles showcased her ample curves, and her on screen wardrobe usually consisted of tight sweaters, low-cut blouses, form-fitting dresses, and daring (for the era) swimsuits. While she and other blonde bombshell contemporaries as Cleo Moore, Sheree North, Joi Lansing, Greta Thyssen, and Barbara Nichols did not attain the same level of superstar status as Marilyn Monroe, Van Doren did become a very famous star and notable Hollywood sex symbol. Marilyn, Mamie and Jayne Mansfield were known as the "Three M's." But by comparison, where Monroe succeeded in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Mansfield had a big success with Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, (a part that was originally written for Van Doren, who turned it down), Universal stuck Van Doren with Francis the Talking Mule in Francis Joins the WACS.

Film career in decline

As Van Doren's career progressed, many of the productions she starred in were low-budget B-movies. They are largely unknown to later generations, though some have gained a following for their high camp value.
In 1959, Universal chose not to renew her contract. Van Doren was now a free agent and had to struggle to find work. Some of her later movies were foreign and independent productions, such as Sex Kittens Go to College (1960), The Blonde from Buenos Aires (1961), The Candidate, The Navy vs the Night Monsters (1966) as well as Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968), directed by Peter Bogdanovich, who used the pseudonym 'Derek Thomas' for the film.

Personal life

Van Doren has been married five times: to sportswear manufacturer Jack Newman (married 1950-divorced 1950); to bandleader, composer and actor Ray Anthony (married 1955-divorced 1961); to baseball player Lee Meyers (married 1966-divorced 1967); to businessman Ross McClintock (married 1972-divorced 1973); and to actor Thomas Dixon (married 1979–present).
She and Anthony had one son, Perry Ray Anthony (born March 18, 1956).
Van Doren's early 1960s, highly publicized, on-again off-again engagement to baseball player Bo Belinsky ended for good in 1964. She acknowledged numerous affairs in her autobiography, including ones with Clark Gable, Howard Hughes, Johnny Carson, Elvis Presley, Burt Reynolds, Jack Dempsey, Steve McQueen, Johnny Rivers, Robert Evans, Eddie Fisher, Warren Beatty, Tony Curtis, Steve Cochran, and Joe Namath. Claiming fidelity to each lover, she said about Hollywood life, "I don't wear panties anymore – this startles the Hollywood wolves so much they don't know what to pull at, so they leave me alone."
She posed twice for Playboy in 1963 to promote her movie 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt (1964), though she was never a Playmate. By this point in her career, her voluptuous figure measured 38DD-26-36 (self-described in 1997). She said about her curves, "I don't even want to say double-D, because they're even bigger than that."
In 1964, Van Doren was a guest at the Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood when The Beatles were at the club visiting with Jayne Mansfield, and an inebriated George Harrison accidentally threw his drink on her when trying to throw it on some bothersome journalists.
Van Doren developed a nightclub act and did live theatre. She performed in stage productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Dames at Sea at the Drury Lane Theatre, Chicago, and appeared in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and The Tender Trap at the Arlington Park Theatre.
During the Vietnam War, she did tours for U.S. troops in Vietnam for three months in 1968, and again in 1970. In addition to USO shows, she visited hospitals, including the wards of amputees and burn victims that many other celebrities avoided.
Van Doren's guest appearances on television include What's My Line, The Bob Cummings Show, The Jack Benny Show, Fantasy Island, Burke's Law, Vega$, and L.A. Law.
In the 1970s, Van Doren performed a nightclub act in Las Vegas.

