With "Vampira & Me" director/producer R.H. Greene has put together quite an interesting documentary spotlighting the patchy acting career of Maila Nurmi (aka. Vampira) who, with her ear-piercing scream and hour-glass figure, became a minor pop-culture icon during the 1950s.
Through vintage film clips, stills, and interviews, we learn how Maila (seeking fame & fortune) moved up from being a cheesecake magazine model in the late 1940s, to doing TV commercials in the early 1950s, to her glory days of becoming Vampira, delightfully hosting her own late-night TV show in the mid-1950s which screened Sci-Fi and Horror films for all the fans.
Known as the "Glamor Ghoul", Maila never ceased to thrill her many fans with the wild combination of her eccentric (and, yes, sexy) make-up, costume and persona.
Sadly enough, by the early 1960s Maila had all but faded away into obscurity and seclusion. She was later discovered waiting tables at a second-rate diner to make ends meet.
In 1997 producer R.H. Greene sought out Maila (who was now 75) and interviewed her for this entertaining and informative documentary. And I'm glad he did.
Through vintage film clips, stills, and interviews, we learn how Maila (seeking fame & fortune) moved up from being a cheesecake magazine model in the late 1940s, to doing TV commercials in the early 1950s, to her glory days of becoming Vampira, delightfully hosting her own late-night TV show in the mid-1950s which screened Sci-Fi and Horror films for all the fans.
Known as the "Glamor Ghoul", Maila never ceased to thrill her many fans with the wild combination of her eccentric (and, yes, sexy) make-up, costume and persona.
Sadly enough, by the early 1960s Maila had all but faded away into obscurity and seclusion. She was later discovered waiting tables at a second-rate diner to make ends meet.
In 1997 producer R.H. Greene sought out Maila (who was now 75) and interviewed her for this entertaining and informative documentary. And I'm glad he did.