Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn't Help It

by Eve Golden

Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967) was driven not just to be an actress but to be a star. One of the most iconic sex symbols of her time, she was known for her platinum blonde hair, hourglass figure, outrageously low necklines, and flamboyant lifestyle. Hardworking and ambitious, Mansfield proved early in her career that she was adept in both comic and dramatic roles, but her tenacious search for the spotlight and her risqué promotional stunts caused her to be increasingly snubbed in Hollywood.

In this joyful biography, the first definitive one of Mansfield, Eve Golden reveals the star that Andy Warhol called "the poet of publicity" as a smart, determined woman. While she always had her sights set on the silver screen, Mansfield got her start 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) before landing the starring role in The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Mansfield followed this success with a dramatic role in The Wayward Bus (1957), winning a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year, and starred alongside Cary Grant in Kiss Them for Me (1957). Despite her popularity, her appearance as the first celebrity in Playboy and her nude scene in Promises! Promises! (1963) cemented her reputation as an outsider.

Golden looks beyond Mansfield's flashy public image and tragic death to fully explore her life and legacy. This funny, engaging biography offers a nuanced portrait of a fascinating woman who loved every minute of life and lived every minute to the utmost.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Film, Audiobook, Media Tie In

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 29, 2021

About the author

Eve Golden is a biographer whose work focuses on American silent film, theater and early twentieth century actresses.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She's smarter than half her contemporaries and twice as kind to people than most of her coworkers"

Jayne Mansfield is probably known for 3 things today:

1. That picture of Sophia Loren looking at Jayne's tits

2. Being Mariska Hargitay's( Olivia Benson) mom.

3. Being decapitated in a car crash ( she wasn't)


But in her day she was at first a Marilyn Monroe rip off and later a reality star without the show and before that even existed. Jayne was ahead of her time, the Kardashians would have nothing on Jayne. She was born to famous. She wasn't a dumb blond and despite not being given a real chance, she was a good actress. She seemed like a genuinely nice person. Everyone who actually knew loved her even if she was troubled. She wasn't always the best mom but she loved her kids and a last second change she made saved her 3 kids(Mariska included) lives and ended her own.

She didn't die in vain because her death lead National Safety Council to require rear bumpers at the level of auto bumpers on trucks with rare overhanging beds or frames...the Mansfield bar which a bar on the rear end of trucks and trailers that is designed to prevent what is called underride when a car strikes from behind.

This was a good read. I read at my leisure and I enjoyed getting to know Mariska's mom. I knew some about her because I had watched the E! True Hollywood Story, when I was a kid....and I'm pretty sure I've seen her movie The Girl Cant Help It but I don't remember it. Jayne Mansfield was more than a Marilyn ripoff and I'm happy that she has a cult following that love her. She deserves it.

I highly recommend this biography!

[April VeVea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know which Jayne super fan a previous reviewer knows who would love this book. The factual inaccuracies are mind blowing. For example, Golden says Wanda Park Drive was torn down. It’s not. She has the 1951 Los Angeles move as being in 1952 (Jayne herself said it was 1951), the Anton LaVey photos at the Pink Palace from 1967 as being at the Black House in 1966 (no photos have ever surfaced from that visit), Jayne being approached by Warner Brothers to get signed in November of 1954 (it was January of 1955–I own Jayne’s original copy of the contract), her marriage to Paul as being in January of 1950 (it was May; the wedding license information is readily available on Ancestry and in newspapers) and a plethora of other little details that are just wrong. There’s definitely some vitriol in it as well. How often do we need to hear about how ugly Golden thinks Jayne’s legs were or how bad her hair looked? The worst part? The inclusion of an uncovered accident photo with Jayne lying on the side of the road. Every fan knows exactly what photo I’m talking about.

