95-402: Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer ; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress and Playboy Playmate . A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s, Mansfield was known for her numerous publicity stunts and open personal life. Although her film career was short-lived, she had several box-office successes, and won a Theatre World Award and Golden Globe Award , and soon gained
190-455: A cameo in A Guide for the Married Man , a comedy starring Walter Matthau, Robert Morse and Inger Stevens . The opening credits listed Mansfield as one of the technical advisers, along with other star names. Mansfield played her first leading role on television in 1956 on NBC's The Bachelor . In her first appearance on British television in 1957, she recited from Shakespeare (including
285-499: A centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playmate Data Sheet", which lists her birthdate, measurements, turn-ons, and turn-offs. At the end of the year, one of the 12 Playmates of the Month is named Playmate of the Year ( PMOTY ). Every Playmate of the Month is awarded a prize of US$ 25,000 and each Playmate of the Year receives an additional prize of US$ 100,000 plus a car (on
380-580: A "wistful derelict". It was "generally conceded to have been her best acting", according to The New York Times , in a fitful career hampered by her flamboyant image, distinctive voice ("a soft-voiced coo punctuated with squeals"), voluptuous figure and limited acting range. Tashlin cast Mansfield in the film version of the Broadway show Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? , released in 1957, reprising her role of Rita Marlowe alongside costars Tony Randall and Joan Blondell . Fox launched its new blonde bombshell with
475-541: A $ 300 bond ($ 3,000 in 2023 dollars). After Mansfield returned from her 40-day European tour, Hargitay proposed to her on November 6, 1957, with a $ 5,000 10-carat diamond ring ($ 54,000 in 2023 dollars). On January 13, 1958 (days after her divorce from Paul was finalized), Mansfield married Hargitay at the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes , California. The unique glass chapel made public and press viewing of
570-523: A Catholic ceremony, but was unable to find a priest who would perform it. While involved with Brody, she also showed interest in Judaism . In San Francisco for the city's 1966 Film Festival , Mansfield and Brody visited the Church of Satan to meet Anton LaVey , the church's founder. He awarded Mansfield a medallion and the title "High Priestess of San Francisco's Church of Satan." The media enthusiastically covered
665-824: A Great Dane, three cats named Sabina, Romulus, and Ophelia, two chihuahuas, a poodle dyed pink, and a rabbit. While in California, she left Jayne Marie with her maternal grandparents and spent the summer semester at UCLA . After a series of marital rows around Jayne's ambitions, infidelity, and animals, they decided to dissolve the marriage. It was a long process. In February 1955, Jayne filed for separate maintenance and in August 1956 Paul filed for custody of their daughter, Jayne Marie. Jayne filed for divorce in California in 1956; Paul filed for divorce in 1957 in Texas citing mental cruelty, and they received their divorce papers on January 8, 1958. After
760-583: A North American tour and a 40-day, 16-country tour of Europe. She attended the premiere of the film (released as Oh! For a Man in the UK) in London , and met Queen Elizabeth II . Mansfield's fourth starring role in a Hollywood film was in Kiss Them for Me (also 1957), for which she received prominent billing alongside Cary Grant . However, in the film itself she is little more than comic relief; Grant's character relates to
855-501: A Playmate, always a Playmate". Marilyn Monroe , who was featured in the first issue , was the only one to appear as "Sweetheart of the Month". The first model called a Playmate of the Month was Margie Harrison , Miss January 1954, in the second issue of Playboy . Generally a woman may appear only once as a Playmate, but in the early years of the magazine, some models were featured multiple times. Marilyn Waltz (February 1954, April 1954, April 1955 – her first appearance
950-457: A Salesman attracted Paramount Pictures to audition her. Lumet trained her for the audition. In 1955, she went to New York and appeared in the Broadway production of George Axelrod 's comedy Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? , also featuring Orson Bean and Walter Matthau. It was her first major stage performance, garnering her critical attention which was not always positive. She starred as Rita Marlowe (a wild, blonde Hollywood starlet à la Monroe) in
1045-413: A background of Tchaikovsky 's music. The album cover depicted a bouffant -coiffed Mansfield with lips pursed and breasts barely covered by a fur stole, posing between busts of Tchaikovsky and Shakespeare. The New York Times described the album as a reading of "30-odd poems in a husky, urban, baby voice". The reviewer went on to remark that "Miss Mansfield is a lady with apparent charms, but reading poetry
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#17328586013341140-602: A car crash. In August 1963, Mansfield decided to convert to Catholicism . Although she never converted, she did attend Catholic services when she was in Europe, and followed Catholic practices when she was involved with a Catholic partner (including Hargitay, Sardelli and Cimber). In May 1967, her performance at the Mount Brandon Hotel in Tralee, Ireland, was canceled because Catholic clergy condemned it. She wanted to marry Cimber in
