Vampira (a.k.a. Maila Nurmi)

Glamour ghoul Vampira exhibited a sexy and dangerous persona of which the likes had never been seen before 1954, when she made her television debut hosting horror and suspense thrillers on KABC-TV's Lady of Horrors. Her public appeal immediately grabbed the attention of the press and launched Vampira fan clubs all over the world. Since then, Vampira has continued to resurrect herself in the public's conscience with films like Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood, Vampira: The Movie; with Halloween novelty songs; and interviews in numerous periodicals and documentaries as Maila Nurmi -- the actress who portrayed the vampire vixen. Listed below are films, songs, articles, and other references that cover the career of Maila Nurmi and her sinfully delicious Vampira persona.

Spook Scandals (1944: theatrical spook show) as Maila Nurmi
Catherine Was Great (1944; Broadway play) as Maila Nurmi
Maila Nurmi worked as a dancer at the Florentine Gardens (mid-1940s)
Blackouts (1947; live adult show for the Earl Carroll Theatre; Nurmi was a showgirl) as Maila Nurmi
If Winter Comes (1947) as Maila Nurmi
Romance on the High Seas (1948) as Maila Nurmi
Maila Nurmi modeled for Glamorous Models magazine (1950)
Maila Nurmi was a pin-up model for Famous Models and Gala magazines (early-1950s)
Lady of Horrors (1954; TV series) as Vampira
The Vampira Show (1954-1955; TV series) as Vampira
Newsweek magazine article: "Vampire" (May 24, 1954)
LIFE magazine article: "Good Evening, I Am Vampira" (June 14, 1954)
The Saturday Night Revue (August 7, 1954; TV series) as Vampira
On the Air with Don May (October 28, 1954; KFOX radio interview) as Vampira
Vampira makes guest appearance at the Orpheum Theatre for a Halloween stage show (October 29-30, 1954)
Place the Face (November 6, 1954; TV series) as Vampira
Al Janis' Hi-Jinx (March 12, 1955; TV series) as Vampira and introduces the "Vampira Vamp" dance
The George Gobel Show: "Season 1, Episode 21" (1955; TV series) as Vampira
The Red Skelton Show: "Episode #4.18" (1955; TV series) Mary Beth Hughes plays a Vampira-like character named Malice, with Peter Lorre
TV Guide magazine article: "V is for Voluptua - and for Vampira Too" (February 5-11, 1955)
Maila Nurmi appeared as Vampira on the Liberace show at the Riviera in Las Vegas during the months of April & May, 1956
Vampira (1956; TV series) as Vampira
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957) as Vampira
Playhouse 90: "The Jet-Propelled Couch" (1957; TV series-movie) as Vampira, with Peter Lorre
The Beat Generation (1958) as Maila Nurmi
Too Much, Too Soon (1958) as Maila Nurmi
"Vampira" 1958 song by Bobby Bare
The Big Operator (1959) as Maila Nurmi
I Passed for White (1960) as Maila Nurmi
Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) as Maila Nurmi
"Drac's Back" 1962 song by Billy DeMarco & Count Dracula
"Let's Fly Away" 1962 song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Crypt Kickers
The Magic Sword (1962) as Maila Nurmi
"Spooky Movies" 1962 song by Roy Clark
"Plan 9, Channel 7" 1975 song by The Damned
James Dean: The First American Teenager (1976; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Drak Pack (1980-1982; animated TV series) Julie McWhirter as voice of Vampira
"Vampira" 1982 song by Misfits
Fangoria #30 magazine article: "The One - The Only Vampira" (October, 1983)
Population: 1 (1986) as Maila Nurmi
The Incredibly Strange Film Show: "Ed Wood Jr." (1989; TV series-documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Naked Hollywood (1991; mini-series, documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion (1992; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Ed Wood (1994) Lisa Marie as Vampira/Maila Nurmi
Chiller Theater #1 magazine article: "The First Lady of the Silver Screem: a Conversation with the Un-dead Vampira a.k.a. Maila Nurmi" (Winter, 1994-1995)
The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr. (1995; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Vampira: About Sex, Death and Taxes (1995; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Dry (1996; short) as Maila Nurmi
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998) as Maila Nurmi
Scary Monsters #26 magazine article: "Scary Monsters Honors Vampira" (March, 1998)
The Final Day (2000; mini-series, documentary) as Maila Nurmi
No Way In (2000) as Maila Nurmi
Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Biography: "James Dean: Outside the Lines" (2002; TV series-documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Horror Incorporated (2002-2004; TV series; horror hosts) played by Jessica Mallon
"Blues for Vampira" 2004 song by The Moon-Rays
Monsterama: A Tribute to Horror Hosts (2004; documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Night of the Fools (2004) played by Yahuba Daly
Dead Famous: "James Dean" (2005; TV series-documentary) as Maila Nurmi
American Scary (2006) as Maila Nurmi
Vampira: The Movie (2006) as Maila Nurmi
"Vampira" 2006 song by The Devin Townsend Band
HorrorHound #4 magazine article (Winter, 2006/2007)
The Vampira Show: "The 13th Guest" (2007; DVD) as Vampira
Screem #14 magazine article: "Vampira the Movie" (February, 2007)
VideoScope #64 magazine article: "Vampira Verite!" (Fall, 2007)
DeathRock #2 magazine article: "Vampira: The Legacy" (Winter, 2008)
Sirens of Cinema #Vol. 2, No. 11 magazine articles: "Vampira Immortal: Remembering Maila Nurmi" & "Less Hairspray: Maila Nurmi Remembered" (2008)
Rue Morgue #77 magazine articles: "Note from Underground"; "The Last Interview with Vampira"; "Portrait of a Dark Diva"; & "In the Shadows of Vampira" (April, 2008)
Vampira - The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2008, Collectables Records, COL-CD-1245) featuring various artists
Pretty Bloody: The Women of Horror (2009; documentary) as Vampira
Vampira and Me (2010; KPCC 89.3 FM radio documentary) as Maila Nurmi
Vampira Unauthorized (2010; Michael Enoches) by John Skerchock
Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well (2011; Sabre Enterprises, LLC) by James M. Fetters
Plan 9 from Outer Space: The Prequel (2011; Virtual Everything Press) by JJ McMoon
Plan 9 from Outer Space: The Novel (2011; Virtual Everything Press) by JJ McMoon