The newspaper research is fantastic (although certain things are missing or misconstrued) and makes up 85% of the book. She interviewed some of the people still alive (including my friend Matt Cimber) that were close to Jayne; although, Ray Strait is notably absent (no idea why being he’s extremely accessible and always open to talk about Jayne). The only thing that bugs me with the interviews is that I’ve talked to the same people and have heard the same stories, and some of the good things they say about Jayne weren’t included; instead, we only get one side to paint a more negative picture of Jayne as a person.

Some things could have greatly benefited from some editing. For example, on one page it says Jayne made no movies in 1960 and two pages later says Jayne made two movies in 1960 (the latter is correct).

Overall, I think it would have benefited from a little more research outside of newspaper archives. I know that Jayne is a difficult person to research, and I give credit to Golden for attempting to show Jayne as a real person instead of a caricature; however, she sadly misses the mark with whatever this *wildly throws hands in the air* is. For those looking for the definitive book on Mansfield, Martha Saxton’s Jayne Mansfield and the American Fifties is still the one to buy.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge classic film fan and own thousands of them. I also own hundreds of biographies of Hollywood actors, directors, studios, etc. I'm not interested in the actors of today, mostly because I watched those films with my parents. So I am of course eager to get my hands on anything written about actors from the past. Therefore, I wanted to read this biography.

Much has been written about actress Jayne Mansfield, but I've never thought anything had given her any justice. Eve Golden is a prolific author who has written other Hollywood biographies, and I've found her to be a fair judge and not biased on one side or the other.

Jayne Mansfield was an enigma. She wanted it all: marriage, motherhood, and utter Stardom. She tried to have it all, and failed so miserably, but never conceded that she did. She was a lovely person, both lovely in face and in her treatment of others, but was never taken seriously. Perhaps it's because she was given terrible scripts and offers; perhaps it's because she herself was at fault. I first saw her many, many years ago in a film called The Girl Can't Help It, and thought she was delightful. In that film, her gangster boyfriend wanted her to be a star, but all she wanted was a home and family. Maybe this is what should have happened to her in real life, but it was not meant to be.

She had a kind nature and while true stardom eluded her, she signed every object fans thrust in front of her. She talked to all reporters, even though they trashed everything she did and spoke badly of her. She went on tours, both to plug films and see the soldiers overseas. Jayne never landed in one place for any length of time, dragging both children and pets (and even husbands) with her.

When she died, reporters tried to make it lurid stories to sell papers. Lies were told, and to this day there are people that still believe them. She was thirty-four years old, still beautiful and young, like her fellow actors who died young - Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow. But while they achieved their own brand of stardom, Jayne never achieved hers until after her death. It's a sad commentary.

I will say I was at first skeptical of this biography when Ms. Golden quoted a Bob Hope film - The Lemon Drop Kid - as being a western. It's not; he plays a con artist and the movie takes place during the Christmas season. I watch it every year during the holidays. So, you can see why I was skeptical. But I found the rest of her information quite well researched and quotes from Jayne's family accompany this.

This is a hefty book that book delves into Jayne's birth and upbringing; her need to have a man in her life at all times - perhaps because she craved love as well as adoration? - and her struggle to make a name for herself in Hollywood. It's well-researched, goes into great length of a recounting of Jayne's film, stage, etc., appearances and what the result of those were. Not only were reporters cruel, but other actors and studio executives. Yet Jayne never had an unkind word to say about anyone.

She was also educated, played two instruments and spoke several languages. She loved children and animals. It makes one think when you read this. You get an insight into who the woman really was. She wasn't perfect; no one is nor can they aspire to be so. But when you cease reading this book, you think how nice it would have been to sit and talk with her. But since that's impossible, you can still read the book. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from Edelweiss and the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.

https://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/202...

[John Bialas]

I went directly to the chapter about the death of Jayne Mansfield because I was 15 when it happened, I lived in Gulfport (still do) and was weeks away from starting my sophomore year at a Biloxi Catholic high school. I couldn't put the chapter down because of all the details I never knew.

