40 Scandalous Secrets About Hollywood's First Goth – And Her Legendary Love Affairs
You might not know the name Maila Nurmi or even her more familiar moniker Vampira. But back in the 1950s she was one of the most striking women on TV. And the horror-movie hostess had a private life every bit as dramatic as her ghoulish makeup. From celebrity proposals to legal troubles, here are 40 facts about the star dubbed Hollywood’s first goth.
40. She insisted on being mute in her most famous role
Nurmi’s most famous big screen role was Vampire Girl in Ed Wood’s notoriously awful B-movie Plan 9 from Outer Space. The actress doesn’t actually say any lines in the 1957 film. And that’s because Nurmi disliked the corny script so much that she demanded that her character would be silent throughout.
39. Her look was inspired by a fairy-tale villain
It’s fair to say that Nurmi’s influences for her iconic look were diverse. The star was inspired by everything from Charles Addams’ famous comic strips to the kind of models you could only see in bondage magazines while creating her Vampira character. Another unlikely source was the Evil Queen from Snow White!
38. She refused to sign her character’s rights away
Nurmi’s show on WABC was taken off the air after a little over half a year. But that wasn’t down to poor ratings. The network actually wanted more of Vampira. But Nurmi refused to hand over the rights to her persona to the channel, and as a result was given her marching orders.
37. She tore up her contract with Howard Hawks
Many Hollywood historians believe that Nurmi would have become a much bigger star had she not been so fiercely independent. The horror-movie hostess wasn’t a big fan of compromise, as evidenced by the time she ripped up her deal with the man who’d launched the career of Lauren Bacall. Howard Hawks had irritated Nurmi on her first photo call, and she reacted in the only way she knew how.
