Mamie Van Doren

Actor

About

Also Known As

Joan Lucille Olander, Joan Olander

Birth Place

Rowena, South Dakota, USA

Born

February 06, 1931

Biography

Filmography

Bettie Page Reveals All (2013)

Herself

Slackers (2001)

Free Ride (1986)

You've Got To Be Smart (1967)

Miss Hathaway

The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966)

Lieut. Nora Hall

Las Vegas Hillbillys (1966)

Boots

Photos & Videos

View All

Untamed Youth (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Cotton Picker

Untamed Youth (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Healthy Outdoor Work

Family & Companions

Bo Belinsky

Companion

Professional baseball player. Born on December 7, 1936; was engaged briefly in the 1960s; died on November 23, 2001.

Ray Anthony

Husband

Bandleader.

Bibliography

"Playing the Field"

Mamie Van Doren, G.P. Putnam's Sons (1987)

Notes

She has an official Web site at www.mamievandoren.com

"I never screwed around during a movie. It was always afterward. At least I'd try to wait until afterwards."---Mamie Van Doren to Los Angeles Magazine, November 2004.

Biography

Full-figured, hard-edged leading lady of the late 1950s and early 60s who, next to Jayne Mansfield, was one of the best known of the Marilyn Monroe imitators to emerge at that time. Van Doren, however, was not cast primarily in comedies like the more successful Mansfield; instead, she primarily appeared in schlocky "B" melodramas like "Guns, Girls, and Gangsters" (1958), "The Beat Generation" (1959), and "The Navy vs. the Night Monsters" (1966) and exploitation films like "High School Confidential" (1958), "Sex Kittens Go the College" (1960). Van Doren's minor cult status was acknowledged in 1994's "Pulp Fiction," in which a character named "Mamie Van Doren" was played by Lorelei Leslie.

Filmography

Life Events

1950

Played a small role in the Howard Hughes-Joseph von Sternberg debacle, "Jet Pilot", starring John Wayne and Janet Leigh; film was not released until 1957

1951

Initial film released, "His Kind of Woman"; billed as Joan Olander

1955

Played first female lead in a film, "Running Wild"

1956

First worked with producer (and sometime director) Albert Zugsmith, "Star in the Dust"

1960

Played Maybelle Perkins on the CBS comedy special (and series pilot), "Meet the Girls: The Shape, The Face and the Brain"

1967

Among last leading roles in features was her part in "You've Got to Be Smart"

1986

Returned to features after nearly 20 years to play a supporting role in the teen comedy, "Free Ride"

1987

Played the role of Minnie on the HBO five-part comedy-adventure series, "Glory Years"

2002

Made cameo appearance (including doffing her top) in "Slackers"

Photo Collections

High School Confidential! - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from Albert Zugsmith's High School Confidential! (1958). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Vice Raid - Lobby Card

The Girl in Black Stockings - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for The Girl in Black Stockings (1957). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

College Confidential - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from Albert Zugsmith's College Confidential (1960), starring Steve Allen and Mamie Van Doren. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Videos

Untamed Youth (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Cotton Picker Kids sentenced to the work farm, including sisters Janey (Lori Nelson) and Penny (Mamie Van Doren) picking cotton, when "Bong," (Eddie Cochran, still only 19, with a song by Les Baxter that never appeared on a Cochran record until 1972, 12 years after his car-crash death) breaks out in song, in Untamed Youth, 1957.

Untamed Youth (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Healthy Outdoor Work In this instance the title refers to naked blonde teenagers, Penny (Mamie Van Doren) and Janey (Lori Nelson), captured by Mitch (Robert Foulk) and brought before the judge (Lurene Tuttle), opening Untamed Youth, 1957.

Born Reckless (1958) -- (Movie Clip) He Believes In The Siesta Jackie (Mamie Van Doren) reprises the title song for rodeo rider and maybe-boyfriend Kelly (Jeff Richards, with sidekick Arthur Hunnicutt), en route to visit his Latin virtual family led by "Papa" (Nacho Galindo, Allegra Varron as "Mama," Ray Beltran "Grandfather,"), in Born Reckless, 1958.

Born Reckless (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Home Type Of Girl Introduced by rocker Johnny Olenn, Mamie Van Doren as trick rider and, it turns out, also singer, "Jackie," with an original novelty number by Buddy Bregman and Sammy Styne, then hassled by a boozy rodeo reporter (Tom Dugan), early in Born Reckless, 1958.

