12 Things You Didn't Know About Jayne Mansfield

She was large than life.

Jayne MansfiledPhoto byCreative Commons: IISG

While Marilyn Monroe might have been the preeminent blond bombshell in Hollywood in the 50s and 60s, Jayne Mansfield at least tried to give her a run for her money. She was noted for her publicity stunts and what I’ll call “controversial lifestyle.” While her death was horrific, it’s not what I’m going to dwell on.

Jayne was also the mother of five kids with three husbands, including Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fame. I didn’t realize she was promoting her career that heavily while having five kids. Of course, I’m not sure how many PTA meeting she was able to attend. So, having said that, here are some things you didn’t know about Jayne Mansfield.

1: While she might have played a dumb blonde on occasion, but as Johnny Carson said when he interviewed her, “Nobody with an I.Q. of 160 can be that stupid.”

She might have been a much better actress than she was given credit for.

2: Jayne displayed a desire to be a star at an early age. For example, at the age of seven she would stand in her driveway and play the violin for passers-by.

Fortunately for her and her family, she didn’t take the piano to the driveway. That would have been awkward.

3: Jayne was named Vera Jayne Palmer at birth, but kept the last name of Mansfield, the name of her first husband, because she thought it sounded illustrious.

It seems ironic that her last name started with “man.”

4: Jayne was cut out of one of her first modeling jobs.

She was one of a number of young ladies in a shoot for G. E. She was on the far left up the picture but was cut out completely when the powers they be, or were, decided she was too sexy for 1954 TV viewers. Of course, back then, TV viewers were used to Milton Berle in drag, so the bar was a little different back them.

5: Mansfield’s second husband was 1956 Mr. Universe, Mickey Hargitay. She basically stole his affections away from Mae West. Mae was not happy

I guess Jayne didn’t say, “Mae I?”

6: Her performance in the Broadway play turned movie, “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” was well received.

It seems like the 50s were a great decade for the Hunter family, Tab and Rock.

7: She divorced Mickey Hargitay twice.

Boy, that must have been a strong marriage if it takes two divorces to terminate it.

8: She was the first American actress to appear nude in a mainstream movie.

She was also arrested for indecent exposure during her night club act in Burlington, Vermont in 1963. Maybe she was preparing for her movie role.

9: Jayne turned down the role of Ginger in “Gilligan’s Island.”

I wonder if Mansfield had taken that role if Ginger would have been more popular than Mary Ann? I kind of doubt it.

10: She, along with Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren and Shirley MacLaine were all on Mr. Blackwell’s 1961’s list of Worst Dressed.

That was quite a feat for Jayne since she wasn’t noted for wearing clothes.

11: She appeared on the game show, “What’s My Line?” four times.

Did she keep changing jobs or what?

12: Mansfield died in a car accident when the car she was riding in went under the back of a truck while traveling at 80 mph. And no, despite some lurid reports, she wasn’t decapitated.

And to paraphrase Forrest Gump, that’s all I’ve got to say about that.