Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield Facts
| Sign | Aries |
| Born |
Apr 19, 1933 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania |
| Died |
Jun 29, 1967 Slidell, LA |
| Age | Died at 34 |
| Total Facts | 36 |
"Mother-in-law of Peter Hermann and former mother-in-law of Dana Hargitay". Grandmother of August Miklos Friedrich Hermann (Mariska's son).
California license plate on her 1956 Lincoln Premiere convertible: NBB 851.
Claimed to have an IQ of 163, though she didn't have exceptional grades in school.
Contrary to popular belief, she was not decapitated in the car crash that killed her. Her death certificate, issued in New Orleans, Louisiana, lists "crushed skull with avulsion of cranium and brain" as the immediate cause of death; her other injuries included "closed fracture of right humerus" and "multiple lacerations of hands and lower extremities".
During the late 1950s, the front bumpers of some American cars came with extensions that resembled the bullet-bra conical brassieres of the period. Soon after their introduction, these extensions were nicknamed Jayne Mansfields.
Grandmother of Jianni Cimber (Tony's daughter), Brandon and Zoltan Jr. Hargitay.
Had five children: Jayne Marie Mansfield (b. 8 November 1950), Mickey Hargitay Jr. (b. 21 December 1958), Zoltan Hargitay (b. 1 August 1960), Mariska Hargitay (b. 24 January 1964), & Tony Cimber (b. 18 October 1965).
Her character in the film The George Raft Story (1961) is based on 1940s bombshell Betty Grable.
Her death is the subject of the Siouxsie and the Banshees song Kiss Them for Me, the title of which is taken from her 1957 film.
Her estate was valued at approximately $2,000,000 at the time of her death, a significant sum by 1967 standards.
Her goal, as quoted in the book, Jayne Mansfield and the American Fifties: "To feel satisfied with myself; to know that I have arrived. To be liked. To be a big personality. The real stars are not actors or actresses. They're personalities. The quality of making everyone stop in their tracks is what I work at.".
Initally divorced Mickey Hargitay on 1 May 1963; she divorced him again in Juarez, Mexico. On 26 August 1964, the California Superior Court recognized the Mexican divorce pronouncement.
Interred at Fairview Cemetery, Plainfield (Outside of Pen Argyl), Pennsylvania, USA.
Is portrayed by Loni Anderson in The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980) (TV).
Jayne was named the 2nd (out of 100) top Playboy Playmates of all time according to Playboy Magazine.
Los Angeles heavy metal band L.A. Guns had a top-40 hit in the early 1990s with a song called The Ballad Of Jayne, which was based on her.
Made Mr. Blackwell's Worst-Dressed List in 1961 with Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren and Shirley MacLaine. She also made the List in 1964.
Measurements: 39 1/2-23-36 1/2 (smallest ever measured), 46D-18-36 (largest ever measured), 44D-18-36 (self-described), 46D-23-37 (after having children), 40D-21-35 1/2 (standard for the majority of her career), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).
Mother of Jayne Marie Mansfield, who appeared in Playboy 1976, following in her mother's footsteps.
Only daughter of Vera Jeffrey and Herbert Palmer. She was of German and English descent.
Playboy Playmate of the Month February 1955.
Producer Louis W. Kellman always said that he "discovered" Jayne Mansfield. He gave the then little known actress her first starring role (Gladden, Dan Duryea's sexy-but-shy gun moll kid sister) in The Burglar (1957) after seeing the normally jaded and unflappable film crew's "overheated" reaction to her on the set of Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) in which she had a small part.
She had a serious drinking problem most of her adult life.
She was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in March 2008 in Austin, Texas. Her daughter, Mariska Hargitay, accepted the award.
Son Zoltan Hargitay was critically injured by a supposedly tame lion while visiting the Jungleland Zoo in Thousand Oaks, California, but made a full recovery. (December 1966).
Spoke five languages.
The German punk-rock-band The Bates dedicated the song The Lips Of Jayne Mansfield (from the album Shake!) to her.
The Japanese Band The 5, 6, 7, 8's play a song called "I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield".
The late model Buick that Jayne was killed in was locked in a garage for decades, in the same shape it was in after the crash. The owner, who was a big fan, displayed it at various shows over the years, and it was sometimes billed as Jayne Mansfield's death car. The car was sold at auction in 1999 for $8000. Reportedly, the car still has the blood stains on the seats.
Though her film career seemed to have fallen from grace in the mid and late 1960s, her nightclub act was huge, earning her $8,000-$17,000 weekly.
Turned down the role of Ginger Grant in "Gilligan's Island" (1964).
Was a classically trained pianist and violinist.
Was arrested for indecent exposure during her nightclub act in Burlington, Vermont in 1963.
Was born with brunette hair.
Was the first American actress to appear nude in a mainstream American film (Promises! Promises! (1963)).
Was with 20th Century-Fox from 1956-1962.