Vampira, also known by her mortal name Mailia Nurmi, passed away yesterday. She was 85 or 86, reports vary.
Vampira discovered what may be the greatest schtick in the history of mankind during the 1950’s. Inspired by the look of Morticia Addams, Vampira added campy humor, double entendres, B-movies, and unbelievable cleavage. This unstoppable combo has often been imitated, never surpassed.
Her most famous performance is as a mute zombie chick who dresses like a vampire in Ed Wood’s opus “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” but what made her a star was her TV Hostessing. Unfortunately footage of her show is incredibly hard to come by, as there are no official recordings.