Affectionately, Jayne Mansfield [Paperback]

Discover the story of an actress, who earned fame and fortune with a seductive smile, an eye-popping hourglass figure, and a dumb blonde persona that belied the fact that she spoke five languages and was a concert violist and pianist. Jayne Mansfield was an American actress in film, theatre, and television. She was also a nightclub entertainer, a singer, and one of the early Playboy Playmates. She was a major Hollywood sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s. She was 20th Century Fox's answer to Marilyn Monroe and came to be known as the Working Man's Monroe and as Americas Smartest Dumb Blonde. She was also known for her well-publicized personal life and publicity stunts, such as wardrobe malfunctions. Jayne became a major Broadway star in 1955, a major Hollywood star in 1956, and a leading celebrity in 1957. Her film and stage career was short-lived, yet she experienced several box office successes and won a Theatre World Award and a Golden Globe. She enjoyed success in the role of fictional actress Rita Marlowe, both in the 19551956 Broadway version and the 1957 Hollywood film version of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? She showcased her comedic skills in The Girl Can't Help It (1956), her dramatic assets in The Wayward Bus (1957), and her sizzling presence in Too Hot to Handle (1960). She also sang for studio recordings, including the album Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky & Me and the single As the Clouds Drift By, which was backed with Suey, both featuring legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix). Jaynes notable television work included television dramas Follow the Sun and Burke's Law, game shows The Match Game and What's My Line?, variety shows The Jack Benny Program and The Bob Hope Show, the The Ed Sullivan Show, and a large number of talk shows. By the early 1960s, Jaynes box office popularity had declined and Hollywood studios lost interest in her. In the sexploitation film Promises! Promises! (1963), she became the first major American actress to have al#