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Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American-Finn actress who created the campy 1950s character Vampira. She was raised in Astoria, Oregon , where she worked in tuna and salmon canneries.
Maila Nurmi was the original "Vampira" of 1950s TV horror shows, created by Howard Hawks and inspired by Charles Addams. She also appeared in films like Plan 9 from Outer Space and The Beat Generation, and became an animal rights activist and painter.
- January 1, 1
- Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
- January 1, 1
- Los Angeles, California, USA
Learn about Maila Nurmi, the Finnish-American actress who created Vampira, the first horror host on TV. Discover her lies, influences, achievements, and controversies in this article.
Jan 25, 2021 · Maila Nurmi was a Finnish-American actress who invented the iconic horror host character Vampira in 1954. Learn about her life, career, and the controversies surrounding her legacy in this article.
- William J. Wright
Jan 12, 2021 · Finnish-born actress and TV hostess Maila Nurmi, a.k.a. Vampira, fools around with Elvis Presley in 1956 in Los Angeles.
- Scott Bradfield
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Maila Nurmi was the original "Vampira", a glamour ghoul of late night 1950s TV. She was born in Massachusetts, had a Finnish uncle, and appeared in Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957).
Nov 3, 2019 · As Vampira, Nurmi became the first hostess of horror, an iconic combination of burlesque pin-up, old Hollywood glamour, and gothic chic. “The shock of Vampira came from her refusal to submit to the male gaze. She wanted to attack it instead,” notes Nurmi’s biographer W. Scott Poole.