1235-621: A commercial for General Electric that depicted young women in bathing suits relaxing around a pool. Emmeline Snively, head of the Blue Book Model Agency, had sent her to photographer Gene Lester, which led to her short-lived assignment in the General Electric commercial. In 1954, she auditioned at both Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. At Paramount, Jayne performed a sketch she had worked out with Lumet from Joan of Arc for casting director Milton Lewis. Lewis informed her that she
1330-488: A finder's fee if their model is selected. In addition, "casting calls" are held regularly in major US cities to offer opportunities for women to test for Playboy . Until just prior to the death of Hugh Hefner , he personally selected each Playmate of the Month and every Playmate of the Year, taking into account an annual readers' poll. The final Playmate of the Month was published digitally in December 2020. Playboy also ended
1425-451: A four-week contract that was extended to eight. The opening night raised $ 20,000 for March of Dimes ($ 211,000 in 2023 dollars). She received $ 25,000 per week for her performance as Trixie Divoon in the show ($ 264,000 in 2023 dollars), while her contract with 20th Century Fox was paying her $ 2,500 per week ($ 26,000 in 2023 dollars). She had a million-dollar policy with Lloyd's of London in case Hargitay dropped her as he whirled her around for
1520-621: A gold mesh dress with sequins to cover her nipples and pubic region. That controversial sheer dress was referred to as "Jayne Mansfield and a few sequins". In early 1963, she performed in her first club engagement outside Las Vegas, at the Plantation Supper Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, earning $ 23,000 in a week ($ 229,000 in 2023 dollars), and then at Iroquois Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky. She returned to Las Vegas in 1966, but her show
1615-556: A handsome newcomer Fox was trying to mold into a heartthrob. She received first billing above the title but appeared in only a supporting role. The Olympic Games -based film was shot in Greece in the fall of 1960 but was not released until June 1962. It was a box-office failure, and 20th Century Fox dropped Mansfield's contract. In 1961, Mansfield signed on for a minor role but above-the-title billing in The George Raft Story , released
1710-491: A high-profile cast of contemporary rock and roll and R&B artists including Gene Vincent , Eddie Cochran , Fats Domino , The Platters and Little Richard . Released in December 1956, The Girl Can't Help It became one of the year's biggest successes, both critically and financially, earning more than Gentlemen Prefer Blondes had three years before. Soon afterward, Fox started promoting Mansfield as "Marilyn Monroe king-sized", attempting to coerce Monroe to return to
1805-475: A line from Hamlet ) and played piano and violin. Her notable performances in television dramas included episodes of Burke's Law , Alfred Hitchcock Presents , The Red Skelton Hour (three episodes), Kraft Mystery Theater and Follow the Sun . Mansfield's performance in her first series Follow the Sun ("The Dumbest Blonde"; Season 1, Episode 21; February 4, 1962; produced by 20th Century Fox Television )
1900-516: A lion named Sammy attacked him and bit his neck while he and his mother were visiting the theme park Jungleland USA in Thousand Oaks, California on November 23, 1966. He suffered from severe head trauma, underwent three surgeries at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California , including a six-hour brain surgery, and contracted meningitis . He recovered, and Mansfield's attorney Sam Brody sued
1995-737: A number of her films, including The Girl Can't Help It ("Ev'rytime" and "Rock Around the Rock Pile"), Illegal ("Too Marvelous for Words"), The Las Vegas Hillbillys ("That Makes It"), Too Hot to Handle ("Too Hot To Handle", "You Were Made For Me", "Monsoon" and "Midnight"), Homesick for St. Pauli ("Wo Ist Der Mann" and "Snicksnack Snuckelchen"), The Challenge ("The Challenge of Love"), The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw ("Strolling Down The Lane With Billy" and "If The San Francisco Hills Could Only Talk"), and Promises! Promises! ("I'm in Love", alternative title "Lullaby of Love"). In 1958, an orchestra
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#17328586013342090-489: A piano and delivered a few lines of dialogue for $ 300 ($ 3,000 in 2023 dollars). In December 1953, Hugh Hefner began publishing Playboy . The magazine became a success, in part, because of early appearances from Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe , Bettie Page , and Anita Ekberg . In February 1955, Mansfield was the Playboy Playmate of the Month , and appeared in the magazine several times. Her February appearance increased
2185-529: A pinup book called Jayne Mansfield for President: the White House or Bust, which was promoted on billboards; David Attie , a commercial and fine art photographer, took the photographs. In 1966, Mansfield was cast in Single Room Furnished , directed by husband Matt Cimber . The film required Mansfield to portray three different characters, and was her first starring, dramatic role in several years. It
2280-535: A production of Arthur Miller 's Death of a Salesman on October 22, 1953, with the players of the Knox Street Theater, headed by Lumet. While at UCLA, she entered the Miss California contest (hiding her marital status), and won the local round before withdrawing. Early in her career, some advertisers considered her prominent breasts undesirable, which led to her losing her first professional assignment –
