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Mamie Van Doren

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Mamie Van Doren (born February 6, 1931) is a United States actress, model, and entertainer.

Biography

Van Doren was born as Joan Lucille Olander in Rowena, South Dakota. Her mother named her after Joan Crawford.

In the early 1940s her family moved to south California. She entered beauty contests, winning the title of Miss Palm Springs in 1948, and was a singer for various local bands. She appeared in various bit parts in movies starting in 1950. That year she had her brief first marriage to Jack Newman. She posed for famous pin-up girl artist Alberto Vargas in 1951.

In 1953 she was signed by Universal Studios with the hope she could bring the studio success similiar to that of Marilyn Monroe at 20th Century Fox. The studio gave Joan Olander her new name of "Mamie Van Doren". The "Mamie" may have been inspried by Mamie Eisenhower, wife of newly inaugurated President Dwight D. Eisenhower. She changed her name on 20 January, 1953.

While Van Doren didn't atain the level of stardom of Monroe, she did become one of the era's leading sex symbols. With Jayne Mansfield, Mamie, and Marylin were known as the "Three M's". Van Doren played more of the "bad girl" archetype than the other "Ms".

She appeared in some of the first Hollywood films to include Rock & Roll music. She became identified with this rebellious style, and made some Rock records in the 1950s.

Her more noteworthy films include Born Reckless, Teacher's Pet, and High School Confidential!. Many of her films are cheesy low-budget films, little watched by later generations other than for their high camp value.

From 1955 through 1961 she was married to bandleader, actor and film music composer Ray Anthony. Her other husbands included baseball player Bo Belinsky.

In the 1960s she posed for Playboy Magazine. She performed in theater productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, both on Broadway and touring.

During the Vietnam War she did tours of U.S. troops in Vietnam, for 3 months in 1968, and again 1970. In addition to USO shows, visited hospitals, including the wards of amputees and burn suffers that many other celebrities who entertained the troops stayed away from.

In the 1970s she entertained in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Her autobiography, "Playing the Field," was published in 1987.

Starting at age 60, she has had plastic surgery to maintain a youthful appearance. She has written about this and discussed it in interviews.

He personal website contains photographs, stories and anecdotes about her career, and an articulate and opinionated political weblog.

Mamie Van Doren got a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.

Television

Television shows Van Doren appeared on included The Jack Benny Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show, Fantasy Island, and L.A. Law.

Films

Mamie Van Doren's film appearances include:

1950

1951

1953

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1964

1966

1967

1968

1971

1975

1986

1993

1999

2000

2002

Quotes

  • "My best asset is my brain. Without my brain, I don't think the rest of me would be too hot."
  • "There is a history of calamitous and violent deaths among the glamorous girls that boggles the mind and chills the blood, especially if you're one of the few survivors... As young women we were told that we were infinitely desirable and beautiful, only to discover that there was always someone coming up behind who was more desirable and beautiful. Our profession is perhaps the most competitive in the world. For, to be glamorous, to be beautiful, is to be doomed eventually to be disappointed."
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