If this happened today, you can be sure some hyper-politically correct maniacs would accuse Jayne Mansfield of being a child molester for planting a kiss square on the lips of an underage boy. But this was 1957 and Jayne was merely fulfilling a a young man’s request. Continue reading
This undated photograph of an upside down Jayne Mansfield in a very sheer blouse was taken by a UPI photographer and is captioned “Jayne Mansfield in a satire of Las Vegas striptease.”
Jayne played Las Vegas a number of times beginning in 1958 and returned many times to pick up large paychecks: upwards of $25,000 per week.
Never a shy woman, in 1963 Mansfield revealed a lot more than this outfit does, when she appeared nude in the film Promises, Promises.
Bettie Page, Jayne Mansfield, Gary Cooper and Other Celebrities Posing With Chimps
Bettie Page with chimp. photo Bunny Yeager
Previously we showed some news photographs of chimpanzees. Because there were so many to choose from, we put these aside until now – publicity photographs of famous personalities with chimps.
Some of these posed photographs may have been related to whatever production the star was doing at the time. Others were just good photo opportunities.
The original news caption or a brief explanation for the photo is provided if we have one. Either way, here they are. Click on any photo to enlarge.
Herb Alpert April 16, 1968
“Herb Alpert teaches a friendly chimp at the Los Angeles zoo how to play a few notes at a stopover on a musical tour of America featuring the Tijuana Brass to be televised on Channel 7 at 7 p.m. on Monday. The program is called ‘The Beat of the Brass'”
Jayne Mansfield 1965
Jayne Mansfield holding Laconia 1965
Dom DeLuise 1966
Dom DeLuise appears with one of The Marquis Chimps (probably Candy) on the Dean Martin Show 1966.
Stymie (Matthew Beard) of the Little Rascals (Our Gang)
The Little Rascals Stymie (Matthew Beard) thinks Spanky has turned his brother Cotton into a chimpanzee through the power of a magic lamp in the 1932 Our Gang short ‘A Lad An’ A Lamp.‘
Gary Cooper 1932. photo: Acme
“Gary Cooper and baby chimpanzee as they arrived in Hollywood after an absence of more than a year.” Acme News Photo 4-27-1932 Continue reading
Jayne Mansfield In A Revealing Pose – 1955
Later That Year, Jayne Is Photographed With Her Role Model, Marilyn Monroe
This photograph of Jayne Mansfield in a sheer negligee top is not your standard cheesecake photo. And it’s not because Jayne is a little overexposed, which tended to be her modus operandi in front of the camera.
It is because the photograph was taken by Milton Greene, known for his business partnership with Marilyn Monroe. In 1955, Greene did a whole session of photographs with Mansfield and made some stunning images of her.
Considering Greene’s business dealings and personal closeness to Marilyn Monroe,(Marilyn was living for a time with Greene and his wife Amy) it is a bit of a surprise that Marilyn Continue reading
What’s My Line 1950 – 1967
A few years ago my Tivo was tuned into the Game Show Network weeknights at 3:00 a.m., taping every episode of the greatest TV game show ever made, What’s My Line.
Let me state it was not just a great game show, but one of the best television shows ever.
Unfortunately the series is not being broadcast now, but many segments of the show are available on Youtube.
To describe the brilliance of the show better than I ever could, we will refer to The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1948 – Present by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh (Ballantine 1988), an indispensable television reference book.
What’s My Line was the longest-running game show in the history of prime-time network television. It ran for 18 seasons, on alternate weeks from February to September 1950, then every Sunday at 10:30 p.m. for the next 17 years. The format was exceedingly simple. Contestants were asked simple yes-or-no questions by the panel members, who tried to determine what interesting or unusual occupation the contestant had. Each time the contestant could answer no to a question, he got $5, and a total of 10 no’s ended the game. The panel was forced to don blindfolds for the “mystery guest,” a celebrity who tried to avoid identification by disguising his voice.
That little game, by itself, hardly warranted an 18-year run, when other panel shows of the early 1950’s came and went every month. But What’s My Line was something special, both for the witty and engaging panel, and for a certain élan which few other shows ever captured. There were no flashy celebrities-of-the-moment or empty-headed pretty faces on this panel; they were obviously very intelligent people all, out to have some genteel fun with an amusing parlor game. Like (moderator) John Daly with his bow tie and perfect manners, it reeked of urbanity [“that’s three down and seven to go, Mr. Cerf?”]
The panelists who created this special atmosphere were an elite group. Continue reading
When Legends Meet – Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield
One of the more infamous publicity incidents in Hollywood history captured in photographs, took place on April 12, 1957 at a party held at Romanoff’s Restaurant, 240 South Rodeo Drive, to welcome Sophia Loren to Hollywood.
Loren, the Italian beauty, was sitting at a table with gossip columnist Louella Parsons and film star Clifton Webb.
Then Jayne Mansfield walked in.
Mansfield cordially came up to Sophia Loren, shook her hand and then proceeded to lean over for the photographers crowding around Loren’s table. They snapped away as Mansfield sat down to join Loren.
The plunging neckline on Mansfield’s dress displayed too much skin (for 1957) and Loren was captured a few times casting furtive glances of Mansfield’s overexposed breasts.
A night that was supposed to have the spotlight shine upon Sophia Loren was stolen by the queen of one upmanship.
This photograph below says it all. You’ve heard the saying, “if looks could kill.” What was Sophia Loren thinking at this exact moment?
Jayne Mansfield Has A Press Conference 1957
Rome – November 8, 1957
Jayne Mansfield certainly knew how to get the media’s attention.