I believe Jayne Mansfield was going to New Orleans for a TV appearance and not for a radio show.

The story goes that she was to be on "Midday," a popular local TV show on WDSU. I suppose she might have also been scheduled for a WDSU Radio show with Al Shea, but if I remember right, Al Shea was also a "Midday" regular.

The Rolls story in Biloxi was quite fascinating and I was intrigued to see the name of a man I worked with at The Daily Herald. Billy Ray Quave was his name.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly crafted book about the captivating and awe-inspiring Jayne Mansfield. Yes, it’s comprehensive and lengthy, but by the end, I felt like I truly understood Jayne, her life, and her lasting impact. Absolutely adored it!

One of the top reviews claims the book is subpar, citing minor date inaccuracies and some candid remarks about Jayne's wigs. Don't be misled—this book is both complimentary and lovingly honest. It portrays Jayne as she was, without over-embellishing. The balance is spot on. That top reviewer? Clearly green with envy. If the book is so flawed, maybe they should spend less time on negative Goodreads reviews and more time writing a better biography of Jayne Mansfield, seeing as they know so much better than Eve Golden. Just a thought. 😂

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exhausting but not definitive biography that is basically a summary of thousands of newspaper articles about the actress but leaves all sorts of question unanswered. At 370 pages (and another 40 pages of footnotes) it's about 150 pages too long and the author incorrectly thinks it important for her to insert her opinions throughout the book. Namely, it's a failed attempt at trying to set the record straight about Jayne Mansfield's life.

The author states from the start that she's going to include just about everything she can, then tell us what she found to be true or false. The problem is she can't do that about a whole lot of things, from minor statements made by Mansfield in press releases to who is the real father of Mariska Hargitay. I walked away from the book with more questions than answers.

There is so much unnecessary junk in this book that it waters down the important stuff. Golden quotes from hundreds of print critics about every minor aspect of Mansfield's life, which gets old quickly and very annoying. The vast number of critics quoted is simply not needed; we understand early on that many writers didn't like Jayne's need for media attention nor took her seriously as an actress. But to quote from so many tiny newspapers in small towns is simply ridiculous.

The end of the book is the most important part, and while the writer does clarify some of the details about Mansfield's death the whole thing goes by in just a couple of pages. So we just spent 350 pages about simplistic trivia and unnecessary critical comments but can only devote a few paragraphs to how the woman died and what happened in the aftermath?

While you'll find some interesting details here, the writer's approach is frustrating and her inserting her opinions about everything from how Mansfield dressed to gay politics is too distracting. With better editing and a more objective approach the girl could have helped it.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. It is a very deeply researched book. If you want to know everything about Ms. Mansfield, this is your source. I think my issue was I was more into the films and understanding how she made it big instead of everything about her life. I will tell you that a super fan is going to LOVE this. I have looked for a book on Ms. Mansfield for years, and never have I found anything like this. I will recommend this to anyone who says "I am such a fan of Jayne Mansfield" or even any of her children or Mickey because you will learn a lot about their lives together.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Jayne Mansfield (1933–1967) was driven not just to be an actress but to be a star. One of the most influential sex symbols of her time, she was known for her platinum blonde hair, hourglass figure, outrageously low necklines, and flamboyant lifestyle.

Hardworking and ambitious, Mansfield proved early in her career that she was adept in both comic and dramatic roles, but her tenacious search for the spotlight and her risqué promotional stunts caused her to be increasingly snubbed in Hollywood.

In the first definitive biography of Mansfield, Eve Golden offers a joyful account of the star Andy Warhol called "the poet of publicity," revealing the smart, determined woman behind the persona. While she always had her sights set on the silver screen, Mansfield got her start 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) before landing the starring role in The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Mansfield followed this success with a dramatic role in The Wayward Bus (1957), winning a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year, and starred alongside Cary Grant in Kiss Them for Me (1957). Despite her popularity, her appearance as the first celebrity in Playboy and her nude scene in Promises! Promises! (1963) cemented her reputation as an outsider.

