My Vintage Vault: Idol of the Month: Jayne Mansfield

Here at the Vintage Vault, we will be celebrating a famous woman or man from our favorite eras each month. This month's selection features the lesser known blond bombshell of the fifties and sixties, Jayne Mansfield.

Jayne Mansfield (nee Vera Jayne Palmer) was born on April 19, 1933 in Pennsylvania. After moving around the country with her first husband, army officer Paul Mansfield, and studying drama at the Dallas Institute of Performing Arts and UCLA, Jayne finally made it out to Hollywood to pursue her career. Better known for sexy measurements ( reportedly 40-21-35) than her acting prowess, Jayne was frequently cast in "dumb blond" roles. Her first big break came when she landed the role of Rita Marlowe in the Broadway Play "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" This led to bigger movie roles such as 1956's "The Girl Can't Help It" and the screen adaptation of "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" Jayne's career was tragically cut short in 1967 when her car crashed into the back of a tractor trailer en route to New Orleans.