2375-461: A redhead played by fashion model Suzy Parker . The film, described as "vapid" and "ill-advised", was a critical and box-office flop, and marked one of the last attempts by 20th Century-Fox to publicize Mansfield. The continuing publicity surrounding Mansfield's physical appearance failed to sustain her career. Fox gave her a leading role opposite Kenneth More in The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958),
2470-514: A romantic relationship with Anton LaVey. Jayne met Paul Mansfield at a party on Christmas Eve in 1949; she was a popular student at Highland Park High School, and he at Sunset High School in Dallas. On May 6, 1950, they married in Fort Worth , Texas. At the time of their marriage, Jayne was 17 and three months pregnant, while Paul was 20. While most major biographies put the date at May 6, some sources say
2565-531: A short-term lease) and other discretionary gifts. In addition, Anniversary Playmates are usually chosen to celebrate a milestone year of the magazine. The use of the word "Playmate" in a sexual sense did not originate with Playboy , and was seen at least as early as 1950 in Vue magazine (vol 1, #1). Playboy encourages potential Playmates to send photos with " girl next door " appeal for consideration; others may submit photos of Playmate candidates, and may be eligible for
2660-467: A six-person backup band . After the show she exclaimed, "Now I am really national. Momma and Dallas see the Ed Sullivan show!" According to Nielsen, the episode was watched in 13,400,000 homes, reaching a 34% of the total audience and garnering a viewership of almost 30 million. By 1958, she earned $ 20,000 per episode for television performances ($ 211,000 in 2023 dollars). In 1964, Mansfield turned down
2755-497: A successor to the increasingly difficult Marilyn Monroe, their resident blonde sex symbol, who had just completed the very difficult Bus Stop . Mansfield was still under contract to Broadway and continued playing Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? on stage until September 15, 1956. She undertook her first starring film role as Jerri Jordan in Frank Tashlin 's The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Originally titled Do-Re-Mi , it featured
2850-560: A variety of odd jobs including: selling popcorn at the Stanley Warner Theatre, teaching dance, selling candy at a movie theater, modeling part-time at the Blue Book Model Agency, and working as a photographer at Esther Williams ' Trails Restaurant. While attending the University of Texas at Austin , Mansfield won several beauty contests, including Miss Photoflash, Miss Magnesium Lamp, and Miss Fire Prevention Week. By her own account,
2945-505: A western comedy filmed on location in Spain. In the film, Mansfield's three songs were dubbed by singer Connie Francis . Fox released the film in the United States in 1959, and it was Mansfield's last mainstream film success. Columbia Pictures offered her a part opposite James Stewart and Jack Lemmon in the romantic comedy Bell, Book and Candle (1958), but she turned it down because she
Jayne Mansfield - Misplaced Pages Continue
3040-784: A year at Camp Gordon , Georgia, while her husband Paul served in the United States Army Reserve during the Korean War . In 1953, she moved back to Dallas and studied acting for several months under Baruch Lumet , the father of director Sidney Lumet and founder of the Dallas Institute of Performing Arts. Lumet gave Mansfield private lessons and called Mansfield and Rip Torn his "kids". Eventually, Lumet helped Jayne get her first screen test at Paramount in April 1954. Paul, Jayne, and Jayne Marie moved to Los Angeles in 1954. Jayne worked at
3135-404: Is The Fantasticks , which ran off-Broadway from 1960 until 2002, and the hit song from the same, " Try to Remember ". Other songs from The Fantasticks include " Soon It's Gonna Rain ", "Much More", and "I Can See It". He also wrote the screenplay for the 1995 feature-film adaptation . Jones acted in a New York City revival of The Fantasticks , which he also directed. He played the part of
3230-490: Is not one of them." In 1965, Jimi Hendrix played bass and added lead in his session musician days for Mansfield on two songs – "As The Clouds Drift By" and "Suey" – released as a 45-rpm single by London Records in 1966. Ed Chalpin , the record producer, claimed that Mansfield played all the instruments on the singles. According to Hendrix historian Steven Roby ( Black Gold: The Lost Archives Of Jimi Hendrix , Billboard Books), this collaboration occurred because they shared
3325-568: Is the female photographer recognized for photographing the most Playmates of the Month. Other sources Tom Jones (writer) Thomas Collins Jones (February 17, 1928 – August 11, 2023) was an American lyricist and librettist, best known for The Fantasticks , 110 in the Shade , and I Do! I Do! . Jones was born in Littlefield, Texas , on February 17, 1928. He was raised in Coleman, Texas ,
3420-614: The Latin Quarter nightclub in New York City on May 13, 1956, where he was performing as a member of the chorus line in Mae West 's show. Hargitay was an actor and bodybuilder who had won the Mr. Universe competition in 1955. Mansfield fell for him immediately, which resulted in a squabble with West. In the ensuing row, Mr. California, Chuck Krauser, beat Hargitay up and was arrested and released on