By the 1960s, Mansfield's film career had declined, but she remained very popular with the public. She capitalized on that popularity through in-person and TV appearances, nightclub appearances, and stage productions. Her larger-than-life life ended sadly when she passed away at age thirty-four in a car accident.

Golden looks beyond Mansfield's flashy public image and tragic death to fully explore her life and legacy. She discusses Mansfield's childhood, her many loves—including her famous on-again, off-again relationship with Miklós "Mickey" Hargitay—her struggles with alcohol, and her sometimes tumultuous family relationships. She also considers Mansfield's enduring contributions to American popular culture and celebrity culture. This funny, engaging biography offers a nuanced portrait of a fascinating woman who loved every minute of life and lived each one to the fullest.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I was a young boy when Jayne Mansfield died. It was stunning how insensitive the chatter around the tragedy was...my mother vocally disapproved of the demeaning way she was talked about as a "sex kitten" and bringing up her nude photos and scenes. I've been interested in her ever since, as my judgmental mother was *defending* her, so something had to be interesting about her.

the most famous photo...Sophia Loren disapproves

More interested in being a star than an actress, the lady was quite a handful as a person—ramping up the public persona that would've made her zillions in the Aughties, fighting, undressing, taking risqué to its apotheosis in the days when Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors, and she were working the blonde bombshell vein in the publicity mine.

how she made her millions

Like those ladies, Jayne Mansfield was an intelligent, troubled person with a hot ambitious streak in her that her face and body were able to fuel. She never hesitated to use her sex appeal...and sex...to get her name in front of the public. It worked; she was famous.


Mickey and Jayne in mid-act

She was not respected, as no woman in that era was really respected; but certainly no frankly, openly sexual anyone, still less a woman, was going to be highly regarded in the film or television industry. Thus when fashions changed and gamines became The Next Thing, she had no baseline of support in the industry she'd made so much money for.

Las Vegas was ready for her

Turbulent, addiction-haunted personal lives were, are, always have been back into pop-culture history all too common among the famous. Jayne Mansfield was no different than so many others with messy personal lives. She did seem to get married a lot and ended up with five children born between 1950 and 1965.

the family side

The terrible tragedy of a life cut so very short is that her potential, her development, her impact on the world is frozen at a moment; not a moment I suspect, reading about her in this book, she would have stayed in forever. Author Golden has come in for criticism in her supposed inaccurate information about what, when I poked into it a little bit, looked to me like pretty insignificant dates and details about trifles. Looking at the notes...all fiftyish pages of 'em!...Author Golden *lived* in newspaper archives for a good while. Where the issue seems to arise is in the slightly too-prominent tone of disapproval some have seen in the text. It did not feel moralizing to me. I was more interested in the trajectory of a proto-Kardashian sibling.


either of these could have Kim Kardashian in them and be the same publicity campaign

When Yule gifting is the point, the life and times of bygone stars make very instructive reading. We're in fame hyperdrive thanks to a level of mass communication unknown in Jayne Mansfield's life, but the exploitive outlines are still there. Your budding feminist film scholar might enjoy seeing how we got where we are; your brodawg cousin might just like seventy-plus pictures of Jayne Mansfield. The Fifties and Sixties exert fascination that will peak in the late 20s and early 30s as the TCM crowd starts watching the silly innocent farcically "naughty" work of the era. A book like this will please those audiences.


She might not have received the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, but this family is very much a testament to the fact she did something right.

[Shar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, this book is simply beautiful and looks gorgeous on your bookshelf, bedside cabinet or coffee table! But best of all for the reader, this book delivers! It's a straightforward no-nonsense balanced biography of a complex and fascinating woman whose life was turbulent and often misunderstood. The author presents the reader with a fair view of Jayne's life. It is a well-researched biography and makes no excuses for Jayne but at the same time gives the reader an insight into the challenges she faced and the choices she made and the consequences of those choices. A thoroughly absorbing read for both readers that know little or nothing about Jayne and for the more well-read Jayne reader!

