
Acting
Maila Nurmi
Born — Died
1922-12-11 — 2008-01-10
Place of birth
Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Known for
Acting
Credits
26 titles
Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American actress best known for creating the camp 1950s character Vampira. She was of Finnish descent.
Known for
8.3A series of documentaries focusing on the world of psychotronic movies; focusing on the lives of filmakers such as Hershell Gordon Lewis, Saim Raimi, Doris Wishman, Ed Wood Jr, and Tsui Hark. Covers weird movie genres, like Mexican wrestling movies and Hong Kong horror films.
The Incredibly Strange Film Show
1988
4.3The son of a sorceress, armed with weapons, armour and six magically summoned knights, goes on a quest to save a princess from a vengeful wizard.
The Magic Sword
1962
6.9Hollywood is a town of tinsel and glamour; but there is another Hollywood, a place where maverick independent exploitation filmmakers went toe to toe with the big guys and came out on top.
Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies
2001
4.2In California, an old man grieves the loss of his wife, and dies the day after she is buried. However, the space soldier Eros and his mate Tanna use an electric device to resurrect them both, alongside the strong Inspector Clay, who was murdered by the alien-controlled dead couple. When the populations of Hollywood and Washington D.C. see flying saucers on the sky, a colonel, a police lieutenant, a commercial pilot, his wife, and a policeman try to stop the aliens.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
1957
6.8Georgia Garrett is sent by jealous wife Elvira Kent on an ocean cruise to masquerade as herself while she secretly stays home to catch her husband cheating. Meanwhile equally suspicious husband Michael Kent has sent a private eye on the same cruise to catch his wife cheating. Love and confusion ensues along with plenty of musical numbers.
Romance on the High Seas
1948
3.3Collins College needs a new department head for their science department, so Doctors Carter and Zorch consult Thinko, the campus computer, and come up with Dr. Mathilda West, who has degrees in lots of things, but turns out to be disruptively attractive as well.
Sex Kittens Go to College
1960
Film credits
2000s · 5 titles
6.9Hollywood is a town of tinsel and glamour; but there is another Hollywood, a place where maverick independent exploitation filmmakers went toe to toe with the big guys and came out on top.
Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies
2001
7.5A fond remembrance of and tribute to the uniquely American institution of the horror movie host.
American Scary
2006
3.5Hosted by Christopher Lee, this documentary examines the different actors who have portrayed Dracula over the years.
The Many Faces of Dracula
2000
8.0The story of Maila "Vampira" Nurmi, living on the very edge of show business, and her rise to celluloid cultdom 50 years later. Her big break came in 1954 when she played the "glamour ghoul" Vampira, emerging from the mist to greet viewers of obscure horror movies on the new medium— television. Her newfound fame led to friendships with Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Anthony Perkins. But Vampira's show was abruptly cancelled. Nurmi appeared as Vampira again in the 1959 low-budget horror / sci-fi film, Plan 9 from Outer Space, directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. and often dubbed "the worst film of all time." But you can't keep a good vampire down, and Nurmi's character rose from the dead again in 1993's Ed Wood, directed by Tim Burton.
Vampira: The Movie
2006
7.0Monsterama: A Tribute to Horror Hosts was a documentary focused on horror hosts; screened on the horror channel Monsters HD in 2004.
Monsterama: A Tribute to Horror Hosts
2004
1990s · 6 titles
4.8A mental patient escapes from the looney bin in drag, robs a bank, and goes on the lam!
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
1998
9.5A history of the famous vampire of books and movies, using film clips, previews and other methods.
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991
7.2A documentary detailing the making of the cult favorite "Plan 9 from Outer Space," featuring interviews with cast members and prominent filmmakers about the film, its lasting legacy, and its creator, Edward D. Wood Jr.
Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion
1992
7.8Often called the worst director in the history of cinema, Ed Wood is nevertheless a beloved figure among cult-film aficionados for his oddball productions. This documentary takes a look back at Wood's unique career at the margins of 1950s Hollywood, speaking to those who loved him and hated him. Bela Lugosi Jr. discusses his father's work in the abysmal "Plan 9 From Outer Space," while a Baptist reverend recalls how he was tricked into financing the film.
The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr.
1996
10.0A documentary that explores man's enduring fascination with the vampire legend by examining historical accounts, literary works, and as they are portrayed in film and television.
Vampires: Thirst for the Truth
1996
7.5Interviews with Maila Nurmi, who famously played the horror hostess Vampira
Vampira: About Sex, Death and Taxes
1995
1980s · 2 titles
1960s · 3 titles
4.3The son of a sorceress, armed with weapons, armour and six magically summoned knights, goes on a quest to save a princess from a vengeful wizard.
The Magic Sword
1962
3.3Collins College needs a new department head for their science department, so Doctors Carter and Zorch consult Thinko, the campus computer, and come up with Dr. Mathilda West, who has degrees in lots of things, but turns out to be disruptively attractive as well.
Sex Kittens Go to College
1960
7.0A young woman falls in love and marries, but withholds from her husband information about her family.
I Passed for White
1960
1950s · 4 titles
4.2In California, an old man grieves the loss of his wife, and dies the day after she is buried. However, the space soldier Eros and his mate Tanna use an electric device to resurrect them both, alongside the strong Inspector Clay, who was murdered by the alien-controlled dead couple. When the populations of Hollywood and Washington D.C. see flying saucers on the sky, a colonel, a police lieutenant, a commercial pilot, his wife, and a policeman try to stop the aliens.
Plan 9 from Outer Space
1957
5.1A group of beatniks unwittingly harbor a serial rapist. A cop goes after him after his wife is attacked.
The Beat Generation
1959
6.0A power-mad union boss resorts to murder to eliminate witnesses scheduled to testify against him.
The Big Operator
1959
A psychoanalyst treats a noted atomic physicist who believes that he lives on Earth as a scientist in a government research laboratory, and on another planet where he is the dominant authority and has powers of telepathy and teleportation.
The Jet-Propelled Couch
1957
Series credits
8.3A series of documentaries focusing on the world of psychotronic movies; focusing on the lives of filmakers such as Hershell Gordon Lewis, Saim Raimi, Doris Wishman, Ed Wood Jr, and Tsui Hark. Covers weird movie genres, like Mexican wrestling movies and Hong Kong horror films.
The Incredibly Strange Film Show
1988
7.0The Vampira Show was an American variety show hosted by Vampira. The series aired on the Los Angeles ABC television affiliate KABC-TV from April 30, 1954, through April 2, 1955. The series was produced and created by Hunt Stromberg, Jr., and featured the Vampira character created by Maila Nurmi. Though the show was unseen outside of the Los Angeles area, The Vampira Show has become a cult classic, spawning fan clubs the world over.
The Vampira Show
1954