3515-633: The United Service Organizations for 13 days appearing as a comedian; and in 1961, toured Newfoundland, Labrador and Baffin Island in Canada for a Christmas special. Her talk show career includes a large number of appearances which she appreciated for the publicity. One of her more notable appearances on a variety show was on The Ed Sullivan Show (Season 10, Episode 35; May 26, 1957) right after her success with Rock Hunter , where she played violin with
3610-569: The high Bs in all subjects consistently. At age 17, she married Paul Mansfield on May 6, 1950. Their daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield , was born six months later, on November 8, 1950. Jayne and her husband enrolled in Southern Methodist University to study acting. In 1951, Jayne moved to Los Angeles and attended a summer semester at UCLA . She entered the Miss California contest but Paul found out and forced her to withdraw from
3705-431: The neo-noir Too Hot to Handle (1960), and the sex comedy Promises! Promises! (1963); the latter established Mansfield as one of the first major American actresses to perform in a nude scene in a post-silent era film. Mansfield took her professional name from her first husband, public relations professional Paul Mansfield. Mansfield married three times, each marriage ending in divorce, and had five children. She
3800-505: The 1955 pictorial. Playboy reprinted photos from that pictorial issue, with titles such as December 1965's "The Playboy Portfolio of Sex Stars", and January 2000s "Centerfolds of the Century". Mansfield's first film part was a supporting role in Female Jungle , a low-budget drama completed in ten days. Her part was filmed over a few days, and she was paid $ 150 ($ 2,000 in 2023 dollars). It
3895-516: The A-side, and " Little Things Mean a Lot " on the B-side – in 1964. Mansfield had a daughter with her first husband, public relations professional Paul Mansfield. She was the mother of three children from her second marriage to actor/bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay , including actress Mariska Hargitay . She also had a son with her third husband, film director Matt Cimber . Mansfield's son Zoltan made news when
Jayne Mansfield - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-516: The June issue, although sometimes it has been published in the May or July issue. Until 2003, each year's Playmate of the Year would routinely appear on the cover of her PMOTY issue, in which her PMOTY pictorial is featured. However, from 2003 to 2005, PMOTYs did not appear on the covers of their PMOTY issues, and 2007 PMOTY Sara Jean Underwood did not either. Instead, celebrities appearing in celebrity pictorials in
4085-567: The Old Actor, from when the musical opened in 1960, and from April 26, 2010, to June 6, 2010. He was credited as an actor in the show as Thomas Bruce. Jones was also the author of Making Musicals: An Informal Introduction to the World of Musical Theater , about which Elyse Sommer wrote on January 15, 1998 in CurtainUp : Extremely well organized and packed with interesting information, the first half of
4180-602: The PMOTY issues appeared on the covers. The 2010 PMOTY, Hope Dworaczyk , did appear on the cover, and was the first model to be the subject of a three-dimensional Playboy centerfold photograph. The average age of a Playmate of the Year, 23.5 years, is slightly higher than that of a Playmate of the Month, 22.4 years. In 1964, at the age of 18, Donna Michelle became the youngest PMOY ever. Jo Collins (1965) and Christa Speck (1962) both were 19. Sharon Clark (1971), Karen McDougal (1998) and Ida Ljungqvist (2009) became PMOTY at
4275-503: The Paris restaurant Tour d'Argent ), Robert F. Kennedy , John F. Kennedy , Brazilian billionaire Jorge Guinle , Las Vegas entertainer Nelson Sardelli , producer Enrico Bomba , and her attorney Samuel S. Brody. She met John F. Kennedy through his brother-in-law Peter Lawford in Palm Springs, California, in 1960, but their alleged affair did not last. Mansfield and Brody were both killed in
4370-476: The Playmate of the Year title in 2020, instead awarding all 2019 Playmates the shared title of Playmates of the Year. All 2020 Playmates were given yearbook superlatives rather than a PMOTY title. In 2021, Playboy digitally published two quarterly Playmates. No Playmates have been published since Miss Spring 2021, Hailee Lautenbach. According to Playboy , there is no such thing as a former Playmate because "Once
4465-579: The Top 10 list of box-office attractions for that year. Soon after her success in Promises! Promises! , Mansfield was chosen from many other actresses to replace the recently deceased Marilyn Monroe in Kiss Me, Stupid (1964), a romantic comedy also starring Dean Martin . She turned down the role because of her pregnancy with daughter Mariska Hargitay , and was replaced by Kim Novak . That same year, Mansfield appeared in
4560-855: The United Kingdom: The Challenge and Too Hot to Handle , both released the following year. Both films were low-budget, and their American releases were delayed. Too Hot to Handle was not released in the United States until 1961 as Playgirl After Dark . The Challenge was released in 1963 as It Takes a Thief . In the United States, censors objected to a scene in Too Hot to Handle in which Mansfield, wearing silver netting with sequins painted over her nipples, appears nearly nude. When Mansfield returned to Hollywood in mid-1960, 20th Century Fox cast her in It Happened in Athens (1962) with Trax Colton ,