[Caktus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jayne Mansfield is well known but not as well known as her counterpart, Marilyn Monroe. We know about the accident that ended her life, but not much about her ascension to fame. Eve Golden provides such a picture of Ms. Mansfield in this book. Ms. Mansfield was funny, beautiful, and overwhelmingly human. If you want to know more about her - and you should as she was more than just a Monroe clone - pick up this book.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exhaustively detailed book that seems to include everything but also very little. It’s clear Golden did tremendous research, but we end up with a probing exploration of Mansfield’s itineraries and not her life (I imagine this is because it must be impossible to get anyone who “was there” to speak about her). Excess details sometimes bend to what I imagine Golden sees as witty remarks but it just reads showy: Look at how much research I did, I can tell you the three other amusing ad campaigns by the same person who created one for Mansfield, hope they got paid well. It also is frustrating and eyebrow-raising that someone so compelled by details (schedules, documents, bills, reviews, interviews) can list “The OC” when mentioning popular reality TV of the early 2000s (she means Laguna Beach, maybe?) and no one caught this. Worse is the insane conflation of Vancouver Island (where Victoria and the Times Colonist paper are, and the site of the “courthouse” incident was) and Vancouver proper. Ms Golden, those are two different cities separated by a body of water, that’s an embarrassing section. If she got that wrong, what else? I’m just grateful that while she wasn’t always kind to Mansfield (did we need her opinion of the movies?) she was at least kind about Mariska Hargitay, who is undoubtedly the most high profile person still living connected to Mansfield. I read all 371 pages and still don’t understand why Mansfield turned to alcohol in the mid-60s. What really happened? Obviously, it’s none of my business, and likely we all will never know. And that’s fine. So maybe don’t write the book?

[Joe B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about one of Hollywood’s famous “actresses” who was an iconic blonde bombshell sex pot extraordinaire. She wanted to be the most famous and known to all throughout the world. She did just that in less than 20 years to the time of her untimely and tragic demise. She was world famous. And even to this day, she still is. This book is a journey of the life of Vera Jayne Palmer…who came to be the one and only Jayne Mansfield. She used her body and the special parts above the waist to get noticed and with the added bonus of her adorned platinum blonde topping she could not be ignored. Her clothing always skin tight certainly tantalized anyone who saw her. That was the ticket to her success. It worked. Yes, looks can only go so far and wane with time, but she had more than that. An IQ of 167 (or so she says), spoke five languages, a pianist, a violinist, and actress and on and on. She did things her way and made sure everyone knew that was her way. Yes, five husbands and five children with two of them. They were the loves of her life. But, that was not enough. It was the publicity that made her who she was. A woman before her time. The true reality media queen. We knew everything about her that she wanted us to know true or not. All of her public appearances in person or the small or big screen were created to embed her in our psyche. She will always be there in our minds rolling around because that is the way she wanted it. This book is truly a synopsis of her life created or not Vera Jayne. This is who she was and will always be what she wanted to be and for all to see.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't hate this book it was just okay. Now Jayne Mansfield is known as being Law and Order SVU's star Mariska Hartigay's daughter. Vera Jane Palmer aka Jayne Mansfield always wanted to be a star. Before the Kardashians and Anna Nicole Smith, she used any type of publicity to her advantage. Golden also shows us the Jayne that was an animal lover and had a high IQ. I felt however something was missing.

[Ken Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically all I can say is that it was an OK read. I was interested because I remember the accident as a child and all of the yellow journalism type stories that were printed about her gruesome death which weren’t true. In reading the book I found out that she was quite an interesting character, I just thought the author was sort of all over the place in the timeline. If you’re interested in reading about her though this would be a place to start.

