Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn't Help It

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Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967) was not only an actress but a determined star, renowned as one of the era's iconic sex symbols with her platinum blonde hair, hourglass figure, and extravagant lifestyle. Despite her talent in both comedic and dramatic roles, her relentless pursuit of fame and provocative promotional tactics led to her being increasingly overlooked in Hollywood. This joyful biography, the first definitive account of Mansfield, reveals her as a savvy, ambitious woman dubbed by Andy Warhol as "the poet of publicity." Starting her career as Rita Marlowe in the Broadway show Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, she made her film debut in the low-budget drama Female Jungle (1955) and achieved stardom with The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Her dramatic performance in The Wayward Bus (1957) earned her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year, and she starred alongside Cary Grant in Kiss Them for Me (1957). Despite her fame, her role as the first celebrity in Playboy and a nude scene in Promises! Promises! (1963) marked her as an outsider. Golden delves beyond Mansfield's glamorous public persona and tragic end, offering a nuanced portrait of a woman who embraced life fully and passionately.