Maila Nurmi (1922-2008) was an American actress best known for her character Vampira, whose appearance was inspired by the works of illustrator Charles Addams.
While Nurmi's ancestry is Finnish, her longtime friend Dana Gould has stated that she was born in Massachusetts. Her biographer W. Scott Poole concurs. In 1949, she married writer Dean Riesner. They divorced during the 1950s.
In 1954, Nurmi began hosting a late-night TV horror movie program in Los Angeles as Vampira. She would introduce the film and make appearances before and after commercial breaks. She would often make jokes about the poor quality of the movies, which made the show a sort of spiritual precursor to Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Ms. Nurmi met Edward D. Wood Jr. and agreed to appear in his film Plan 9 from Outer Space. She requested that her character not speak, and that she be credited only as "Vampira". Ms. Nurmi was also credited as "Vampira" for her appearance in the films The Beat Generation and Sex Kittens Go to College (both of which starred Mamie Van Doren and Jackie Coogan), though she did not appear in costume/character.
In the early 1980s, Nurmi was involved in a planned reboot of the Vampira show, but left the production over creative differences (the account of the exact circumstances of her departure varies among the people involved). The show eventually aired starring Elvira. Ms. Nurmi took legal action, but her claim that her likeness rights were being infringed was not validated.
In the 1994 film Ed Wood, Maila Nurmi/Vampira was played by actress Lisa Marie, who was romantically involved with director Tim Burton at the time. Ms. Nurmi was alive when the film was made, but she does not appear in it.
Later in her life, Ms. Nurmi befriended the comedian and film buff Dana Gould, who has likened their relationship to that of Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi. Mr. Gould has referred to experiences with Ms. Nurmi in his live performances and on his podcast.
In 2021, Maila Nurmi's niece Sandra Niemi published the biography Glamour Ghoul: The Passions and Pain of the Real Vampira, Maila Nurmi. The book was partially assembled from Nurmi's own notes. Among its sensational content is the assertion that Maila Nurmi had intimate physical relationships with several notable Hollywood figures, including Orson Welles whom the book claims fathered a son with Nurmi[1]. The offspring was later identified and confirmed to be Nurmi's son through DNA testing, but Welles' status as the father has not been established.[2]
An animated version of Vampira appears in the animated opening sequence for RiffTrax.
Riffed Movies[]
- The Magic Sword (Episode #411 & RiffTrax) - as the Hag (credited as Maila Nurmi)
- Plan 9 from Outer Space (RiffTrax & The Mads Are Back) - as the Vampire Girl (credited as Vampira)
Gallery[]