Vampira: The Movie (2006)

VAMPIRA: THE MOVIE

VAMP Productions, documentary, 2006

Producer/Director: Kevin Sean Michaels

Cast: Maila Nurmi, Forrest J. Ackerman, Count Smokula, Debbie D, Deborah Dutch,
Kevin Eastman, Sid Haig, Jami Deadly, Lloyd Kaufman, Bill Moseley, Jerry Only,
Penny Dreadful, Cassandra Peterson, Debbie Rochon, David J. Skal, Julie Strain,
Svengoolie, Zacherley, Zack Beseda (Tom Mason), Jezabelle X (Vampira),

Bryan Mathew Kelly (The Amazing Criswell), Matthew Muhl (Ed Wood), Bruce Campbell

Vampira. She was the original queen of horror movie hosting and television's very first goth chick, terrifying and titillating TV viewers every Saturday night on her spook program Lady of Horrors -- later renamed The Vampira Show -- in 1954! The wonderfully crafted documentary places actress Maila Nurmi, who created and portrayed the ghoulish character, in the spotlight where she deserves to be. Ever fascinating and controversial, Nurmi gives her adoring fans an in-depth interview and a revealing look into her professional and personal life, providing sordid tales of a Hollywood era past. Also on hand are numerous celebrities who pay tribute to this legendary and iconic figure that planted the seed to the horror hosting craze that would eventually sprout all over the country. Indeed, Vampira's legacy continues to live on for new and future generations of horror fans... and a documentary of such quality and care, as given to Vampira: The Movie, has long been overdue.



As Maila Nurmi narrates her own story throughout the interview, her expressive and engaging demeanor flawlessly draws us into her world. Despite this mastery over her audience, Nurmi confides that she has always felt isolated from the rest of society and has never been able to relate to what would popularly be considered the norm. Often, Nurmi turned to unconventional people and characters of fiction for inspiration and admired those who dared to express themselves creatively and as individuals. The actress emphasizes this by not only divulging personal stories of James Dean, Marlon Brando, and others, but by also revealing her true feelings about the people who were a part of her life. Nurmi even goes so far as to be blatantly honest about her shortcomings and that her strong opinions of others, like that of Edward D. Wood Jr., were at times flawed.

