RIP Vampira

[ozzfan2]

On January 10, 2008, Maila Nurmi, better known as the legendary 1950's Los Angeles B-movie horror hostess "Vampira", passed away in her sleep at the age of 86. Said to be the inspiration for the Morticia Addams character in "The Addams Family", Vampira was the original "glamour ghoul" and the iconic star of Ed Wood's "Plan 9 from Outer Space". She was also the subject of the classic song "Vampira" from the Misfits 1982 release "Walk Among Us".

Misfits founding member Jerry Only comments:

"I found her one of the bravest and most charming people despite heartbreaks that came her way. When she found out what she meant to us, she went out of her way to come down and see us at the record store Vinyl Fetish in LA for the release of "Walk Among us" in 1982 and I'll never forget that."

She will be missed.

[sub006]

She also hosted late-night movies for a Los Angeles TV station, providing the template for Cassandra Peterson's "Elvira" (even the name?) a few decades later.

[shah]

Who could forget her playing the lady ghoul in Plan 9 From Outer Space. RIP Vampira.

[ericinwisconsin]

For someone who has such a cult following, it's amazing how few clear pictures of Vampira exist. Most are small and fuzzy; at least those on the web.

[sub006]

For someone who has such a cult following, it's amazing how few clear pictures of Vampira exist. Most are small and fuzzy; at least those on the web.

This is only appropriate, '50s TV pictures were small and fuzzy too!

[ericinwisconsin]

This is only appropriate, '50s TV pictures were small and fuzzy too!

LOL! Point taken. But surely there must have been publicity photos; something from her personal archives.

As I understand it, not a single episode of her program still exists. Not surprising, as most things are considered throw-away. Too bad home video recorders didn't exist back then.

[ProfessorBates]

Thanks for the info on Maila Nurmi. I have Plan 9 on tape followed by a documentary, 'The Plan 9 Companion', which contains an interview with Ms. Nurmi. She provides interesting info about Ed Wood and his friends.

Are we movie nerds or what?

[Bort Dink]

But kine scopes were done of many shows. KTLA showed one last year of Beany and Cecil when it was the puppet show! I didn't think any of those had survived. You never know what might turn up in a vault somewhere....

[putzmanship]

Her uncle was an Olympic champion in track running, the great Paavo Nurmi!
I found a couple clips of her.
The Vampira role/show:
Thumbnail Index:
don't use photobucket
Download URL:
http://rapidshare.com/files/166725975/Vampira.zip
And one of her "normal" self in color:
Maila Nurmi (1952)
Thumbnail Index:

Download URL:
http://rapidshare.com/files/166725310/MailaNurmi.zip
Thank you,
putzmanship

[Tony T]

The Vampira one is pure classic nostalgia. From the Maila one she seems to have had a rather nice figure hidden under the Vampira costume.

Many thanks.

TT

[Clemmson]

a few in memory

[Clemmson]

a younger Maila Nurmi

[putzmanship]

They don't make them like that any more.

[teehee]

This is sad!I didn't know she had passed...

She ws hot in a weird way...
Her 'wasp-waist' was phenomenal!

R.I.P. Ms."V"

[Clemmson]

This is one of my favorites I missed before...

[aqwvintage]

I really enjoyed!!!
Thanks

[slimepuppy]

I remember seeing her on Plan 9 from outer space she certainly improved the film. Still Finnish women are great.

[BEAUABER237]

[QUOTE=ozzfan2;9375]On January 10, 2008, Maila Nurmi, better known as the legendary 1950's Los Angeles B-movie horror hostess "Vampira", passed away in her sleep at the age of 86. Said to be the inspiration for the Morticia Addams character in "The Addams Family", QUOTE]


As Charles Addams gew up in the town next to the one I did (he based the mansion on the large Victorian homes, like the one he was raised in, that are in the old section of town), Westfield NJ, I can't let that pass without comment. Accoding to the catalog from an exhibit of his ouevre at the Met in the late Eighties, Mr Addams, after collaborating with Ray Bradbury, struck out on his own in 1938 and sold his his first cartoon to the New Yorkerthat year. Miss Nurmi would have been a young woman at that stage and her TV show was another decade and a half in the future.

Having said that, let me add that I am saddened to learn of her passing. As one of the photos above shows, she was obviously gracious with her fans, a quality that seems to be forgotten by a lot of the current crop in El Lay.

[Ditz]

Rest in peace.

[starfleetrm]

Who could forget her playing the lady ghoul in Plan 9 From Outer Space. RIP Vampira.



Great flick.

[kinkissimo]

From Wikipedia: "In the 1950s she supported herself mainly by posing for pin-up photos in men's magazines such as Famous Models, Gala and Glamorous Models." Does anyone have any pin up photos of Maila Nurmi?

[mjello]

> [Bort Dink] But kine scopes were done of many shows.
> You never know what might turn up in a vault somewhere....

http://www.crazedfanboy.com/npcr08/fangrrlpcr408.php

THE FOOTAGE

Because The Vampira Show was broadcast live and not recorded for future airings, no videotapes of the episodes exist. A kinescope containing about three minutes from the August 14, 1954 program was discovered a few years ago. This footage, originally used in a KABC promo, was reportedly turned over to a video restoration expert who would restore the program's "live broadcast" look.

Besides the kinescope and the ten or so minutes of her in Plan 9 From Outer Space, the only other chance of footage of Nurmi as Vampira is a rumored ten-second clip of her on stage with Liberace, which allegedly appears in a History Channel documentary on Las Vegas. There are also rumors of original scripts being held in private collections.

Over the past couple of years, VampirasAttic.com has asked fans for JPEGs of photos, magazine articles, autographs, pictures painted by Nurmi, etc. for its online archive. That archive is currently inaccessible and the Vampira's Attic YouTube channel has been discontinued.

This edition is for the week of January 14-20, 2008.

[geoffe]

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[kinkissimo]

Thanks Geoffe!