MAMIE VAN DOREN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
 
Mamie Van Doren was born on February 6th, 1931 in Rowena, South Dakota with the birth name Joan Lucille Olander, to parents Warner Carl Olander and Lucille Harriet Bennett.  When she was eight years old, her family relocated to Sioux City, Iowa and then in May 1942, they moved again to Los Angeles, California.
 
In 1946, Joan found employment working as an usher at the Pantage Theatre in Hollywood, California.  The next year she was cast in a small part on a television show.  Joan entered the Miss Palm Springs contest in 1948 at the age of fifteen and won the title.   
 
Howard Hughes discovered her after watching her be crowned Miss Palm Springs.  He helped get her career started and also dated her for five years.  He got her a small part in the film, "Jet Pilot" starring John Wayne and Janet Leigh, with RKO not released until 1957.  
 
Joan was working as a actress and also a model.  She posed as a famous pin up girl for artist, Albert Vargas.  She was cast in a couple more bit parts in films such as, "His Kind of Woman" (1951)
 
She next took to work on the stage as a showgirl in New York at a nightclub.  She had a musical talent as well and when songwriter, Jimmy McHugh discovered her musical talents he felt she was too good to just be in the chorus line.  She went on to receive some dramatic training with Ben Bard and Bliss-Hayden.  She was then cast in the play, "Come Back, Little Sheba" where Phil Benjamin who was a casting director for Universal International discovered her.
 
At the age of eighteen she was signed by Universal in 1953, with goals to make her Universals next Marilyn Monroe.  Mamie's first movie for Universal was called, "Forbidden" (1953) followed by her first starring role in, "All-American" (1953).  She also had the chance to play opposite Clint Eastwood in the film, "Star in the Dust" (1956).  She took on her stage name and first name, "Mamie" from 'First Lady' Mamie Eisenhower. 
 
Van Doren's career was heading in the right direction.  She starred in a number of 'bad girl' films that later became considered cult films.  She was also the first woman to sing rock and roll in a Hollywood Musical called, "Untamed Youth" (1957) which was at one time condemned by the Catholic Legion, but this publicity only helped make the film an even bigger hit. 
 
She starred in a number of successful films, some of the more well known films were, "Teacher's Pet" (1958), "Born Reckless" (1958), "High School Confidential" (1958) and "The Beat Generation" (1959).
 
Van Doren was a US sex symbol and that was highly emphasized in many films roles she undertook such as her role in, "Girls Town" (1959), "The Private Lives of Adam and Eve" (1960), "Kittens Go To College" (1960) and "Vice Raid" (1960).  There were many female bombshell beauty's in Hollywood and many did not reach the same level of stardom that Marilyn Monroe achieved, however, she was one of the three female actresses known as the three M's, alongside Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield.
 
As her career progressed Universal chose not to renew her contract.  She continued to work in the industry but mostly on low budget films or independent films as she was now a freelance actress searching for her own work.  Some  films she took on later in her career were ,"The Blonde from Buenos Aires" (1961) and "Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women" (1968).
 
To promote her film, "3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt" (1964) she posed for Playboy to help increase the films popularity.  As her popularity was beginning to fade she published three autobiographies to try and increase interest in her, "My Naughty, Naughty Life" (1961), "I Swing" (1965) and "My Wild Love Experiences" (1965).
 
During the Vietnam War, Van Doren toured for the US troops for three months to perform.  She also visited hospitals and tried to assist to make the burn victims and victims of amputees smile in any way she could. 
 
Her personal life in itself was highly interesting, with a total of five marriages and numerous affairs.  Van Doren was married very briefly to Jack Newman from 1950 to 1952, a sportswear manufacturer.  She then married a bandleader, actor and composer, Ray Anthony from 1955-1961 with who she had one son, Perry Ray Anthony born on March 18th, 1956.  Her third marriage was too a baseball player, Lee Meyers from 1966 to 1967.  Marriage number four was to Ross McClintock in 1972 and again divorced in 1973.  Van Doren's final marriage was to another actor, Thomas Dixon whom she married in 1979 and is still presently married to him.
 
In her autobiography's she acknowledged numerous affairs with Clark Gable, Howard Hughes, Johnny Carson, Elvis Presley, Burt Reynolds, Johnny Rivers, Robert Evans, Warren Beatty and Tony Curtis among many others.
 
Along with her film and stage career she also made a variety of appearances on television on such shows as, "What's My Line", "The Bob Cummings Show", "The Jack Benny Show", "Fantasy Island" and "Burke's Law" among others.  
 
In 1987, she published yet another autobiography titled, "Playing the Field" which was a huge help to bringing back her popularity to the public view.  She also now owns a website that her and her current husband, Thomas operate.  The site sells 'nipple prints' and home made short films.  She has a variety of topless and nude photographs posted and along with her openness of her political views, she has created a large fan following. 
 
Van Doren was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the Motion Picture Industry.  Mamie Van Doren resides in California with her husband, maintains her website and continues to make music and occasional public appearances.

Filmography

2002   Slackers
1999   The Vegas Connection 
1987   Glory Years
1986   Free Ride 
1979   Fantasy Island
1978   Vega$
1975   That Girl from Boston 
1971   The Arizona Kid
1968   Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women
1967   You've Got to Be Smart 
1966   The Navy vs. the Night Monsters 
1966   The Las Vegas Hillbillys
1966   Mister Roberts
1964   Burke's Law 
1964   The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet
1964   Valentine's Day
1964   In the Wild West
1964   3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt
1964   The Candidate  
1962   The Dick Powell Theatre (TV series) 
1961   The Blonde from Buenos Aires 
1960   The Private Lives of Adam and Eve 
1960   The Comedy Spot
1960   Sex Kittens Go to College 
1960   College Confidential
1960   The Red Skelton Hour
1960   Vice Raid 
1959   Alcoa Theatre
1959   Girls Town
1959   The Big Operator 
1959   Le bellissime gambe di Sabrina
1959   The Beat Generation
1959   The Bob Cummings Show 
1959   Guns, Girls, and Gangsters
1958   Born Reckless 
1958   High School Confidential! 
1958   Teacher's Pet 
1957   Jet Pilot
1957   The Girl in Black Stockings 
1957   Untamed Youth 
1956   Star in the Dust 
1955   Running Wild 
1955   The Second Greatest Sex
1955   Ain't Misbehavin' 
1954   Francis Joins the WACS 
1954   Yankee Pasha  
1954   Hawaiian Nights 
1953   Forbidden 
1953   The All American 
1951   Two Tickets to Broadway
1951   His Kind of Woman 
1951   Footlight Varieties