 

As for Maila Nurmi's VAMPIRA persona, the documentary covers a lot of ground and gives us much to savor and digest. From the conceptualization of the dangerous and sexy television vamp to the successful run of The Vampira Show, the information Vampira: The Movie provides is priceless. Not only does the film showcase vintage footage of a promotional kinescope of The Vampira Show, we are also taken on a journey of what went on behind the scenes during the program's run. Today's generation can now see for themselves how truly wonderful Vampira was on screen and learn how hard Nurmi worked at generating publicity for the television program that would reach beyond its local Los Angeles area to cover the entire country and other parts of the world. Such promotional coverage included special guest appearances by Vampira on nationally syndicated TV shows, as well as interviews and photo shoots for popular magazines like LIFE, Nurmi made Vampira's presence known and felt everywhere and worldwide Vampira fan clubs quickly followed.

Nurmi's vibrant tone ultimately terns solemn as the topic changes to a period in her life when the ambitious actress found herself unemployed and blacklisted in Hollywood. However, Ed Wood, Jr. soon becomes the focus of the discussion and Nurmi resorts back to telling funny and quirky stories about her involvement with the grade-Z motion picture classic Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957). Footage of the cult movie is shown as Nurmi reminisces about her experience working on the film and how it affected her sex life! Moreover, horror host Svengoolie appears to provide informative commentary about the movie The Magic Sword (1962), which featured Nurmi as an evil witch in hideous makeup.

Visual goodies help chronicle the life of Maila Nurmi, including vintage photographs and article clippings of and about Vampira as well as Nurmi's early years as a cheesecake pin-up model. A short home movie clip of a very young Nurmi practicing her modeling also makes it into the documentary.

Kevin Sean Michaels directed this highly acclaimed documentary that stands as a true monument to the golden days of television programming and the world of horror movie hosting. Vampira: The Movie has received a lot of positive attention as it toured the film festival circuits and has even won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Independent Film of 2007. Michaels followed Vampira: The Movie with his second endeavor in documentary filmmaking -- The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels (2008), which I'm sure Sicko-Psychotic followers will want to check out... if they haven't already.

 

But what inspired Michaels to make Vampira his directorial debut? It seems that, like many of us, Michaels started off as a young horror and sci-fi junkie. He's been a longtime fan of Elvira, George Romero, Friday the 13th the Series, and read Fangoria magazines, which paid tribute to horror hosts in one of its early issues. As a child, Michaels had the rare privilege of being able to stay up late and watch horror and sci-fi programs, such as Chiller Theatre, where he first viewed Plan 9 from Outer Space. This began his fascination with the mysterious Vampira who glided across the crudely constructed cemetery of Ed Wood's cult classic. In later years, Michaels received much of his filmmaking know-how by working as Art Director for Troma Entertainment, Inc. before he decided to pursue his childhood obsession with Vampira and make a documentary about Maila Nurmi. In fact, Michaels couldn't resist filming and including a hilarious short parody about Nurmi on the set of Plan 9! Fetish model Jezabelle X played the Hollywood diva, Vampira, to perfection! Matthew Muhl (All for Melissa) took on the role of the infamous Ed Wood, while Bryan Mathew Kelly (Sugar Boxx) played The Amazing Criswell, and Zack Beseda (War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave) portrayed Tom Mason.

A slew of celebrities were also rounded up to pay tribute and comment on Nurmi and her celebrated persona as Vampira. Scream Queens Debbie Rochon (Chainsaw Cheerleaders), Julie Strain (Zombiegeddon), Debbie D (Kill the Scream Queen) and Debbie Dutch (Sorority Girls and the Creature from Hell) provide eye candy as they shower Nurmi with compliments; Forrest J. Ackerman (creator and editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine) and Jerry Only (bass player for the Misfits) recollect personal encounters with Maila Nurmi; Count Smokula performs an original song about the glamour ghoul; and horror hosts Jami Deadly, Penny Dreadful, Svengoolie, and Zacherley make special appearances. Also featured are David J. Skal (film historian), Kevin Eastman (co-creator of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Lloyd Kaufman (producer-director for Troma Entertainment, Inc.), Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses), Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects), and a very brief cameo by Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead)!