[Zoltan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible piece of Crap written by someone who has no idea who my mothers was. Poorly researched and painting her in a negative light i wish these people would think about the children of the star they are writing about. Don't buy it.... Don't Bother. It's as bad as I make it sound. I read one of Eve's other books to see if it was her writing style or if this book was a fluke. That one was horrible too! Why is she getting published??

[John Sweeney · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you have to read one book about Jayne Mansfield don't pick this one. Poorly researched this is a very boring and badly written mess. I have read every book about Jayne Mansfield and this one is just plain bad. Skip It!

The reader obviously doesn't like the subject so why write a book about her. The good reviews must be from her friends that don't want to hurt her feelings because they didn't read the same book i read. Jumps back and forth and is based more on Author's opinions than fact.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn't Help It to learn more about this larger than life celebrity with a tragic ending, but I think I picked the wrong book. There is a lot of repetition throughout the book and could have used some editing to weed out the excessive quoting of newspaper articles and reviews. There are also points where the author inserts her own judgemental opinions. I think I learned some facts, but I lost the story.

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing that must be said is that this book is overlong.It could easily be cut by a third by cutting out the many reviews quoted.Whenever the author doesn't agree with the review she calls it snarky or vicious.
She tries to make out that Mansfield was an actress.Well I have seen her two British films and she is laughably poor.
The book is an acceptable if overlong read.

[Jayme Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Enlightening

I was just 12 when she died but I remember people talking about the accident. I didn't know much about her so I thought I'd give this book a try. This was not only an education on Jayne Mansfield, The journalists who could make or break you. It was an intriguing book from start to finish.

[Marie Kruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book and it is totally the story of "never judge a book by it's cover!" Jayne had a high IQ, played the violin and piano brilliantly, and was fluent in several languages. Her problem, she was her own worse enemy. She wanted fame, fortune, love every single day. Her body image did get her that but at what price? She never just let herself enjoy the moment.

[Marc Bohm-Klotzek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read almost all books there are about Jayne Mansfield. Clearly this is the best of them.
Miss Golden writes with humor and if there are some mistakes in dates or places...
It fits the beautiful mess Miss Mansfields life was .Beautifully written with more information you could ever ask for.

[Melinda Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know much about Jayne and found this book to be really interesting to read, a really thorough book and look at Jayne's life. Really enjoyed having a look at the many documented photos of Janyne through the experience of reading the book!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jayne Mansfield is a fascinating figure for the film historian, the pop culture maven and the just curious. An actress who was perhaps one of the best B-Grade movie stars of the 1950s and 1960s, a key contributor to the development of celebrity culture as a dominant element of modern public discourse, a paradoxical platinum blonde sex symbol who bounced between jiggling, busty cliche and thoughtful, self-aware moments of personal and social insight, and both an agent and a victim of her rise and fall, Jayne was more than a blighted movie career and large breasts. Whilst not as significant as Marilyn Monroe, both in terms of her career achievements or her depth of personality, Mansfield still deserves serious consideration. Eve Holden's biography of Jayne is a worthy study of "the girl (who) couldn't help it", and it is in the subtitle to this text that the reader has the kernel for understanding Jayne. She was compulsive at being who she thought she wanted to be, who others wanted her to be, and this is well established by Golden's book.

Eve Golden does an extremely good job of digging into Jayne Mansfield's life and in the process tries to find some kind of truthful representation and deeper understanding of the Hollywood star. As one would expect in such a book there is all the requisite information, ranging from biographical data and facts through to detailed studies of her key relationships, professional career and Mansfield's own words. Golden doesn't offer a rehabilitation for Mansfield, trying to convince the reader that Jayne was actually a far better actor and person than her reputation suggest. No, instead the biographer tries to flesh out the conundrum of Mansfield's life and her popular identity, and in the process giving the reader a more rounded understanding of who Jayne was. The contradictions, the flaws, the achievements and the domestic aspects of Jayne's life are just some of the areas for Golden to document, discuss and analyse, and in the process demonstrate that Mansfield was more than headlines and jokes.