4655-632: The United States by way of lucrative and successful nightclub acts. Mansfield gained no major star role in film roles after 1959. She was unable to fulfill a third of her contract with Fox due to her reported "repeated pregnancies". Fox stopped viewing her as a major Hollywood star and started loaning her and her likeness out to foreign productions in England and Italy, respectively, until the end of her contract in 1962. Many of her English/Italian films are regarded as obscure and some considered lost . In 1959, Fox cast her in two independent gangster films shot in
4750-716: The University of Texas. Early in 1952, Paul was called to the United States Army Reserve for the Korean War. While he served in the army, she spent a year at Camp Gordon , Georgia. Her life became easier with Paul's army allotment. Returning from the Korean War in 1954, he took a job with a small newspaper in East Los Angeles, California, and lived in a small apartment in Van Nuys , Los Angeles, with Jayne and her pets –
4845-611: The Virgins, to Make Much of Time , a poem by Robert Herrick about early death, on The Joey Bishop Show – her last television appearance. As late as the mid-1980s, Mansfield remained one of the biggest television draws. In 1980, The Jayne Mansfield Story aired on CBS starring Loni Anderson in the title role and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mickey Hargitay. It was nominated for three Emmy Awards . A+E Networks TV series Biography featured her in an episode titled Jayne Mansfield: Blonde Ambition . The TV series won an Emmy Award in
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#17328586013344940-481: The age of 27. Only three women became PMOTY in their 30s: Tiffany Fallon (2005) at 31, Kathy Shower (1986) at 33, and Eugena Washington (2016) at 31. Playmates who attained fame for reasons in addition to their Playboy appearance(s) include (with the date of their appearance): Arny Freytag holds the record as the photographer who has captured the highest number of Playmates in Playboy 's history, while Ana Dias
5035-482: The book deals in broad and general terms with the growth and development of the American musical. The second half focuses on the practical "how-to" of putting together a musical, using Jones's own career and shows he's worked on as a springboard ... Since only half the book falls within the category of how-to I'm glad to report that this advice is stick-to-the-ribs solid. No hyperbole. No gratuitous name dropping. Jones
5130-513: The competition. She then moved to Austin , Texas, with her husband, and studied dramatics at the University of Texas at Austin . There, Mansfield worked as a nude art model , sold books door-to-door, and worked as a receptionist at a dance studio. She also joined the Curtain Club , a campus theatrical society that included lyricist Tom Jones , composer Harvey Schmidt , and actors Rip Torn and Pat Hingle among its members. Mansfield then spent
5225-567: The divorce, she decided to keep "Mansfield" as her professional name. Paul Mansfield remarried, settled into the public relations business and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee , but failed to win custody suits over Jayne Marie or restrain her from traveling abroad with her mother. Following her 18th birthday, Jayne Marie complained that she had not received her inheritance from the Mansfield estate or heard from her father since her mother's death. Mansfield met her second husband, Mickey Hargitay , at
5320-511: The drive-in's answer to Marilyn Monroe", meaning Van Doren. Though their characters did share one scene, Mansfield and Van Doren filmed their parts at different times to be edited together later. Mansfield's wardrobe relied on the shapeless styles of the 1960s to hide her weight gain after the birth of her fifth child. Despite career setbacks, she remained a highly visible celebrity during the early 1960s through her publicity antics and stage performances. In early 1967, Mansfield filmed her last role,
5415-768: The film Promises! Promises! . A court order prohibited using any of the guest stars to promote the film. Later in her career, Mansfield was busier on stage, performing and making appearances with her nightclub acts, club engagements, and performance tours. By 1960, she made personal appearances for everything from supermarket promotions to drug store openings, at $ 10,000 per appearance ($ 103,000 in 2023 dollars). Mansfield had classical training in piano and violin. She sang in film soundtracks, on stage for her theatrical and nightclub performances, and had singles and albums released. After her death, Mansfield became an inspiration for punk-rock musicians . Mansfield sang in English and German for
5510-474: The first mainstream American actress to appear nude in a starring role, in the film Promises! Promises! (1963). Playboy published nude photographs of Mansfield on the set in its June 1963 issue, resulting in obscenity charges against Hugh Hefner in a Chicago court. Promises! Promises! was banned in Cleveland, Ohio, but enjoyed box-office success elsewhere. As a result of the film's success, Mansfield landed on
5605-439: The following year. Starring Ray Danton as Raft, the film showcased Mansfield in a small part as a glamorous film star. Soon after the film's release, she returned to European films, appearing in low-budget foreign films such as Heimweh nach St. Pauli (1963, Germany), L'Amore Primitivo (1964, Italy), Panic Button (1964, Italy) and Einer frisst den anderen (1964, Germany). Tommy Noonan persuaded Mansfield to become
5700-414: The magazine's circulation and helped boost Mansfield's career. Shortly afterward, she posed for the Playboy calendar, covering her breasts with her hands. Playboy featured Mansfield each February from 1955 to 1958, and again in 1960. In August 1956, Paul Mansfield sought custody of his daughter, alleging that Jayne was an unfit mother because she appeared nude in Playboy . In 1964, the magazine repeated