 

Of course, the highlight of the guest celebrity interviews is the controversial appearance of Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark)! We've all heard many of the nasty rumors and slander from the press that Peterson has had to endure throughout the years, but rarely has she ever vocally defended herself, choosing instead to hold her head up high and brush off the negative publicity with class and silent integrity. It was a bold move on the part of director Kevin Sean Michaels to include her, and a relief for many of us fans who have always admired both Nurmi and Peterson respectively. "It is a touchy subject," Michaels confessed to HorrorHound magazine (issue #6, Winter 2006-2007), "but the speculation about the lawsuit should end with this movie. It's an interesting story and it's better that Cassandra tell it than having a cheesy voice-over. It's a matter of fairness to the people involved and the audience. Lawsuits happen in real life." During the interview, Peterson describes in great detail how the character of Elvira was conceived and of the lawsuit Nurmi brought down on her. Peterson also states that she acted responsibly throughout the ordeal and never attempted to infringe on Nurmi's creation. Although the court ruled in Peterson's favor, the Mistress of the Dark felt that "it was a no-win situation for everybody." Indeed, comparing Elvira to Vampira is like comparing H.R. Pufnstuf's Witchiepoo to The Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West -- they are completely different personalities. The only difference between these pair of women and our two favorite horror hostesses is that Billie Hayes and Margaret Hamilton admired one another and got along well together.

The most entertaining aspect of the documentary is its soundtrack. Ari Lehman, who was the first actor to play Jason Voorhees in the original Friday the 13th (1980) film, actually wrote the score for Vampira: The Movie which very nicely complimented Maila Nurmi's scenes. Other contributing musicians include The Merry Widows performing the catchy song "Grave Robbers (from Outer Space)"; Mustang Lightning rockin' their "Haunted House" jam; and Curse doing the "Graveyard Shuffle" with special guests David Amram and Marc Ribot. Furthermore, one of the many special features on the DVD includes the full version of Count Smokula's "Vampira." Fans were obviously impressed by the music and the songs featured in the documentary that a Vampira: The Movie Soundtrack album was eventually released with the addition of 6 extra tracks that were not in the film!

Vampira (1956)

VAMPIRA

KHJ-TV, 1956

Executive Producer/Script: Maila Nurmi

Cast: Maila Nurmi (Vampira)

That vampire vixen of television entertainment, Vampira, returned to terrify and delight home viewers with her second live show, simply entitled, Vampira. Vampira debuted on KHJ-TV in 1956, only a year after the highly successful The Vampira Show at KABC-TV came to an abrupt end. In this new program, Vampira had a new set to slink and play dead-around in as she continued to engage all with her spooky skits and sharp cynicism. Also featured, were a new batch of fright flick goodies for the glamour ghoul to host. This time, the show aired on Friday nights (instead of the previous Saturday evening schedule she had over at KABC-TV) and lasted 14 episodes.

 

1. Tokyo File 212 (1951) The Los Angeles Times posted a brief mention on May 11, 1956 about the return of television's first horror hostess: "...favorite ghoul friend, Vampira, is coming back to TV, KHJ (9), Friday, May 18, at 11:05 p.m. 'I'm so happy, I could scream,' Vampira telegraphed [the Times]. 'I'm really looking forward to the smog again. The air in other parts of the country has no body to it.' " 5/18/1956

2. Lured (1947) "Vampira of the stringy-hair, overgrown fingernail set is on hand every week at this hour to introduce her latest chiller diller. Tonight Lucille Ball and George Sanders star in a tale about a homicidal maniac whose chief pastime is choking women. Vampira's upset because almost everyone lives happily ever after in this one." -- Los Angeles Times. 5/25/1956

3. The Big Night (1951) "Vampira's on hand to introduce this tale of a young man who attempts to hunt down a sports writer whose hobby is murder. Preston Foster, John Barrymore Jr., and Joan Lorring are in the cast." -- Los Angeles Times. 6/1/1956

