VAMPIRA – where was she during the "monster boom"? in Our Favorite Horror Hosts Forum

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VAMPIRA – where was she during the "monster boom"?

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Sid Terror		#41	[-]
Feb 6 11 9:20 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Vampira and Liberace performing in Las Vegas... BELOW: A couple shots of Maila "Vampira" Nurmi and Elvis Presley together in Las Vegas. She was there appearing in the Liberace stage show, while Elvis was across the street performing at another casino. "THE KING" was very smitten with her. He was also a HUGE fan of her then deceased best friend James Dean and wanted to know everything about him. Elvis reportedly tried to talk her into "coming back to his bungalow", an offer that was declined. "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 6 11 9:23 PM. Edited 1 times.
Sid Terror		#42	[-]
Feb 6 11 10:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I just received this from Maila's niece, Sandra Niemi who has been out there lurking since I first steered her toward this topic folder. She is currently working on what is sure to be the ultimate Maila / Vampira biography, using journals, diaries, letters, contracts and hundreds (if not thousands) of photos inherited from Maila's personal effects. It is sure to raise a lot of eyebrows (ironic, considering Vampira's own eyebrows) and shed a lot of light on a personality most know very little about, much due to Maila's own secrecy... (Excerpted from original message): "I read the whole thing from beginning to end. I did learn one thing---the name of the singer who's face they superimposed Maila's face. She had some notes here where she called the "entertainer," quite unattractive with an enormous overbite," but she didn't mention the name. Now, I have it. I wonder whatever became of the lawsuit, or if it even went through. And I was very happy to find the date. That's what I found most important. Knowing the exact dates of certain situations helps to validate what I write." "I wouldn't add or subtract a thing. I would only say that the Halloween "Witch" photo was taken, Oct. 1956, just three weeks before Plan 9 began shooting. But that's probably not important to anyone but you and me." (makes sense, that dress looks so familiar ---Sid) "You may want to add that "the recovering James Dean," in this same photo is Chuck Beadles, Maila's then boyfriend and James Dean wannabe. Most people think it was Jack " (Jack Simmons, a long-time personal friend of Maila and James Dean. --- Sid). "Chuck was a low-life, hustler, fond of swilling codeine. Maila supported him. She gave him the compact Liberace gave her after the Las Vegas run, to give to him grandma For Christmas." "What I would like to say is that you are a terrific writer! Easy to read, understand, and entertaining. Maybe YOU should be writing this bio...." (Thanks, Sandra! If you decide you want a co-writer, I'm your guy!} "Sid...I really, really appreciate all your efforts. And you know Maila does, too." "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 7 11 6:16 PM. Edited 3 times.
Dr Acula		#43	[-]
Feb 7 11 9:49 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	A recommendation: " I wonder whatever became of the lawsuit, or if it even went through. And I was very happy to find the date. That's what I found most important. Knowing the exact dates of certain situations helps to validate what I write." If there is any interest in checking into the legal matters, a good place to start would be a library for a law school. Not only should they have access to various legal filings, there should be some better than average help at the reference desk there. I think that a loving biography would be well received by fans all around the world - thanks for considering!
GaryP11111		#44	[-]
Feb 7 11 11:02 AM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	My guess is nothing would have come of the lawsuit. Dexter would have had to prove that she suffered some sort of tangible loss -- a singing gig canceled or a TV part turned down, for example -- directly linked to the superimposed face. My guess is this was more in the way of gaining some publicity. I suppose the station might have settled out of court to make Dexter go away, but I doubt it. BTW, that Charles Beadles was in Maila Nurmi's apartment when it caught fire in 1956. Nurmi was woken by her pet cat. Beadles was 12 years younger than Nurmi, according to one report. GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc." Check out my YouTube Video of the Week! (updated 8-3-09) Last Edited By: GaryP11111 Feb 7 11 11:08 AM. Edited 1 times.
Sandra Niemi		#45	[-]
Feb 7 11 4:52 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yes, Beadles was older than Maila. His birthday was June 19, 1931 so the age difference was more like 8 1/2 years, but it was enough to cause Maila some concern. According to my Grandma, Maila was up making homemade doughnuts for the "Bastard," when the hot grease caught the kitchen curtains on fire. Beadles ran out without a backward glance. Maila on the other hand, refused to flee the inferno until she had rescued all 5 of her cats. Beadles escaped unscathed. Maila, suffered severe burns on both arms. When Beadles left her a week later, Maila was devastated. In the spring of 1957, Beadles ended up in the L.A. County Jail and began writing Maila begging her to marry him. She refused his overtures. Then her mother died. And who should appear with Maila for the days leading up to the funeral, and to the funeral itself, but Chuck Beadles. The pseudo relationship ended shortly thereafter, but Beadles returned to Maila's life again for a brief time in 1965.
Sid Terror		#46	[-]
Feb 7 11 6:29 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Maila also told me on several occasions that one fellow who was largely an unsung hero the night of the fire was her neighbor, actor Harry Dean Stanton. Stanton was the one that made sure Maila and her cats were out of harms way, breaking a window to extract her, then administered first aid until an ambulance arrived. ABOVE: . With one of her cats after the fire. Bandaged and hair burned. "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 7 11 6:46 PM. Edited 2 times.
GaryP11111		#47	[-]
Feb 7 11 7:24 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	According to the article the name of the cat that woke Maila was "Ratface". GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc." Check out my YouTube Video of the Week! (updated 8-3-09)
GaryP11111		#48	[-]
