Mamie Van Doren is a blast from the past and at the same time a lady of the future. The bombshell actress, singer and stage performer has a long list of credits, and she’s working on more every day. She paved the way for glamorous women the world over. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mae West. Today, decades after the others have left this earth, Mamie is as beautiful and as glamorous as ever.
Mamie surrounded by her memorabilia
borrowed from Julie Strain.
Van Doren, who was discovered in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 16 by reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, was serving as Miss Palm Springs when the meeting took place. Hughes’ first words to Mamie: “Are you a virgin?” Not missing a beat, she replied, “You’ll never know.”
Mamie Van Doren learned early in life that a beautiful girl must be aware of both the opportunities and pitfalls of Hollywood. When she started her film career with Howard Hughes, it became very evident that the Hollywood studio system “owned” its stars. Mamie made three movies for Hughes’ RKO Studios, including 1949’s Jet Pilot with John Wayne. Her job at RKO ended after she bristled at Hughes’ unreasonable demands.
Mamie in a gold dress
Howard Hughes gave her.
“I was Miss Palm Springs and had an appearance to make at a Chamber of Commerce meeting there. One of Howard’s aides called me and told me that Howard wanted to see me right away,” Mamie said. “I told him that I took my position as Miss Palm Springs seriously, and that I would attend the Chamber meeting. Howard sent word back that if I didn’t skip the Chamber meeting and see him that he’d never call me again. I went to the Chamber meeting and never did another movie for RKO.”
Van Doren went on to do numerous other film roles with Universal Pictures and other studios. One of her best known films, High School Confidential, was the first rock & roll movie. The film remains a cult classic today. “I get numerous letters and E-mails from new generations who see the movie. Some of my newest fans are young men in their 20’s,” she mused.
As Mamie’s film career took off, so did the number of famous men who came courting her. Among those suitors were James Dean, Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen, Burt Reynolds and Henry Kissinger. Van Doren remembered her first kiss with James Dean. “He tasted like nicotine. He didn’t seem like a very clean person.” Presley, on the other hand, was a perfect southern gentleman who met Mamie’s expectations. “Elvis came to one of my stage shows in Las Vegas and came to my dressing room afterwards. He asked me out and I declined because I was tired and had more shows to do later that night. He came back after my last show and talked me in to going out on the town,” Van Doren said. She was married to bandleader Ray Anthony at the time, and was faithful to him. “Elvis and I just drove all over town, stopping in casinos and gambling. At the end of the evening, I had to make it clear to him that I was married and that I took that commitment seriously. We parted friends that evening and I saw him several years later, just before he began his decline.”
Van Doren’s romantic exploits are told in glorious detail on her web site, www.mamievandoren.com. Her “Bedtime Stories” section reads like a “who’s who” of Hollywood and offers real life stories of her relationships with many of Hollywood’s leading men as well as about her friendships with screen legends like Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and Jayne Mansfield, just to name a few.
Mamie’s web site is state-of-the art. Visitors get a high tech look at the Mamie of yesterday and today through still photographs and movie clips. She also has a large array of autographed photos and collectibles for sale – including lip prints and limited edition art prints created by both her and her husband, Thomas. The site is one of the most comprehensive celebrity sites on the Internet. She spends three to four hours a day on the Internet, updating her site and answering the many E-mails she receives from fans from around the world.
I had seen recent photos of Mamie and was very impressed with how good she looked in them. But when I had the opportunity to see her in person, I was struck by her natural beauty. The most impressive thing about Mamie however is that what you see is what you get. The glamour queen has never had so much as a face lift, breast job or any other enhancement. She’s simply a natural beauty, and boy do I envy her!
Mamie was a total pro during a three hour photo shoot we did at her home. She is absolutely stunning in front of the camera, and she can give any photographer a lesson in shooting glamour. After all, she’s been photographed by Hollywood’s biggest and best artists, including Hurell and others. She’s even been a subject for legendary pinup artist Vargas. Mamie Van Doren needs no direction. She teases the photographer and knows what she’s doing every minute she’s being photographed.
During our interview Mamie admitted for the first time that there are two separate and distinct sides of her. The first, is Joanie Olander (her real name) who is basically a shy person and a loner. The second is Mamie Van Doren, the vivacious star who knows few boundaries and is always in the limelight. “Joanie is a loner. I was born in the Midwest and grew up on my grandparents farm in South Dakota. I’m Joanie around the house, but I have to be Mamie in public.” When asked what she likes best about Mamie Van Doren, she said, “It gives me the opportunity to do things many other people can’t. I love helping with charities and I really loved entertaining the troops in Viet Nam. You should have seen those men. Dirty from the battlefield, yet I made them forget about where they were and took them out of that hell for a couple of hours.”
Asked what advice she would give a budding model or starlet, she simply advised that one: “Go for it. Once you have a goal, stay with it.” Van Doren has generated a huge following among models, as well. Pinup and scream queen Julie Strain is among those who are Mamie’s biggest fans. Strain has become a big collector of Mamie’s film posters and other memorabilia.
Mamie, herself, is not a collector of her own memorabilia. She does have a few old stills from movies, but what little she did save is “in this drawer or that drawer.” “I don’t like to live in the past,” she said. She does however accommodate collectors when approached for her autograph. “I never say no. I go out of my way to sign for my fans.” When asked what she thought about fans or collectors who sell her autograph she’s quick to answer. “I don’t have any problem with it. I like to spread my money around!”
Although Mamie doesn’t have much of her own memorabilia there’s a place to see it all if she ever cares to. Her fan club President, Joe Doyle, has practically every poster, movie, photo and magazine Mamie has ever graced. Mamie says that Doyle is more than a fan, he’s a friend. “Joe is very dedicated, and he’s a great guy. He’s always been there.”
Learning the “pout”
from the best!
Mamie is still an invited guest to every party and function thrown by Playboy magazine mogul Hugh Hefner at his Mansion in Beverly Hills. She is a living example for the new generation of glamour girls to look to as a role model. And, don’t be surprised if Mamie shows up in a Playboy pictorial soon, some thirty years after her first appearance on its pages!
During my visit to Mamie’s home, I fell in love with the lady. We even swapped some outfits during the shoot just like I did with my teenage friends growing up…heck, Mamie is still just like a teenager – full of life, love and huge doses of sex appeal.
Be sure to visit www.mamievandoren.com
Courtesy of Pop Culture Collecting Magazine
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