Maila Nurmi

AKA:

Vampira

Birth Name:

Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi

Birth Date:

December 11, 1922

Birth Place:

Petsamo, Finland

Death Date:

January 10, 2008

Place of Death:

1570 N. Serrano Avenue, North Hollywood, California

Age:

Cause of Death:

Natural causes

Cemetery Name:

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Show Business

Known professionally as Maila Nurmi, she was an American actress who created the campy 1950s character Vampira. The image of Vampira is certainly iconic. With her memorable and striking image, Vampira cemented herself as a star of horror, fashion, and drama. She relocated to Los Angeles from Oregon in 1940, with hopes of becoming an actress. After several minor film roles, she found success with her Vampira character, television's first horror host. Nurmi hosted her own series, The Vampira Show, from 1954 to 1955, on KABC-TV. After the show's cancellation, she appeared in the 1959 cult film Plan 9 From Outer Space, directed by Ed Wood. She is also billed as Vampira in the 1959 film The Beat Generation, where she appears out of character and instead plays a beatnik poet. Nurmi also appeared in the 1959 crime film The Big Operator. She was portrayed by Lisa Marie in Tim Burton's 1994 biopic, Ed Wood.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

6000 Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles, California, 90038

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California

Grave Location:

Griffith Lawn Section, Lot 203, Space 1

Grave Location Description

As you make your way past the information booth, take the first left, then the first right to the Griffith Lawn Section. Walk approximately 40 feet up the first row and Maila Nurmi can be found to the left of the reddish brown marble pillared monument (south of the large, reddish Hovanesyan monument).