The Vampira I knew.

I knew Maila for many years when I lived in Hollywood. During the fifties, she had been associated with James Dean. Her and Jack Simmons used to go to a night time restaurant called Googies. It was at Laurel Canyon and Sunset next to the famous Schwab's drugstore. Jimmy used to stop by for coffee. Jack Simmon's would later become Jimmy's roommate. Maila was married at this particular time and was appearing on TV as Vampira. After Jimmy died, she was interviewed by numerous magazines, and was mentioned as Jimmy's girlfriend. Not true, but it got her publciity that followed her through until her recent death.

I saw her on a re-run of the Hugh Hefner's Halloween party show. In a segment, she was interviewed. Suddenly she let out a shrill scream. It surprised me and cracked me up. I never knew she had it in her.

She was destitute for the latter part of her life. She would occasionally be signing at autograph parties at the Holiday Inn in North Hollywood. Eventually, she made enough money to have a variety of photos developed to sell.

She loved animals. She had cats and pigeons and birds and whatever she was able to get hold of. I don't know where she got the money to feed all of them. At one time she worked on Heliotrope at a restaurant, cleaning up after hours and she lived next door, in what looked like a converted garage.

I brought her to my apartment a few times and we watched movies. I also took her to a James Dean's fan's home to meet Barry Blakeley and his girl friend Beryl. Barry phoned to tell me she had passed away. I lost my mother around the same time. She too, was 86 years old.

There was a Dean convention, called DeanCon in North Hollywood. I took her there as well as a James Dean look-alike. Maila answered a lot of questions regarding her association with Jimmy. She enjoyed herself, having a lot of attention. Other than the Ed Wood's film, PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, I don't believe she appeared in any other film. But, her role as Vampira, brought her many fans, who still remembered her, probably moreso, as Jimmy Dean's friend, than her role. Of course anyone who has read James Dean's biographies are aware of Vampira.

She was still star struck and would often mention some actor or actress she had run into. John Savage was one of her favorites. She was hard to keep up with because she couldn't afford a telephone. I know she had a website someone started for her. I believe it was called Vampira's Attic. Someone named Tomata Du Plenty, I believe, started it. He died at a young age. He had been a close friend and drove her to the autograph parties. She was fun and very friendly with me. I wrote an article on her for my newspaper, the Hollywood Star. As I age, most of the celebrities I knew from films, are passing away. Life can be so sad.