Subject: The Girl Couldn't Help It ...
From: Christopher W. Thomas (poetlaureate@poetic.com)
Host: 209-150-40-71.s71.tnt1.spg.ma.dialup.rcn.com
Date: Wed June 30, 1999 at 10:12PM

The Girl Couldn't Help It ...


In twelve years, she made two dozen
A minor movie career, but one mustn't
Put her in the same category with Monroe
Although some have, who just didn't know ...

For, altho Jayne Mansfield certainly had the looks
Her films didn't come from any really great books
And the roles she played had none of the sincere depth
Exhibited by Monroe when that lady showed her best

Never-the-less, she made quite a splash in tinsel-town
Right about the time when the other blonde became reknown
And lasting just about the same amount of time
(Another bright candle burning out after its prime)

- Tristram

© Christopher W. Thomas
written 6:35pm Wed. 6/30/99
for the date - June 29th, 1999

Born - Vera Jayne Palmer,
Bryn Mawr, PA on April 19th, 1933
Died - near New Orleans, June 29th, 1967
(killed outright, in a car accident,
with two male companions, when their car
drove into the back of a trailer-truck in
pre-dawn light, en route to a TV thing)

The 24 Films of Jayne Mansfield:

1955 - Hell on Frisco Bay (Alan Ladd)
1955 - Illegal (Edward G. Robinson)
1955 - Pete Kelly's Blues (Jack Webb)
Peggy Lee was nominated for Supporting
1956 - The Burglar (Dan Duryea)
1956 - Hangover (Lawrence Tierney)
1956 - The Girl Can't Help It (Tom Ewell)
1957 - Kiss Them For Me (Cary Grant)
1957 - The Wayward Bus (Dan Dailey)
1957 - Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
(Tony Randall) George Axelrod play ...
widely regarded as her best screen role
1959 - The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw
(Kenneth More, Robert Morley)
1960 It Takes a Thief (Anthony Quayle)
1960 - Too Hot to Handle (Leo Genn)
1961 - The George Raft Story (Ray Danton,
Neville Brand, Frank Gorshin)
1962 - It Happened in Athens (she stars)
1963 - Promises! Promises! (she stars)
Tommy Noonan co-starred, co-produced
and co-scripted this film (JM shows all!)
1964 - Dog Eat Dog (Cameron Mitchell)
1964 - Panic Button (Maurice Chavalier)
1965 - The Fat Spy (Jack E. Leonard)
1966 Las Vegas Hillbillys (Ferlin Husky)
1967 - A Guide for the Married Man
(Walter Matthau, Robert Morse)
1967 Las Vegas By Night (Vic Damone)
1968 - Single Room Furnished (Fabian)
her last film ... released after her death

also:
The Wild Wild World of Jayne Mansfield
(a compilation and a celebration) - 1968

Foreign Films:
1960 - Gli Amori di Ercole [Italy-France]
1964 - L'Amore Primitivo [Italy]
1964 - Einer Frisst den Anderen [Germany-Italy]