Mamie Van Doren

Happy 92nd Birthday to living legend Mamie Van Doren, captured here in a dazzling glamour pose from 1957. Doren was born on February 6, 1931 in Rowena, South Dakota. She was discovered by producer Howard Hughes when she was crowned ‘Miss Palm Springs’ in 1948. He launched her career by placing her in several films, including “His Kind of Woman” (1951) and “Forbidden” (1953). Her first major role was in “The All American” (1953) as Susie Ward, a wayward girl and a man trap at a campus beer joint. She then appeared in a supporting role of a slave girl named Lilith in “Yankee Pasha” (1954). The following year she played another supporting role in the musical “Ain’t Misbehavin” (1955) and starred in the crime drama “Running Wild” (1955). Doren then appeared opposite Clint Eastwood, an unknown face at that time, in the Western “Star in the Dust” (1956) and the following year scored a hit with “Untamed Youth” (1957). Between 1958 and 1959, she was seen in some of her more noteworthy movies, including “Teacher’s Pet” (1958), “Born Reckless” (1958), “High School Confidential” (1958) and “The Beat Generation” (1959). Doren was also known for her more provocative roles, such as those in “Girls Town” (1959) and as Eve in “The Private Lives of Adam and Eve” (1960) (where she wore only fig leaves). Universal Studios’ chose not to renew her contract in 1959, making her a free agent. For the next few years, she was only seen in independent low-budget foreign productions that did little to boost her image in the public eye. At this time she also appeared in several stage productions, including “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, “Dames at Sea” and “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”. The early 1970s saw her performing at nightclubs in Las Vegas and, since then, has only made guest appearances in low-budget films. In recent years, Doren has made use of social media, including Facebook and Twitter. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7057 Hollywood Boulevard.

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