Guns, Girls And Gangsters (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Clear The Decks Lee Van Cleef is the villain watching from outside and Gerald Mohr, though he's a crook himself, is the object of the affection of "Vi" (Mamie Van Doren), performing her second original tune in the picture, at a New Year's party, in Guns, Girls And Gangsters, 1958.

Guns, Girls And Gangsters (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Singing Bombshell Narration guides ex-con Wheeler (Gerald Mohr) to the Las Vegas-area night club where the main attraction is "Vi" (top-billed Mamie Van Doren), her opening number by Buddy Bregman and Stanley Styne, early in Guns, Girls and Gangsters, 1958, directed by B-movie specialist Edward L. Cahn.

Sex Kittens Go To College (1960) -- (Movie Clip) When I Blast Off The P-R man (Martin Milner), the dean (Pamela Mason), the professor (Louis Nye) and the dumb jock (Woo Woo Grabowski) mistake a bra seller (Babe London) for the new professor, who of course is really Mamie Van Doren, early in Sex Kittens Go To College, 1960.

Beat Generation, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) I Like To Make The Scene Four reels into the movie, second-billed Mamie Van Doren at last appears as divorcee Georgia, visited by Jim Mitchum (Robert's brother), who's been blackmailed by a psychopath into committing a murder, Mamie's husband, the band-leader Ray Anthony, playing her ex, in The Beat Generation, 1959.

Vice Raid (1960) -- (Movie Clip) As Long As You Want A money-scene with a plot twist, cop Brandon (Richard Coogan) posing as a photographer doesn't know that model Carol (Mamie Van Doren) wants to get busted, as she's really part of a frame up arranged by the prostitution ring he's trying to crack, in Vice Raid, 1960.

Untamed Youth (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Like A Rolling Stone First night in the work farm dorm with a notably lurid act (Not the Bob Dylan song), Penny (Mamie Van Doren), backed by sister Janey (Lori Nelson), boys next door led by Eddie Cochran, Jeanne Carmen as a new bunk-mate, and John Russell as the big boss, early in Untamed Youth, 1957.

College Confidential -- (Movie Clip) Down At The College Hall Mamie Van Doren (as "Sally") grooves to an infectious tune by classmate Marvin (Conway Twitty) as professors Steve and Betty (Steve Allen and wife Jayne Meadows) host a party complicated by spiked punch, in College Confidential, 1960.

College Confidential -- (Movie Clip) Sex On Trial! Racy opening from what will be the ending of the film, Steve Allen as a college professor, his wife Jayne Meadows a colleague, Mamie Van Doren and Conway Twitty students, in Albert Zugsmith's College Confidential, 1960.

High School Confidential - (Original Trailer) Russ Tamblyn goes undercover as a student to bust a narco ring in High School Confidential (1958) with Mamie Van Doren and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Teacher's Pet - (Original Trailer) A tough city editor (Clark Gable) assumes a fake identity to study journalism with a lady professor (Doris Day) who's criticized his work in Teacher's Pet (1958).

Family

Perry Anthony

Son

Companions

Bo Belinsky

Companion

Professional baseball player. Born on December 7, 1936; was engaged briefly in the 1960s; died on November 23, 2001.

Ray Anthony

Husband

Bandleader.

Bibliography

"Playing the Field"

Mamie Van Doren, G.P. Putnam's Sons (1987)

Notes

She has an official Web site at www.mamievandoren.com

"I never screwed around during a movie. It was always afterward. At least I'd try to wait until afterwards."---Mamie Van Doren to Los Angeles Magazine, November 2004.

"I think the term bombshell comes from the bullet bra that I created when I was at Universal. My breasts are a mile wide, I am a 34 with a triple F cup. What I wanted was a bra to wear under a turtleneck sweater that would point the nipples out because I thought that it would be hot looking. Universal made only one and lined it with satin. That was the bullet bra.."---Mamie Van Doren to Los Angeles Magazine, November 2004.

About

Biography

Filmography

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Bibliography

Notes

Biography

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Title Design (Feature Film)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Cast (Special)

Cast (Short)

Life Events

1950

1951

1955

1956

1960

1967

1986

1987

2002

Photo Collections

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

Companions

Bibliography

Notes

TCM Emails