Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, model, singer, and sex symbol who is known for being one of the first actresses to recreate the look of Marilyn Monroe. She is of three-quarters Swedish ancestry; the remainder is mixed English and German.
Van Doren was discovered by producer Howard Hughes when she was crowned Miss Palm Springs. She posed for famous pin-up girl artist Alberto Vargas, the painter of the glamorous "Vargas Girls". Many of Van Doren's film roles showcased her ample curves, and her onscreen wardrobe usually consisted of tight sweaters, low-cut blouses, form-fitting dresses, and daring (for the era) swimsuits.She posed twice for Playboy in 1963 to promote her movie 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt (1964), though she was never a Playmate. By this point in her career, her figure measured 38DD-26-36 (self-described in 1997). She said about her chest measurement, "I don't even want to say double-D, because they're even bigger than that."
In 1964, Van Doren was a guest at the Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood when The Beatles were at the club visiting with Jayne Mansfield, and an inebriated George Harrison accidentally threw his drink on her when trying to throw it on some bothersome journalists. In 1980, Van Doren was referenced in the Canadian Top 20 hit "High School Confidential" by the popular 1980s Canadian new wave band Rough Trade. In her autobiography, Van Doren acknowledged numerous affairs with celebrities. These include Clark Gable, Howard Hughes, Johnny Carson, Elvis Presley, Burt Reynolds, Jack Dempsey, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, Johnny Rivers, Warren Beatty, Tony Curtis, Steve Cochran and Joe Namath. Claiming fidelity to each lover, she said about Hollywood life, "I don't wear panties anymore - this startles the Hollywood wolves so much they don't know what to pull at, so they leave me alone."
In recent years, Van Doren has made use of multimedia including Facebook and Twitter. She and her husband Thomas maintain her website where various merchandise along with home-made short films starring herself, such as A Girl and Her Banana, are available. It also provides contemporary topless and nude photos and her outspoken political views.
