Maila Nurmi ....
also known as 'Vampira' ....
....died In the early morning hours of January 10th, 2008 while sleeping peacefully.
Arrangements for Maila’s funeral are proceeding with the blessing of her surviving niece Sandra Niemi. Contributions are currently being accepted so that she may be interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Maila survived on social security and died with almost nothing.
RIP
TIME Magazine Obit. 1/28/2008: "Before Elvira, before Morticia Addams, there was Maila Nurmi, the pioneering queen of sexy, spooky goth. She developed a following as Vampira, host of a short lived namesake weekly 1954 TV show in which she introduced horror movies. Nurmi, who had a cameo in the classic Ed Wood film Plan 9 from Outer Space, faded from view, earning money by selling handmade jewelry. In 1989 she lost a $10 million lawsuit alleging that actress Cassandra Peterson, appearing as Elvira, had pirated her character. Nurmi was 85."