5795-602: The marriage was on May 10, 1950. According to biographer Raymond Strait, she had an earlier "secret" marriage on January 28, after which she conceived her first child. On November 8, 1950, Mansfield gave birth to her daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield. Some sources cite Paul Mansfield as the father of her child, others allege that the pregnancy was the result of date rape . Paul Mansfield hoped the birth of their child would discourage her interest in acting. When it did not, he agreed to move to Los Angeles in late 1954 to help further her career. In 1952, she juggled motherhood and classes at
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#17328586013345890-469: The meeting and the events surrounding it, identifying her as a Satanist , and speculating that she was somehow romantically involved with LaVey. That meeting remained a much-publicized and oft-quoted event both of her life and of the history of the Church of Satan. Karla LaVey , Anton LaVey's daughter, asserted in a 1992 interview with Joan Rivers that Mansfield was a practicing LaVeyan Satanist and that she had
5985-596: The mid-1960s, when the show was the second-highest-rated program in the U.S.). In November 1957, in a special episode of NBC 's The Perry Como Show ("Holiday in Las Vegas"), one of her nightclub acts was featured, something quite scandalous for the audience according to the broadcaster. She was a member of the headlining guests for three of The Bob Hope Special s. In 1957, she toured United States Pacific Command areas in Hawaii, Okinawa, Guam, Tokyo and Korea with Bob Hope for
6080-432: The most popular Playmate at the end of each year. Although February 1954 Playmate Marilyn Waltz gained much popularity, receiving more fan mail than any other Playmate that year, she was not crowned PMOTY. Neither was December 1956 Playmate Lisa Winters , who was named Playmate of the Year but not technically crowned as such (causing some controversy regarding semantics); and, although Joyce Nizzari , Miss December 1958,
6175-481: The musical spoofing Hollywood in general and Marilyn Monroe in particular. Her wardrobe, namely a bath-towel, caused a sensation. She received a Theatre World Award (Promising Personality) for her performance in 1956, as well as a Golden Globe Award (New Star of the year, Actress) in 1957. Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times described the "commendable abandon" of her scantily clad rendition of Rita Marlowe in
6270-476: The nickname of Hollywood 's "smartest dumb blonde ." Mansfield gained popularity after playing the role of fictional actress Rita Marlowe in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1955–1956) on Broadway , which she reprised in the film adaptation of the same name in 1957. Her other film roles include the musical comedy The Girl Can't Help It (1956), the drama The Wayward Bus (1957),
6365-508: The only title she refused was Miss Roquefort Cheese, because she believed it "just didn't sound right". Mansfield later rejected "Miss Prime Rib" in 1957 as well. In 1952, while in Dallas, she and Paul Mansfield participated in small local-theater productions of The Slaves of Demon Rum and Ten Nights in a Barroom , and Anything Goes in Camp Gordon, Georgia. After he left for military service, she made her first significant stage appearance in
6460-434: The outstanding non-fiction TV series category in 2001. A&E again featured her life in another TV serial, Dangerous Curves , in 1999. In 1988, her story and archival footage was a part of the TV documentary Hollywood Sex Symbols . Between 1951 and 1953 she acted in The Slaves of Demon Rum , Ten Nights in a Barroom , Macbeth , and Anything Goes . Her performance in an October 1953 production of Arthur Miller's Death of
6555-482: The play as "a platinum- pated movie siren with the wavy contours of Marilyn Monroe". She performed in about 450 shows between 1955 and 1956. At the time, she was considered one of the biggest Broadway-to-Hollywood success stories. In 1964, she performed in stage productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at Carousel Theater , and Bus Stop at Yonkers Playhouse. Both co-starred Mickey Hargitay and were well-reviewed. Mansfield toured small U.S. towns alternating between
6650-540: The right places"), Plain Jane , Quando-Quando , Bésame Mucho , and the song made famous by Marilyn Monroe – Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend . In 1962, 20th Century Fox Records released the album Jayne Mansfield Busts Up Las Vegas , a recording of her Las Vegas revue The House of Love . In 1964 MGM Records released a novelty album called Jayne Mansfield: Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky & Me , in which Mansfield recited Shakespeare 's sonnets and poems by Marlowe , Browning , Wordsworth , and others against
6745-459: The role of Ginger Grant on the up-and-coming television sitcom Gilligan's Island . Although her acting roles were becoming marginalized, Mansfield rejected the part as it epitomized the stereotype she wished to rid herself of. The part eventually went to Tina Louise . A widespread rumor that Mansfield had a breast-flashing dress mishap at the 1957 Academy Awards was found baseless by Academy researchers. Ten days before her death, she read To
