Mamie Van Doren, the last surviving 'blonde bombshell' of Hollywood's golden age, has written a candid autobiography at the age of 95. The actress, who was friends with Marilyn Monroe and dated stars like Rock Hudson and Howard Hughes, says she wanted to set the record straight about her life and times.
In her memoir, 'You Thought I Was Dead: My Life of Celebrities, Sex and Champagne', Van Doren discusses Monroe's struggles with rejection and drug use. 'She had a problem with rejection; when she didn't get something or had a personal problem she couldn't seem to get over it,' Van Doren said. 'Me? If I didn't get something I just moved on.'
Van Doren, born Joan Lucille Olander in 1931, grew up in poverty in South Dakota and Iowa before moving to Los Angeles at age 11. She won the title of Miss Palm Springs in 1949 and was signed by Howard Hughes to RKO Studios. Her first major role came in 1953 opposite Tony Curtis in 'All American', which caused tension with Curtis's then-wife Janet Leigh.
The actress, who was one of the 'Three M's' alongside Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, says her new book shatters myths about the era. 'Myths are made to be shattered,' she said. Van Doren, who has been married five times, lives in Newport Beach, California.