4. The Vampire Bat (1933) In the village of Klineschloss, people begin to die from what appear to be vampire attacks. Police Inspector Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) investigates and seeks the truth behind these mysterious deaths. Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, and Dwight Frye also star. 6/8/1956

 

5. House of Darkness (1948) Francis Merryman's (Laurence Harvey) life is turned into a nightmare when the vengeful ghost of his murdered stepbrother returns to terrorize him. Also featuring Lesley Brook, John Stuart, and famous arranger-conductor George Melachrino. 6/15/1956

6. Without Warning! (1952) Carl Martin (Adam Williams) is a deranged psychopath who murders women with garden shears. The police desperately try to track down the serial killer before he strikes again. With Meg Randall, Edward Binns, and Harlan Warde. 6/22/1956

 

7. The Dark Mirror (1946) "Vampira is on hand to introduce this suspense movie tonight. In it, Olivia de Havilland portrays twins with the help of a trick camera. One of the sisters is good, the other displays homicidal tendencies, and no one is sure who is who. Lew Ayres, as a young psychiatrist, does a case study on the pair, finds out all about their respective psyches and then the action starts." -- Los Angeles Times. 6/29/1956

8. The Scar (a.k.a. Hollow Triumph) (1948) "Vampira describes The Scar thusly: 'The poor boy let a lush life get the best of him and meets an untimely demise because of an overweight condition -- caused by an excess of 38-caliber bullets.' Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett star." -- Los Angeles Times. 7/6/1956

 

9. Secret Beyond the Door... (1947) "The Vamp has a spine-chilling mystery, The Secret Beyond the Door as an attraction. She says the story concerns a crime-loving architect, Michael Redgrave, who whisks an adventuress, Joan Bennett, off her feet." -- Los Angeles Times. 7/13/1956

10. A Double Life (1947) Anthony John (Ronald Colman) is a stage actor who takes his roles a little too seriously. His wife Brita (Signe Hasso) leaves him, but finds herself in grave danger when the part of Othello begins to influence and ignite Anthony's jealous and homicidal tendencies. Edmond O'Brien and Shelley Winters also star. 7/20/1956

 

11. The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949) Bill Kirby (Robert Hutton) is a wealthy American who hires med student Johann Radek (Franchot Tone) to kill his aunt. Radek frames another man (Burgess Meredith), taunts the police, and leads Inspector Maigret (Charles Laughton) on a wild chase through the streets of Paris. 7/27/1956

12. Captive City (1952) Newspaper editor Jim Austin (John Forsythe) investigates a murder, organized crime, and police corruption in a small town. Featuring Joan Camden, Victor Sutherland, and Ray Teal. 8/3/1956 

 

13. Whispering City (1947) "Vampira, the ghostly one, has another thriller on tap for this evening. It's all about a young newspaper girl who stumbles on a corpse. Involved in the action are Helmut Dantine, Mary Anderson, and Paul Lukas." -- Los Angeles Times. 8/10/1956

14. Force of Evil (1948) "Hostess Vampira reports that this 'unique boy-meets-bullets drama' is one of her favorites. Caught in the morass of the underworld are John Garfield and Thomas Gomez." -- Los Angeles Times. 8/17/1956

After a successful run with her original program, The Vampira Show (1954-1955) at KABC-TV studios, actress Maila Nurmi returned to television the following year to reprise her popular role as Vampira and host a new spookfest selection of thriller movies for KHJ-TV in Los Angeles, California. This time the new show was simply called Vampira. Although VP followed the basic format of The Vampira Show (a.k.a. Lady of Horrors), it utilized an all too different set, production crew, and original skits written specifically for the new series. On May 11, 1956, the Los Angeles Times promoted the upcoming show in an article that also gave anticipating Vampira fans a little teaser of what they should expect: "[Vampira's] motion-picture fare schedule will spotlight adventures and boy-meets-ghoul dramas -- with the usual unhappy endings."