6840-634: The roles of burlesque entertainer Midnight Franklin in Too Hot to Handle (1960) and Las Vegas show girl Tawni Downs in The Las Vegas Hillbillys (1966). In 1967, an independent documentary Spree (alternative title Las Vegas by Night ) on the antics of Las Vegas entertainers was released. The film, narrated as a part of a travelogue of Vic Damone and Juliet Prowse , featured Mansfield, Hargitay, Constance Moore and Clara Ward as guest stars. Mansfield strips and sings "Promise Her Anything" from
6935-498: The same manager. "Wo ist der Mann" sung in German and released by Polydor Records in Austria was much in demand immediately after its release in August 1963. The A-side featured Hans Last 's "Snicksnack-Snuckelchen". The Original Sound label released two original songs from the soundtrack of The Las Vegas Hillbillys – "That Makes It" (an answer to The Big Bopper 's " Chantilly Lace ") on
7030-512: The show. In 1959, Jayne returned to the Tropicana and made $ 30,000 per week, with her show being extended twice. In December 1960, the Dunes hotel and casino launched Mansfield's revue The House of Love (produced by Jack Cole, co-starring Hargitay). She received a salary of $ 35,000 a week ($ 360,000 in 2023 dollars) – the highest in her career. Her wardrobe for the shows at Tropicana and Dunes featured
7125-429: The son of a turkey farmer (his father William) and a homemaker (his mother Jessie). During his adolescence, he worked as an usher in a movie theater and attended the University of Texas at Austin , where he was involved in its theatre department. He attained a master's degree from the university in 1951. All of Jones's major musicals were written with Harvey Schmidt , whom he met at the university. His best-known work
7220-525: The studio and complete her contract. Mansfield next played a dramatic role in The Wayward Bus (1957), an adaptation of John Steinbeck 's novel of the same name. With this film, she attempted to move away from her "blonde bombshell" image and establish herself as a serious actress. The film enjoyed moderate box-office success, and Mansfield won a Golden Globe in 1957 for New Star of the Year, beating Carroll Baker and Natalie Wood with her performance as
7315-464: The theme park on the family's behalf for $ 1.6 million ($ 14.6 million in 2023 dollars). The negative publicity led to closure of the theme park. In 1967, film critic and exploitation movie expert Whitney Williams wrote of Mansfield in Variety : "her personal life out-rivaled any of the roles she played". Mansfield was allegedly intimately involved with many men, including Claude Terrail (owner of
7410-516: The two plays. In 1965, she performed in another pair of plays: Rabbit Habit at the Latin Quarter nightclub, and Champagne Complex , directed by Matt Cimber , at the Pabst Theater . Both plays received poor reviews. In February 1958, the Tropicana Las Vegas launched Mansfield's striptease revue The Tropicana Holiday (produced by Monte Proser, co-starring Mickey Hargitay) under
7505-472: The wedding easy. Mansfield wore a sensational pink, skintight wedding gown made of sequins with a 30 yd (27 m) flounce of pink tulle (designed by a 20th Century-Fox costume designer), and at the reception she had Hargitay drink pink champagne. Playboy Playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold /gatefold of Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month ( PMOTM ). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and
7600-460: Was 18. Dutch Playmate twins Karin and Mirjam van Breeschooten appeared at age 17 in their country's edition of Playboy in June 1988; at 18, they were Misses September 1989 in the US version. Some women have become Playmates in their 30s. Dolores Donlon (August 1957) is the oldest Playmate to date, appearing in her shoot at the age of 36. In the early days of Playboy , there was no official prize for
7695-833: Was allegedly intimately involved with numerous men, including Robert and John F. Kennedy , her attorney Samuel S. Brody, and Las Vegas entertainer Nelson Sardelli . On June 29, 1967, she died in a traffic collision at the age of 34. Jayne Mansfield was born Vera Jayne Palmer on April 19, 1933, at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania , the only child of Herbert William Palmer and Vera Jeffrey (née Palmer) Palmer. She inherited more than $ 90,000 from her maternal grandfather, Thomas ($ 950,000 in 2023 dollars), and more than $ 36,000 from her maternal grandmother, Beatrice Mary Palmer, in 1958 ($ 380,000 in 2023 dollars). Until age six, Mansfield lived in Phillipsburg, New Jersey , where her father
7790-584: Was an attorney practicing with future New Jersey governor Robert B. Meyner . In 1936, her father died of a heart attack. In 1939, Jayne Mansfield’s mother married sales engineer Harry Lawrence Peers and the family moved to Dallas , Texas, where she was known as Vera Jayne Peers. As a child, she wanted to be a Hollywood star like Shirley Temple . At age 12, Palmer took ballroom dance lessons. She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1950. While in high school, she took violin, piano, and viola lessons. She also studied Spanish and German. Palmer received grades in
7885-599: Was as Margaret Scott) and Janet Pilgrim (July 1955, December 1955, and October 1956) are tied for the most appearances. Margie Harrison (January 1954, June 1954) and Marguerite Empey (May 1955, February 1956) are the only other women to appear more than once as Playmates. Several playmates – including Nancy Crawford (April 1959), Donna Michelle (December 1963), Linda Moon (October 1966), Patti Reynolds (September 1965) and Teddi Smith (July 1960) – posed when they were 17. Elizabeth Ann Roberts (January 1958) – whose pictorial
