JAYNE MANSFIELD~ HAPPY TO YOU

Jayne Mansfield, ( April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was born today- 79 years ago.

One of the leading blonde sex symbols of the late-1950s, Mansfield starred in several popular Hollywood films that emphasized her platinum-blonde hair, hourglass figure, and cleavage-revealing costumes.

(jayne & jayne marie~ photo by diane arbus)

20th Century Fox signed a six-year contact with Mansfield to replace Marilyn Monroe as their resident blonde sex symbol. Throughout her career, she was compared by the media to Monroe and the other top sex symbol Mamie Van Doren. Mansfield was a Playboy Playmate of the Month and appeared in the magazine on several occasions.

While Mansfield's film career was short-lived, she had several box office successes and won the Theatre World Award, a Golden Globe, and a Golden Laurel. In 1955, she enjoyed a successful Broadway run acting in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and later the film of the same name in 1957. She is remembered for both this film and a starring role in the comedy film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), which was also produced by 20th Century Fox.

Of her rare on-screen dramatic roles, her performance in The Wayward Bus (1957) is regarded as the best. She also sang for studio recordings including the album Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky & Me and the singles Suey and As The Clouds Drift By done together with rock legend Jimi Hendrix. Mansfield's notable television work included The Red Skelton Show (1959–1963) and The Ed Sullivan Show (1957).

In her personal life she was successively married to her childhood lover Paul Mansfield (1950–1958), 

actor-bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay (1958–1963) and film director Matt Cimber (1964–1966). She was the mother of playmate Jayne Marie Mansfield (born 1950), Miklós Hargitay (born 1958), who ran hargitay nursery on fountain & la brea for many years, Zoltán  Hargitay (born 1960), actress Mariska Hargitay (born 1964), well know for her role on law & order,  and Antonio "Tony" Cimber (born 1965).

on a side tidbit, i styled a photo shoot with mariska hargitay for interview magazine way back in 1986. the photographer was albert sanchez. I purposely styled and dressed her to look like her late mother.
mariska had the exact same measurements as jayne~ va voom!

While in Biloxi, Mississippi, for an engagement at the Gus Stevens Supper Club, Mansfield stayed at the Cabana Courtyard Apartments near the supper club. After an evening engagement on June 28, 1967, Mansfield, her lover Sam Brody, and their driver, Ronnie Harrison, along with the actress's children Miklós, Zoltán and Mariska, set out in Stevens' 1966 Buick Electra 225 for New Orleans, where Mansfield was to appear in an early morning television interview. 

Before leaving Biloxi, the party made a stop at the home of Rupert and Edna O'Neal, a family that lived nearby. After a late dinner with the O'Neals, during which the last photographs of Mansfield were taken, the party set out for New Orleans. On June 29, at approximately 2:25 a.m., on U.S. Highway 90 east of the Rigolets Bridge, the car crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer that had slowed because of a truck spraying mosquito fogger. The automobile struck the rear of the trailer and went under it. Riding in the front seat, the three adults were killed instantly. The children in the rear survived with minor injuries.

the much publicized accident photos gave the illusion, and rumors persist to this day that jayne was decapitated.
in fact jayne's face was severed right below her nose and did not cut all the way thru. 
there are actually very few authentic accidental decapitations in history..
 marie Antoinette being the most famous, but this was a public execution from a guillotine. 
no accident by any means.

the lore surrounding jayne's  bizarre death comes from the relationship she had with satanist~ anton lavey. 
according to writer may mann, (jayne mansfield~ pocket publisher) jayne had a brief affair with anton, (as did marilyn monroe years prior) and posed for some photos in a ritualistic altar. her boyfriend at the time- sam brody was enraged by this and went to anton's home, (on california street- san francisco) and desecrated the altar. 

this put anton in a tissy. in retaliation anton put a curse on sam brody and warned jayne to stay as far away from him as possible. 
within days, sam brody & jayne mansfield begin having numerous minor and major accidents. from slip & falls, to broken legs, car accidents in her own driveway and many others leading up to the fateful night in biloxi, mississippi.

jayne has a tombstone dedicated to her @ hollywood forever cemetery

posted by rick castro~ editor~ antebellumblog