MAMIE VAN DOREN

In the 60's, Mamie Van Doren was a minor star (sex-kitten was the term of the day) appearing in many "B" pictures (Although her best performance was  in "Teacher's Pet" with Clark Gable and Doris day)  Married five times, she was on husband number three, a minor league baseball player named Lee Meyers  (who never missed a performance), when we worked together in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" at the Meadowbrook Dinner Theater.


 I liked Mamie.  She was a flirt with a wicked sense of humor and not a bad actress at all.  Her comic timing was first rate in the role of Lorelei (previously handled by Carol Channing on stage and Marilyn Monroe in the movies.)


She was also one smart cookie and knew why the audiences showed up to see her.  (We always had more men than usual).   As I have stated before, it was theater in the round at Meadowbrook and Mamie got a big kick out of dropping a prop, bending over to retrieve it, and thrusting her derriere toward some lucky male sitting at ringside.   And the audiences loved this bit of embarrassment for the seated gentleman.

I was playing a Frenchman in the show by the name of Robert Lemanteur.and my hair was bleached blond to counter my brother Louis's dark locks.

And so it was no surprise to me that Mamie's parting autographed picture was inscribed "To LaRue, the only other "natural' blond in the show.  Great success.  Love, Mamie Van Doren"  What fun we had.





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