Let me tell you about Mamie Van Doren, a name that might not ring a bell today, but back in the day, she was a force to be reckoned with. In 1949, at the tender age of 18, Mamie was crowned "Miss Eight Ball" by the Los Angeles Press Club. Now, this wasn't just any title; it was a big deal. The previous winner? None other than Marilyn Monroe, who at the time was still an unknown. Mamie, with her curves and confidence, knew she was destined for greatness. "I didn’t look like a normal woman — I was filling out in all the right places," she told Closer. And that’s when the realization hit her: "I realized that I was probably meant to be a movie star."
A Star is Born
And boy, was she right! Mamie Van Doren didn’t just become a movie star—she became a legend. The late '50s were her golden years, and she graced the big screen with her presence in films like Teacher’s Pet, High School Confidential!, and The Private Lives of Adam and Eve. Her characters were unforgettable, often playing the bad girl with flair. At 89 years old, Mamie reflects on those roles with pride. "Those roles had a lot of pizzazz," she says. "The married, Goody Two-Shoes girls didn’t go very far." And she wasn’t wrong. Mamie knew how to command a room, and her films were proof of that.
The End of an Era
By the late '60s, Mamie's movie career began to slow down, but unlike her fellow blond bombshells Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, Mamie's life has been long and full of stories. "It surprises me that I’ve lived this long," she says with a smile. "I’m grateful for every morning I wake up." And what a life it's been! Mamie has been married five times, with her second husband, the talented bandleader Ray Anthony, fathering her only child, Perry, in 1956. But Hollywood wasn’t the place she wanted to raise her son. "People were doing a lot of LSD and walking around naked on Sunset Boulevard," she recalls. "I didn’t want my son to be around all that." So, she left Hollywood for Newport Beach, California. Yet, despite her many marriages, only one has stood the test of time—her marriage to dentist-actor Thomas Dixon, which began in 1979.
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Love Affairs and Hollywood Legends
During her Hollywood heyday, Mamie had her fair share of romances with some of the biggest names in the industry. Her favorite? None other than the legendary Clark Gable. "He was the king of all kings!" she gushes. "I shared his arms with Carole Lombard, Vivien Leigh, and Jean Harlow—along with his lips and little mustache. That lives in my mind all the time." Mamie also has fond memories of Frank Sinatra. "Oh, he was cool—Frank got a lot of adverse publicity, but God, he did a lot of good things," she says. "He raised money and performed for charities. Frank was a good soul, and I know he’s up in a good place right now." They parted ways because "I always thought he was too old for me!" she laughs. Mamie also hit it off with Johnny Carson, who she describes as "down-to-earth." The only downside? "He was a heavy smoker." And then there was her memorable night with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas—a one-night stand that she’ll never forget.
