BEFORE THEY WERE SCREAM QUEENS: MARLA ENGLISH

Like so many other women who became actresses, the lovely Marla English was first a model. She signed with Paramount where she received modest success and at one time was paid well. However, her flame burned out pretty quickly and she resorted to playing in B-movies, including THE SHE CREATURE (1956) and VOODOO WOMAN (1957), after which she married and retired from Hollywood at the ripe old age of 25.

This pictorial of a 20-year-old Marla English is from MEN (May 1955), published by Martin Goodman.

See more Marla English posts HERE.

BEFORE THEY WERE SCREAM QUEENS: JUNE BLAIR

Tangentially a Scream Queen, June Blair was another lovely, photogenic model that got caught in the cross-hairs of a low-budget adventure/quasi-science fiction film. For a lot of pinup models, Hollywood was where they went to see their careers die. Miss Blair, however, escaped being typecast in B-movies and made a name for herself in television, landing roles in HAWAIIAN EYE, SEA HUNT, M SQUAD, BAT MASTERSON, THE AQUANAUTS and others. She also had an uncredited role as Chorine in the Lon Chaney bio-pic MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES (1957). Blair hit pay dirt in 1961 when she was cast as June Nelson in OZZIE AND HARRIET after marrying the Harriet's son David Nelson.

In 1959 she signed on for the role as Mercuria in ISLAND OF LOST WOMEN (1959), an independently filmed melodrama that had all the trappings of a re-write of FORBIDDEN PLANET.

Two years prior, Miss Blair was PLAYBOY'S Playmate of the Month for their January 1957 issue. One would be blind not to see her potential for the movies.

Margaret June Blair was born on October 20, 1932 in San Francisco. She married David Nelson in 1961 and had two children, both sons. The marriage ended in divorce in 1975. Miss Blair passed away on December 4, 2022 at the age of 90.

Auction lot description:

Cave-woman dress worn by June Blair as "Mercuria" in Island of Lost Women. Cave-woman dress worn by June Blair as "Mercuria" in Island of Lost Women. (Warner Bros., 1959) Island of Lost Women is essentially a remake of Forbidden Planet, in which two men land their plane on an uncharted island where they discover a mad scientist doing atomic experiments. The scientist's three lovely daughters - "Venus", "Urana", and "Mercuria" - have never seen a man other than their father. Offered here is "Mercuria's" cave woman mini-dress of rough, irregularly pleated muslin with unfinished hems. Hook and loop side closure and shoulder strap. worn to startling effect by Playboy magazine's January 1957 Playmate of the Month, June Blair (the future Mrs. David Nelson of Ozzie and Harriet fame). Sold for $369.00 on July 28, 2013.

JUNE BLAIR GALLERY

JUNE BLAIR Playmate of the Month (PLAYBOY, January 1957 )

BEFORE THEY WERE SCREAM QUEENS: JEANNE CARMEN + BONUS

Retro-horror film fans will recognize the name Jeanne Carmen from her role in the low-budget -- but highly enjoyable -- thriller, THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959). She also made appearances in the exploiters  UNTAMED YOUTH (1957), BORN RECKLESS (1958), horror flick THE DEVIL'S HAND (1961), and was brought out of retirement for a bit part in THE NAKED MONSTER (2005).

During her amazing career she also hobnobbed with celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, as well as Las Vegas mobster Johnny Roselli. She also called Marilyn Monroe a close friend. Before her film career she was an accomplished golfer and was known for her skill at trick shots.

Rare comedy LP.

The well-photographed Miss Carmen appears here in STARE (August 1955), one of Martin "Marvel Comics" Goodman's many humor magazines that he published for over two decades.

Read more about Jeanne Carmen HERE.

BONUS!

Getting a page of her own is famed author, model and photographer Linnea Eleanor "Bunny" Yeager, There's also a fun photo-story featuring one of the most popular pinup models ever, Betty (aka "Bettie") Page. Along with fetish-photographer Irving Klaw, Yeager is credited with popularizing Miss Page, who appeared in countless photographs and magazines during the 1950's. After she was "re-discovered" years later, her career was revived for a new generation of admirers. Yeager is known to have taken over a thousand photographs of Page during her heyday.

And last but not least, famous burlesque queen Tempest Storm makes an appearance in this issue, too!