Tyronne
Tash Jayasinghe
Cibbuano
Vampira’s Last Bite
January 18th 2008 00:56
Maila Nurmi R.I.P
Vampira's Coffin
Over on coffinconversations.com Dementia has reported on the passing of a 50’s icon Maila Nurmi also known as Vampira. Her post has inspired me to do a little salute to this subversive figure whose persona has resulted in countless imitators ever since. (Elvira, Morticia Addams, Munsters?)
Undead relaxation
Probably best remembered for her part as “Vampire Girl” in Ed Woods trash masterpiece Plan 9 From Outer Space there is a lot more to the girl than just her image.
Vampira in Plan 9 From Outer Space
Born in 1921 from Finnish ancestry Maila arrived in America at 2 years old. Moving from Ohio to LA in 1938 she began modelling which led to bit parts in small cinema productions.
Making money by appearing in men’s magazines as well, in 1953 she attended an industry fancy dress ball bearing her now trademark pale skinned, black gothic look.
A television producer spotted the tight dressed vamp and thought she would be perfect to host a horror series. Making her “Vampira” debut in 1954, she immediately embraced the comedy inherit in presenting B grade frightfests and a legend was born.
Maila puts on her game face
Though the series only ran a short time her brand had been etched into pop culture and she was nominated for an Emmy. Now a recognisable commodity she started getting work in movies and it wasn’t long before Ed Wood came knocking.
Aside from her two most famous exercises she also appeared in cult curios like The Beat Generation (1959) which tackled the beatnik revolution. The crime drama The Big Operator opposite Mickey Rooney and the one of a kind I Passed for White (1960) which told of a racially confused woman repressed by a close minded society.
The Vamp beckons
Later Maila got to appear in the fantasy The Magic Sword with the definitive big screen Sherlock Holmes Basil Rathbone and also slummed it in Sex kittens Go To College.
Her final screen appearance came in 1998 with a cameo in I Woke Up early to Die, written by Ed Wood Jnr and starring Billy Zane, Christina Ricci, Ron Pearlman and Tippi Hedren.
Maila Nurmi
Though her professional career may have been brief her reputation in the annals of 20th century culture is guarenteed and I for one will forever embrace the legacy of her time on camera.
Here is an interview with Maila talking Plan 9 and the creation of Vampira
Watch a clip of with some great candid shots of Vampira
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