Despite the fame that Vampira achieved from her previous show and having been nominated for an Emmy as "Most Outstanding Television Personality," Vampira only lasted 14 episodes before it was canceled. Clues as to why it went off the air can possibly be found in Nurmi's vocal dissatisfaction with the KHJ-TV program. The set pieces were asymmetrical as if inspired by The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and the props were minimal. Her new 'playground' featured an off-set window, a dead tree branch, a coffin, and a large stool to sit on and present the thriller film of the night. Nurmi also complained that the films were not as good as the ones shown on her previous show. Unlike The Vampira Show, Nurmi and the station itself did very little to promote the new program. Vampira was aired live and not a single copy of any of its episodes exist. The Vampira Show, however, was fortunate enough to have had a short kinescope made in which skits from previous episodes were re-shot to help promote the program to future advertisers. Because this valuable relic has managed to survive and made exclusively available on The Official Vampira website, decades later a new generation of Vampira fans are able to catch a glimpse and see for themselves how truly special The Vampira Show really was. Vampira, however, is not so fortunate and, sadly, remains a lost piece of horror history.

"Vampira promises [that] she'll have something new for viewers. No longer is she the prowling creature of shadowy streets. The new Vampira wants her fans to think of her as the average friendly neighbor they would expect to find living halfway up the next swamp." This excerpt from the Times' May 11, 1956 article gives us an idea in what direction Vampira was heading before it made its debut on May 18 of that year. Vampira's closing comment, "I've undergone a grave change. My motto now is 'home sweet homicide,'" also reflects Nurmi's keen interest in the Morticia Addams character from the illustrations of Charles Addams in the The New Yorker.

In fact, Vampira's roots has a direct link to Addams' cartoon creation when, in 1953, Nurmi attended a masquerade ball (thrown by renowned dance choreographer Lester Horton) dressed as Morticia Addams. Out of 2000 attendees, Nurmi ended up winning first place for best costume and attracted the attention of KABC-TV producer Hunt Stromberg, Jr. Stromberg eventually contacted Nurmi and offered her a job hosting horror films for the station. During her canned interview in the highly acclaimed documentary Vampira: The Movie (2006), Nurmi admitted that she wanted to host The Vampira Show as Charles Addams' female character, but was told that the studio couldn't afford to purchase the rights. (At the time, the Addams characters remained nameless until the 1964 television series The Addams Family assigned them permanent names).

Keeping with the Morticia look, Nurmi developed her own character's persona by drawing from various sources including dominatrix illustrations by John Willie, which appeared in the bondage and fetish magazine Bizarre. Nurmi was also inspired by the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and the villainess Dragon Lady, which she idolized as a child reading the old Terry and the Pirates Sunday comic strips. In later years, Maila Nurmi expressed her resentment toward KABC-TV studios for not offering her the part of Morticia Addams in The Addams Family TV series. It was a role Nurmi had longed to be associated with for many years.

Despite the cancellation of both The Vampira Show and Vampira Presents, Nurmi continued to make numerous personal appearances as Vampira and even had the opportunity to play the part on the big screen in Ed Wood, Jr.'s ultimate cult classic Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957). The legacy of television's first female horror hostess thrived when the horror hosting craze took over the country during the late 1950s and lasted well into the 1970s. During this period, it seemed as if every city had its own unique television horror host. Further still, in 1958, KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah, borrowed the 'Vampira' name for their own show called Shock! The show was hosted by a ghoulish character named Roderick (played by John "Jack" Milton Whitaker) who had a mute vampire assistant in a white dress, in which he referred to her as Vampira (played by Phyllis Ranson). In 1981, Nurmi attempted to officially resurrect the character of Vampira once more when she was hired by her old studio, KHJ-TV, to help launch a new Vampira series. The role of Vampira was intended to be played by a new, young actress. However, Nurmi had conflicting opinions with the show's producers about who to cast for the role and, ultimately, walked off the project... taking with her the rights to the Vampira name. The show, of course, became Movie Macabre, and the character's name and personality were changed to the vivacious Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Movie Macabre became a phenomenal hit and helped to revive interest in TV horror hosting once more.

Maila Nurmi was an important pioneer in the annals of horror history and her Vampira persona will forever remain one of the most iconic figures in the horror hall of fame. Unique and always fascinating, there will never again be anyone quite like the original Queen of the Horror Hosts.