Through reading 'Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn't Help it' one cannot escape the conclusion that Jayne was very much her own creation. However, she made herself vulnerable to the incessant media glare that both feted and mauled her. Therein lies a second key element of this biography; Golden also puts the media, culture and social attitudes that were contemporaneous to jayne under the microscope. Quite often it can be seen that the press and wider (mostly American) society had a strange symbiotic/parasitic relationship with Mansfield. She was unable to separate herself from the attention she craved, if when it became cruel and dismissive, and as observed in the book it could be said that Mansfield was the first 'reality star'. She may not have been a great actor on film or on stage, but Jayne Mansfield was superlative in performing as Jayne Mansfield for anyone who gave her the attention that needed.

For a good portion of the book Golden is rather sympathetic towards Mansfield as an actor, and if this book offers an incentive for those who've not watched her movies, most notably 'The Girl Can't Help It' and 'Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter', then that is to the author's credit. On the whole Golden doesn't speak too harshly of her subject's dud performances, letting the contemporary reviews take care of that side of things. Underpinning the narrative re Mansfield's cinematic work is Golden's valid belief that she was limited in her skills as an actor and as a singer, and whilst her sex appeal was undeniable it could not successfully remedy the gaps in Jayne's capabilities.

There are plenty of other parts of Jayne Mansfield's life that go under Golden's compassionate microscope in this biography. Jayne's relationship with Mickey Hargitay and the children she had with him (as well as other husbands) is given a very thorough examination. Golden gets deeply into the famous meeting between Mansfield and Sophia Loren, including the notorious side-eye photo with the Italian actress eyeing Jayne's almost-overflowing bust. Later in the book there is a similarly intensive study of the car crash that killed Jayne and to her credit Golden debunks a few myths arising from that event (and several others in Mansfield's life).

This is a well written, easily read and widely researched biography that meets expectations as to the requirements of a solid discussion of Jayne Mansfield's life, work and legacy. It will find a receptive audience among many film fans and those inquisitive about one of the most interesting of Hollywood celebrities to emerge in the first few decades after WW2. Golden may not have written the definitive text on Jayne Mansfield's films or her public persona, however she has produced a tome that will satisfy almost all who come to her book with a desire to discover who Jayne Mansfield was.

[Gary Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Jayne Mansfield is enlightened by Eve Golden’s straight ahead narrative and sly humor. Golden has a tremendous body of knowledge on the film industry. I am glad to have discovered her and I am looking forward to reading her other books. I highly recommend this book.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jayne Mansfield is one of those legendary larger than life movie names. She is best known for her figure, particularly her bust, but few of us these days are familiar with her story. Jayne was a reality star long before the phrase was invented. Her life was more outrageous than that of the Kardashians and Ana Nicole. She made few memorable movies, but thrived on any kind of publicity. She would never hesitate to sign an autograph and, at one time, was at nearly every store opening in the country. Her rise from nowheresville was quick and her fall lasted through much of the Sixties as her Pink Palace and pink dyed poodle and leopard skin clothes gave way to films too dirty to be shown on American cinema and tours of supper clubs and nightclubs. Multiple marriages, custody battles, and allegations of abuse all added to the legend, ending at a fairly young age with a horrific crash, the pictures of which appeared everywhere.

"Jayne Mansfield The Girl Couldn't Help It" is a meticulously researched, very readable, absorbing biography that leaves no stone unturned in its portrayal of Jayne, who was a tornado of never-quit energy and who lived more life packed into a few decades than most people live at all. The one quibble might be that there's so much detail of every scandal that it might just be a touch too long. Blame Jayne for having do much to tell.

[Natasha Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and thorough, especially loved the parts about her pets and family. What a beautiful person