Born Joan Lucille Olander in a small South Dakota town, Mamie Van Doren rose to "Blonde Bombshell" status in Hollywood when she signed with Universal Pictures in 1953, right on the heels of Marilyn Monroe. This comprehensive biography explores Van Doren's early life and career, spanning from her start as a bit player in Howard Hughes' Jet Pilot to her significant role as the last surviving member of Hollywood's infamous "Three M's": Mamie Van Doren, Marilyn Monroe, and Jayne Mansfield. A complete filmography lists Van Doren's roles in film and television. Entries include a plot synopsis, cast and crew details, and in many instances recent and contemporary reviews.
I've been writing since primary school where I entertained fellow pupils with stories of a teenage detective called The Count. Since then my career has encompassed journalism, entertainment interviews and reviews, editing gay newspapers and magazines, a produced film script (Violet's Visit), short stories, erotica, film star biographies and, particularly, plays (Homme Fatale: The Joey Stefano Story; Rehearsing the Shower Scene from 'Psycho,' The Death of Peter Pan, and others) which have been produced locally and in the U.S. and Europe.
My scribblings have been variously described as putting gay writing back fifty years or giving the gay community a bad name and myself as 'the man with the filthiest mind in Australia.' But even my staunchest critics have to concede I'm a survivor and I'm still here - spinning yarns. That's what I do best.
I live in Sydney, Australia, with my long-term partner, Walter, and our irascible baby dinosaur, Tofu, who travels the world with us not so much as a child substitute as a wisecracking mascot (a bit like a dinosaur Eve Arden). If you're confused check my website www.barrylowe.net