Second career in later life

in Los Angeles, 1987
In 1980, Van Doren was referenced in the controversial Canadian Top 20 hit High School Confidential by the popular 1980s Canadian new wave band Rough Trade. In 2005, "High School Confidential" was named the 38th greatest Canadian song of all time on the CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version.
Van Doren's autobiography, Playing the Field (1987), brought much new attention to the veteran sex symbol and proved to be her biggest media splash in over 25 years. Since the book's publication she has often been interviewed and profiled and has occasionally returned to acting. She has consistently denied in interviews ever having breast implants. In 2006, Mamie posed for photographs for Vanity Fair with Pamela Anderson, as part of its annual Hollywood issue.
Van Doren and her husband, Thomas, maintain her web site. There, she sells autographed "nipple prints" and home-made short films starring herself, such as A Girl and Her Banana. Her contemporary topless and nude photos, and outspoken political views, have helped create a larger fan base than at any time in her career. Van Doren has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7057 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Year Film Role Co-Stars Notes
1951 Footlight Varieties Blonde in theater (uncredited) Jack Paar, Leon Errol
1951 His Kind of Woman Lodge guest at bar (uncredited) Jane Russell, Robert Mitchum
1951 Two Tickets to Broadway Showgirl (uncredited) Janet Leigh, Tony Martin, Gloria DeHaven, Ann Miller
1953 Forbidden Singer (uncredited) Tony Curtis, Joanne Dru
1953 All-American Susie Ward Tony Curtis, Lori Nelson First starring role.
1954 Hawaiian Nights (short subject) Glamour Girl Pinky Lee, Lisa Gaye
1954 Yankee Pasha Lilith, Harem Slave Jeff Chandler, Rhonda Fleming
1954 Francis Joins the WACS Cpl. Bunky Hilstrom Donald O'Connor, Julie Adams Fifth in the Francis the Talking Mule series.
1955 Ain't Misbehavin' Jackie Piper Laurie, Rory Calhoun, Jack Carson
1955 The Second Greatest Sex Birdie Snyder Jeanne Crain, George Nader, Bert Lahr
1955 Running Wild Irma Bean William Campbell, Keenan Wynn
1956 Star in the Dust Ellen Ballard John Agar, Richard Boone
1957 Untamed Youth Penny Lowe Lori Nelson, John Russell one of her favourite movies.
1957 The Girl in Black Stockings Harriet Ames Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft
1957 Jet Pilot WAF (uncredited) John Wayne, Janet Leigh (filmed from 1949–1953)
1958 Teacher's Pet Peggy DeFore Clark Gable, Doris Day, Gig Young Her part was larger when filmed but was cut before release.
1958 High School Confidential Gwen Dulaine Russ Tamblyn, Jan Sterling, John Drew Barrymore
1958 Born Reckless Jackie Adams Jeff Richards
1959 Guns, Girls, and Gangsters Vi Victor Gerard Mohr, Lee Van Cleef, Grant Richards
1959 The Beat Generation Georgia Altera Steve Cochran, Ray Danton star Steve Cochran had an affair with her.
1959 The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina Sabrina Antonio Cifariello, Rossana Marini
1959 The Big Operator Mary Gibson Mickey Rooney, Steve Cochran, Ray Danton
1959 Girls Town Silver Morgan Mel Torme considered to be her signature film
1960 Vice Raid Carole Hudson Richard Coogan
1960 College Confidential Sally Blake Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows
1960 Sex Kittens Go to College Dr. Mathilda West Tuesday Weld, Mijanou Bardot
1960 The Private Lives of Adam and Eve Evie Simms/Eve Mickey Rooney
1961 The Blonde from Buenos Aires Unknown Jean-Pierre Aumont
1964 The Candidate Samantha Ashley June Wilkinson, Ted Knight
1964 The Sheriff Was a Lady Olivia Freddy Quinn Alternative title: In the Wild West
1964 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt Saxie Symbol Tommy Noonan, Ziva Rodann co-star Tommy Noonan aslo directed the film
1966 The Las Vegas Hillbillys Boots Malone Jayne Mansfield, Ferlin Husky starred opposite Jayne Mansfield. This was the only time the two blonde bombshell's appeared together in a film.
1966 The Navy vs. the Night Monsters Nora Hall Anthony Eisley, Billy Gray
1967 You've Got to Be Smart Miss Hathaway Tom Stern, Roger Perry, Gloria Castillo
1967 Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women Moana Mary Marr, Paige Lee
1971 The Arizona Kid Girlfriend Chiquito, Gordon Mitchell
1975 That Girl from Boston
George 'Buck' Flower
1986 Free Ride Debbie Stockwell Gary Hershberger, Reed Rudy, Dawn Schneider
1999 The Vegas Connection Rita Ashley F. Brooks, Robert Carradine
2002 Slackers Mrs. Van Graaf Devon Sawa, Jaime King cameo role

Discography

Year Album Notes
2011 "Still a Troublemaker"