Feb 7 11 8:25 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	There is a substantial difference between the account of the apartment fire as it actually happened and the press account. I kinda suspect Maila (to her credit!) instinctively knew that a story about Ratface the cat waking and saving her made a much more colorful and captivating story than a kitchen grease fire. What do you think? The Ratface Saves Vampira angle made the front page of the Long Beach newspaper! GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc." Check out my YouTube Video of the Week! (updated 8-3-09)
Sid Terror		#49	[-]
Feb 7 11 11:28 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	While Maila was never opposed to fudging the truth a bit for the press, she shot pretty darn straight for her close friends. Gotta remember, newspaper and magazine people wanted to sell paper too and lied / invented / embellished more than anyone. Was she capable of making up a story? You bet! I watched her do it to peoples faces many a time. Agreeing with people or telling them what they wanted to hear so they walked away smiling was her #1 QUICK way of getting rid of people she didn't want to talk to. She also had no problem calling people an idiot-ass to their face if the mood struck her. (Think a female Harlan Ellison here, or one of her major influences that to my knowledge is never talked about when discussing her... Brother Theodore. She LOVED Brother Theodore.) As her confidant she told me the truth of all kinds of things nobody outside of close family members knew, as Sandra will attest. As with anyone in the public eye, to every story there are usually several "truths" ... 1. What really happened 2. The truth as they want you to think it happened 3. The truth as they perceived it to have happened 4. The truth as told around the camp fire from person to person 5. The truth as was in the press release to sell paper 6. The truth they don't want the public to know etc. etc. etc. etc. "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 7 11 11:38 PM. Edited 1 times.
Ted Newsom		#50	[-]
Feb 8 11 12:05 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Sid Terror wrote: ABOVE: Working it at the TOMB OF LIGEIA premiere in 1964. Hey-- look!!! Vampira is wearing Bela Lugosi's PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE overcoat!!!
Wich2		#51	[-]
Feb 8 11 12:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	And something else very rare! Forry's grinning and hold up some of his mags!!!
back lot charlie		#52	[-]
Feb 8 11 8:27 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	He was the man.
TomWeaver999		#53	[-]
Feb 8 11 8:30 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Poor Vincent Price looks like he's thinking he'd rather be in Hell with his back broken.
Sid Terror		#54	[-]
Feb 8 11 9:09 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Having known Vincent also, I find it doubtful. He was happy enough doing things with A.I.P. that he signed a contract to do Horror films exclusively with them... One that he would continue to honor and keep signing come contract renewal time for a decade after this. They treated him great and revitalized his career, and he knew it. That is pretty much his generic promopic camera face. "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 8 11 9:14 PM. Edited 1 times.
grgstv338		#55	[-]
Feb 8 11 9:58 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I dunno - some people see a look of weary disdain, I see a rather bemused half-smile.
Sid Terror		#56	[-]
Feb 8 11 11:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I will say though, both Maila and Vincent are probably relieved that for once they don't have to appear in clown make-up like their pal Jeepers Creepers there. Here is another clipping shot of Maila taken in 1965, about a year after the Tomb Of Ligeia premiere.... In a previous post someone mentioned that they wished they could get a better look at a shot of Maila from the 1954 Emmy Awards, where she was voted best newcomer. This isn't the same shot, but it was taken that same night at the Emmy Awards show. Her dress, fur wrap and accessories were described as "Ice Blue" the same color as her eyes... "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 8 11 11:12 PM. Edited 1 times.
The Drunken Severed Head		#57	[-]
Feb 9 11 1:36 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	So many interesting anecdotes, wonderful clippings and great photos in this thread... http://universalmonsterarmy.com/blog/
Sid Terror		#58	[-]
Feb 9 11 3:53 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The Drunken Severed Head wrote: So many interesting anecdotes, wonderful clippings and great photos in this thread... Just wait 'till the book comes out, Max! "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 9 11 4:07 AM. Edited 1 times.
grgstv338		#59	[-]
Feb 9 11 8:37 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Since this was mentioned upthread, I thought it would be fun to post these pictures as well: CAPTION: Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dressed as Vampira attends Sonja Henie's circus party on February 5, 1956 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images also has another shot of Maila & Elvis: CAPTION: The Finnish born actress and TV hostess Maila Nurmi aka Vampira gets assaulted by Elvis Presley on May 3 1956 in Los Angeles, California.
Sid Terror		#60	[-]
Feb 9 11 6:00 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I know that some places the Elvis photos are misidentified as being in Los Angeles, but they are actually in Las Vegas is April 1956. When he played at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on June 8 it was nearly 2 months after these photos were taken. Maila didn't attend the show at the Shrine Auditorium or see him during that Los Angeles visit. She did however arrange to have a jar of hair pomade delivered to him backstage, with a note attached saying: "This is for your sorehead". The Zsa-Zsa pictures have their own backstory too. Maila was actually consulted by ZZ, who wanted tips on getting the costume and the mannerisms right. At one point when Maila called her back, a housekeeper answered and replied: "Madame can't come to the phone right now. She is otherwise engaged shredding the dress for her costume." I guess that meant she was working on the sleeves and hem. "It's better to have accomplishments remarkable enough to be put in question, than to have no accomplishments at all." Last Edited By: Sid Terror Feb 10 11 4:56 AM. Edited 2 times.

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VAMPIRA – where was she during the "monster boom"?