Although not seen in Milwaukee, "Vampira" deserves special mention here, as she started the hosted horror show phenomenon in 1954-55.
In the early 1950's the major Hollywood studios considered television as a competitor, and had not released most films to the medium. However, a number of smaller studios (See the separate discussion elsewhere on this website) had. A number of these films were in the horror vein. KABC-TV in Los Angeles needed a gimmick to help sell the films.
About this time, 31 year-old Maila Nurmi, (who had been born in Finland, and was the niece of Olympic distance runner Paava Nurmi), attended a Hollywood costume party, "The Bal Caribe" dressed as the character from Charles Addams’ cartoon in the New Yorker magazine. Hunt Stromberg, Jr., who had recently been promoted to KABC's program director remembered her, and decided that she was the person he wanted to host their Saturday night movies. The problem was that Stromberg did not know her name. Some months later one of the judges, Rudi Gerrich (who would later design the topless bathing suit), passed Nurmi’s phone number on. Stromberg then cast her as the hostess for the new show. Not wanting to infringe on the Addams’ character, Nurmi modified her costume, and came up with the character "Vampira". (Her husband at the time, TV and film writer Dean Riesner, contributed the name.) On Friday night, 30 April 1954, KABC-TV aired the preview "Dig Me Later Vampira" at 11:00 p.m. "The Vampira Show" made its debut the following day, 1 May 1954. For the first four weeks, the show started at midnight. On 29 May 1954, it was switched to 11:00 p.m. It was moved to a slot thirty minutes earlier on 5 March 1955.
She was a well-known figure around L.A. for about a year, and developed a friendship with James Dean, which would haunt her (by way of tabloids) for years after his death.
After her show was canceled, she refused to sign away the rights to the character, resulting in what she called a "blacklisting" in the entertainment business. Needing cash, she accepted a part in the infamous film Plan Nine From Outer Space, written and directed by Ed Wood, Jr. For many years this was thought to be the only known record of her in-character (other than still photographs), as no kinescopes of her shows were known to have survived. However, a promotional film produced by KABC-TV in 1954 has surfaced, in which she is included. (The producers used the script from her show of 14 August 1954, and had her duplicate it. No kinescopes of her actual shows were ever made.*)
She dropped out of site for many years, but resurfaced in the 1980's, when KHJ-TV attempted to buy the rights to her character. She refused, and the station eventually hired actress Cassandra Peterson to play "Elvira", rather than "Vampira". She later sued Peterson unsuccessfully. Nurmi still lives in the L.A. area.
Vampira’s official website is at: Vampira’s Attic.
*My thanks to Clint Hickman, webmaster of Vampira’s official website, for clarifying what was used.
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