the vampira show

(see also: )

Basics:

Born as Maila Syrjäniemi on December 21, 1921 in Petsamo, Finland (now Pechenga, Russia), and later known as Vampira, Maila Nurmi was one of the most influential horror hosts in history, serving as a source of inspiration for the equally famous Elvira. At age two, she moved to Ashtabula, Ohio, reaching LA at age seventeen. Once the vampira show she began to model, eventually making her cinematic debut in an uncredited role in the 1947 film If Comes. Over the next decade, she went on to forge friendships with a number of celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Elvis.

Origins of the Character:

The idea for the Vampira character was born in 1953 when Nurmi attended choreographer Lester Hortons annual Bal Caribe Masquerade a costume inspired a character in The New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams. Her appearance with pale white skin and tight black dress caught the attention of television producer Hunt Stromberg, Jr., who wanted to hire her to host horror movies on the Los Angeles television station KABC-TV, but Stromberg had no idea how to contact her. He finally got her phone number from Rudi Gernreich, later famed as the designer of the topless swimsuit. The name Vampira was the invention of Nurmis husband, Dean Reisner (1918-2002), screenwriter of Dirty Harry, Charley Varrick, Play Misty For Me and numerous other movies and TV [via Wikipedia]

Career:

On Friday night, April 30, 1954, KABC-TV aired a preview, Dig Me Later, Vampira, at 11:00pm. The Vampira Show premiered on the following the vampira show May 1, 1954. For the first four weeks, the show aired at midnight, and it moved to 11:00pm on May 29. Ten months later, the series aired at 10:30pm, beginning March 5, 1955. As Vampira, Nurmi introduced films while wandering through a hallway of mist and cobwebs. Her horror-related comedy antics included talking to her pet spider Rollo and encouraging viewers to write for epitaphs instead of autographs. When the series was cancelled in 1955, she retained rights to the the vampira show of Vampira.

Nominated for the vampira show Emmy Award as Most Outstanding Female Personality in 1954, she returned to films with Too Much, Too Soon (1958), The Big Operator (1959), The Beat Generation (1959) and Ed Woods Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959). In the following decade, she appeared in I Passed for White (1960), Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) and The Magic Sword (1962). [via Wikipedia]

After:

Her last the vampira show was I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998). She is now retired and living in a small California apartment.

Trivia:

• Once sued Cassandra Peterson, claiming that her Elvira persona was modeled after what she created as Vampira.
• Niece of Paavo Nurmi, legendary long-distance runner known the vampira show The Flying Finn.
• Measurements: 36B-21-35
• Is believed to be the first television horror host.

Click here to listen to the song Vampira by The Misfits, which was done in tribute to her.

Disclaimer: The song linked to was not uploaded by me, nor was it hosted by me. If your IP rights are being violated, I am not the person to contact. I am merely linking to site which hosts the file.