7980-429: Was called "Schoolmate Playmate" – posed when she was 16. Hugh Hefner and Roberts' mother were arrested as a result, but the case was subsequently dismissed because Roberts' mother had signed a statement that her daughter was 18 before the photo shoot. In 1977, Ursula Buchfellner posed for the German edition of Playboy when she was 16 and subsequently posed for the American edition (October 1979) when she
8075-592: Was given bit parts in Pete Kelly's Blues (1955), starring Jack Webb , and Hell on Frisco Bay (1955), starring Alan Ladd . She acted in one more movie for Warner Brothers – another small but significant role opposite Edward G. Robinson in the courtroom drama Illegal (1955). Mansfield's agent, William Shiffrin, signed her to play fictional film star Rita Marlowe in the Broadway play Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? with Orson Bean and Walter Matthau . The part
8170-465: Was hailed as the advent of "a new and dramatic Jayne Mansfield". She appeared on a number of game shows including "Talk it up," Down You Go (as a regular panelist), The Match Game (one rare episode has her as a team captain), and What's My Line? (as a special mystery guest). She performed in a number of variety shows including The Jack Benny Program (on which she played violin), The Steve Allen Show and The Jackie Gleason Show (during
8265-406: Was named the "most popular" Playmate of 1958, the PMOTY competition was first officially won in 1960 by Miss December 1959, Ellen Stratton . The 2009 PMOY, Ida Ljungqvist , was the 50th PMOTY and the second model of African descent to win the title, the first being Renee Tenison . A PMOTY makes her appearance the year following her first appearance as PMOTM. This feature is usually published in
8360-407: Was offered to her after actress and friend Mamie Van Doren rejected the offer. She accepted the part while working in producer Louis W. Kellman's The Burglar (1957), director Paul Wendkos 's film adaptation of David Goodis ' novel, made in film noir style. Mansfield appeared alongside Dan Duryea and Martha Vickers . It was released two years later, when Mansfield's fame was at its peak. She
8455-513: Was pregnant. Fox then attempted to cast Mansfield opposite Paul Newman in Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), his ill-fated first attempt at comedy . With a decreased demand for big-breasted, blonde bombshells and an increasing negative backlash against her excessive publicity, Mansfield became a box-office has-been by the early 1960s, yet she remained a celebrity, still able to attract large crowds outside
8550-527: Was recorded for the 31st Academy Awards ceremony with Jack Benny on first violin, Mansfield on violin, Dick Powell on trumpet, Robert Mitchum on woodwind, Fred Astaire on drums and Jerry Lewis as conductor; however, the performance was canceled. She sang "Too Marvelous for Words" for The Jack Benny Program ("Jack Takes Boat to Hawaii"; Episode 9, Season 14; November 26, 1963). Her club performances regularly featured songs like Call Me , A Little Brains, A Little Talent ("This Queen has her aces in all
8645-594: Was released briefly in 1966, but did not enjoy a full release until 1968, almost a year after her death. After Single Room Furnished wrapped, Mansfield was cast opposite Mamie Van Doren and Ferlin Husky in The Las Vegas Hillbillys (1966), a low-budget comedy from Woolner Brothers . It was her first country and western film, and she promoted it through a 29-day tour of major U.S. cities, accompanied by Husky, Don Bowman and other country musicians. Before filming began, Mansfield said she would not "share any screen time with
8740-433: Was released unofficially in early 1955. In February 1955, James Byron, her manager and publicist, negotiated a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers , who were intrigued by her publicity antics. The contract initially paid her $ 250 a week ($ 3,000 in 2023 dollars) and landed her two films – one with an insignificant role and another unreleased for two years. She filed for separation from Paul Mansfield that January. Mansfield
8835-623: Was staged on Fremont Street , away from the Strip where the Tropicana and Dunes were. Her last nightclub act French Dressing was at the Latin Quarter in New York in 1966, also repeated at the Tropicana. It was a modified version of the Tropicana show, and ran for six weeks with fair success. Her nightclub career became inspirations for films, documentaries, and a musical album. 20th Century Fox Records recorded "The House of Love" for an album entitled Jayne Mansfield Busts Up Las Vegas in 1962. She played
8930-468: Was successful in this straight dramatic role, though most of her subsequent film appearances were comedic or capitalized on her sex appeal. It was Kellman's first major venture, and he claimed to have "discovered" Mansfield. She was announced for Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? in mid-July 1955 and was dropped by Warner Brothers on July 31. Twentieth Century-Fox signed Mansfield to a six-year contract on May 3, 1956, in its New York office to mold her as
9025-498: Was wasting her "obvious talents" and had her come back a week later to perform the piano scene from The Seven Year Itch . Jayne failed to impress but learned she would have to go blonde. She then performed the piano scene for Warner Brothers, but, again, failed to impress. She landed her first acting assignment in Lux Video Theatre , a series on CBS in the episode "An Angel Went AWOL", aired on October 21, 1954. In it, she sat at
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