By Henry Austin
With admirers including Elvis and JFK, Hollywood sex symbol Mamie Van Doren has lived the life many women dream of.
Glamorous, smart and well maintained, Mamie Van Doren would look fabulous for a woman in her early forties. But age is just a number for Mamie, who is officially a pensioner at 75. And the Hollywood sex symbol, who’s been serenaded by Elvis, partied with The Beatles and recently launched her own wine, claims the only cosmetic surgery she’s had is a facelift.
Sex is the secret
“I’ve always tried to enjoy every day as much as possible,” Mamie says, tossing her blonde mane behind her. “Life’s too short to mope about, and now I’m in the autumn of my life I have no intention of slowing down.
“I was lucky to be born with a good bone structure, and I think a healthy sex life, which I definitely have, has helped to maintain my youthful appearance.”
Born Joan Lucille Olander on February 6, 1933, Mamie’s star rose early when she won a beauty pageant aged 16, where she was spotted by billionaire producer and notorious recluse Howard Hughes. He invited her to appear in one of his films and they dated for several years.
“He was an odd man. Very aloof and a bit of a loner. But he gave me the break I needed,” she recalls.
Her striking looks caught the attention of Universal Studios, and in January 1953 they signed her up, hoping she would bring the same success that Marilyn Monroe had given 20th Century Fox. They also changed her name.
“It was the done thing in those days,” she says. “The Mamie was a tribute to Mamie Eisenhower, the wife of the then President, but to be honest, they could have called me whatever they wanted. I wasn’t fussed. I was just delighted to be signed up.
“Over the years I grew into the name, and I left Joan Olander behind a long time ago.”
Catapulted onto Hollywood’s A-list, she was soon working with and wooed by some of the biggest names in cinema, including Gone With The Wind star Clark Gable and heartthrob Tony Curtis.
At just 17, Mamie had eloped with Jack Newton, the first of her five husbands, but the marriage was dissolved within months. In 1955, she married band leader Ray Anthony and gave birth to her only son, Perry, now 52.
Mamie and Ray drifted apart and soon she was back in the centre of Hollywood life with a host of suitors. One night in Las Vegas, a young pop star asked for a signed picture.
“He was the most beautiful man, his name was Elvis,” Mamie laughs. “We met in the Riviera Hotel and he took me for a ride in his Cadillac. Pulling over, he serenaded me with his new song Love Me Tender. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun that night.”
For the full story, see this week’s issue of Woman’s Day (on sale March 17, 2008).
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