Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Vampira (a.k.a. Maila Nurmi)


Glamour ghoul Vampira exhibited a sexy and dangerous persona of which the likes had never been seen before 1954, when she made her television debut hosting horror and suspense thrillers on KABC-TV's Lady of Horrors. Her public appeal immediately grabbed the attention of the press and launched Vampira fan clubs all over the world. Since then, Vampira has continued to resurrect herself in the public's conscience with films like Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood, Vampira: The Movie; with Halloween novelty songs; and interviews in numerous periodicals and documentaries as Maila Nurmi -- the actress who portrayed the vampire vixen. Listed below are films, songs, articles, and other references that cover the career of Maila Nurmi and her sinfully delicious Vampira persona.


Spook Scandals (1944: theatrical spook show) as Maila Nurmi
Catherine Was Great (1944; Broadway play) as Maila Nurmi
Maila Nurmi worked as a dancer at the Florentine Gardens (mid-1940s)
Blackouts (1947; live adult show for the Earl Carroll Theatre; Nurmi was a showgirl) as Maila Nurmi
If Winter Comes (1947) as Maila Nurmi
Romance on the High Seas (1948) as Maila Nurmi
Maila Nurmi modeled for Glamorous Models magazine (1950)
Maila Nurmi was a pin-up model for Famous Models and Gala magazines (early-1950s)
Lady of Horrors (1954; TV series) as Vampira
The Vampira Show (1954-1955; TV series) as Vampira
Newsweek magazine article: "Vampire" (May 24, 1954)
LIFE magazine article: "Good Evening, I Am Vampira" (June 14, 1954)
The Saturday Night Revue (August 7, 1954; TV series) as Vampira
On the Air with Don May (October 28, 1954; KFOX radio interview) as Vampira
Vampira makes guest appearance at the Orpheum Theatre for a Halloween stage show (October 29-30, 1954)
Place the Face (November 6, 1954; TV series) as Vampira
Al Janis' Hi-Jinx (March 12, 1955; TV series) as Vampira and introduces the "Vampira Vamp" dance
The George Gobel Show: "Season 1, Episode 21" (1955; TV series) as Vampira
The Red Skelton Show: "Episode #4.18" (1955; TV series) Mary Beth Hughes plays a Vampira-like character named Malice, with Peter Lorre
TV Guide magazine article: "V is for Voluptua - and for Vampira Too" (February 5-11, 1955)
Maila Nurmi appeared as Vampira on the Liberace show at the Riviera in Las Vegas during the months of April & May, 1956
Vampira (1956; TV series) as Vampira
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957) as Vampira
Playhouse 90: "The Jet-Propelled Couch" (1957; TV series-movie) as Vampira, with Peter Lorre
The Beat Generation (1958) as Maila Nurmi
Too Much, Too Soon (1958) as Maila Nurmi
"Vampira" 1958 song by Bobby Bare
The Big Operator (1959) as Maila Nurmi
I Passed for White (1960) as Maila Nurmi
Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) as Maila Nurmi
"Drac's Back" 1962 song by Billy DeMarco & Count Dracula
"Let's Fly Away" 1962 song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Crypt Kickers
The Magic Sword (1962) as Maila Nurmi
"Spooky Movies" 1962 song by Roy Clark
"Plan 9, Channel 7" 1975 song by The Damned
James Dean: The First American Teenager (1976; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Drak Pack (1980-1982; animated TV series) Julie McWhirter as voice of Vampira
"Vampira" 1982 song by Misfits
Fangoria #30 magazine article: "The One - The Only Vampira" (October, 1983)
Population: 1 (1986) as Maila Nurmi
The Incredibly Strange Film Show: "Ed Wood Jr." (1989; TV series-documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Naked Hollywood (1991; mini-series, documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion (1992; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Ed Wood (1994) Lisa Marie as Vampira/Maila Nurmi
Chiller Theater #1 magazine article: "The First Lady of the Silver Screem: a Conversation with the Un-dead Vampira a.k.a. Maila Nurmi" (Winter, 1994-1995)
The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr. (1995; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Vampira: About Sex, Death and Taxes (1995; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Dry (1996; short) as Maila Nurmi
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998) as Maila Nurmi
Scary Monsters #26 magazine article: "Scary Monsters Honors Vampira" (March, 1998)
The Final Day (2000; mini-series, documentary) as Maila Nurmi
No Way In (2000) as Maila Nurmi
Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Biography: "James Dean: Outside the Lines" (2002; TV series-documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Horror Incorporated (2002-2004; TV series; horror hosts) played by Jessica Mallon
"Blues for Vampira" 2004 song by The Moon-Rays
Monsterama: A Tribute to Horror Hosts (2004; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Night of the Fools (2004) played by Yahuba Daly
Dead Famous: "James Dean" (2005; TV series-documentary) as Maila Nurmi
American Scary (2006) as Maila Nurmi
Vampira: The Movie (2006) as Maila Nurmi
"Vampira" 2006 song by The Devin Townsend Band
HorrorHound #4 magazine article (Winter, 2006/2007)
The Vampira Show: "The 13th Guest" (2007; DVD) as Vampira
Screem #14 magazine article: "Vampira the Movie" (February, 2007)
VideoScope #64 magazine article: "Vampira Verite!" (Fall, 2007)
DeathRock #2 magazine article: "Vampira: The Legacy" (Winter, 2008)
Sirens of Cinema #Vol. 2, No. 11 magazine articles: "Vampira Immortal: Remembering Maila Nurmi" & "Less Hairspray: Maila Nurmi Remembered" (2008)
Rue Morgue #77 magazine articles: "Note from Underground"; "The Last Interview with Vampira"; "Portrait of a Dark Diva"; & "In the Shadows of Vampira" (April, 2008)
Vampira - The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2008, Collectables Records, COL-CD-1245) featuring various artists
Pretty Bloody: The Women of Horror (2009; documentary) as Vampira
Vampira and Me (2010; KPCC 89.3 FM radio documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Vampira Unauthorized (2010; Michael Enoches) by John Skerchock
Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well (2011; Sabre Enterprises, LLC) by James M. Fetters
Plan 9 from Outer Space: The Prequel (2011; Virtual Everything Press) by JJ McMoon
Plan 9 from Outer Space: The Novel (2011; Virtual Everything Press) by JJ McMoon





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