A former dance-band singer, she's best remembered for a series of showy roles in cheap 1950s melodramas that emphasized her physical endowments rather than her somewhat meager dramatic abilities.
Mamie Van Doren dropped out of Hollywood altogether in the late 1960s, concentrating on a jet-set lifestyle, being seen often in the company of celebrities and athletes, such as quarterback Joe Namath!
She made a brief comeback in the 1980s. As one of the few surviving sex symbols of that era, she's become something of a pop culture queen in recent years, hosting B-movie festivals, making personal appearances, and the like. How cool is that?
Photo Credit: The Beautiful and Ethereal Mamie Van Doren.
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, and the last name Van Doren as a good-natured dig at fellow blonde and buxom star Jayne Mansfield, who claimed to possess the genius-caliber IQ of 163.
A prominent and noted family of American intellectuals, the Van Dorens included two Pulitzer Prize winning brothers, Carl (biographer) and Mark (poet), and Mark's wife Dorothy, an academic and historian.
Ironically, in 1957 Mark and Dorothy's son Charles Van Doren made front page news both by winning $129,000 on a television game show, then admitting the program was rigged. The publicity around this scandal kept the name 'Van Doren' in the newspapers and tabloids. --Wikipedia
Check out one of Mamie Van Doren movies. What's cool about many of these is that Marilyn Monroe and other "sex symbols" of the time also appear in these along with Mamie Van Doren.
What do you think of Mamie Van Doren?
- Mamie Van Doren is my hero!
- I didn't know much about Mamie Van Doren but now I do.
- Wow, she sure was/is sexy!
- Is she available?
Mamie Van Doren Links
Mamie Van Doren - The official website -- lots of interesting info!
Mamie Van Doren Blog - Some hilarious postings!
Brians Drive-in Theater - Lots of cool black and white pictures!
Perfect People - More black and white photos and some interesting info.
Blondes Have More Fun - Like These!
- Blonde Bombshell Brigitte Bardot
- Blonde Bombshell Carroll Baker
- Blonde Bombshell Jean Harlow
- Blonde Bombshell Joey Heatherton
- Blonde Bombshell Jayne Mansfield
- Blonde Bombshell Mamie Van Doren
- Blonde Bombshell Zsa Zsa Gabor
Are you in the Mamie Van Doren Fan Club? Share your stories, sightings, thoughts, rants, raves and any hot comments. Please do let us know you were here to ogle this blonde bombshell. Ogle us with your comment!
History: Who is Mamie Van Doren was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on August 29, 2007. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #2,120 overall. Lens #97 in the quest for Giant Squid 100 Club Charter Member 2007.
