The name Maila Nurmi may not ring any bells at first, but her alter-ego, Vampira, was nothing short of a belle from hell! Read on for 8 little known facts about this Gothic goddess!
1. Back in the early days Maila Nurmi worked as an actor, a model, and a dancer.
2. Her dark side was very apparent early on. She performed in a horror show known as “Spook Scandals,” where as part of her act she rose from a coffin; a very early Vampira was taking shape.
3. Maila was a beautiful blonde. She modeled as a centerfold and to some fans is quite unrecognizable from her Vampira persona.
4. In 1953 she was discovered at a Halloween party thrown by choreographer Lester Horton. Maila turned up with long black hair and a black cocktail dress. She was picked up by Hunt Stromberg, Jr., an LA producer who wanted to use her for a TV show. Vampira was born.
5. In the 1980’s Vampira was no more. Maila started to write a book about the underbelly of 1950’s Hollywood. It was never published.
6. One of her closest friends was James Dean. She explained their friendship by saying, “We have the same neuroses.”
7. She was the victim of an attempted murder when a man forced his way into her apartment. She was terrorized for hours until she managed to escape.
8. Maila was inducted posthumously into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame at the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Vampira: The Movie won a Rondo for Best Independent Production as a tribute to her.