“Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn’t Help It”
We have Four Books to Giveaway this Month!
CMH is happy to announce our next Classic Movie Book Giveaway as part of our partnership with University Press of Kentucky! This time, we’ll be giving away FOUR COPIES of “Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn’t Help It” by Eve Golden, in celebration of the book’s release just a few days ago, on June 29th!
And — please join us on July 11th for our next Screen Classics Discussion Video Series Event with University Press of Kentucky and co-host Aurora from Once Upon a Screen, in which author Eve Golden will be discussing the book! It will be a live Facebook Chat, so you’ll be able to comment and ask questions!
In the meantime, please don’t forget to check out our other author discussions in the series, embedded for your convenience way down near the bottom of this post: “Vitagraph: America’s First Great Motion Picture Studio,” “Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend” and “Growing Up Hollywood”.
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In order to qualify to win this book via this contest giveaway, you must complete the below entry task by Saturday, July 31 at 6PM EST. Winners will be chosen via random drawings.
We will announce our four lucky winners on Twitter @ClassicMovieHub on Sunday, August 1, around 9PM EST. And, please note that you don’t have to have a Twitter account to enter; just see below for the details.
To recap, there will be FOUR WINNERS, chosen by random, all to be announced on August 1st.
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And now on to the contest!
ENTRY TASK (2-parts) to be completed by Saturday, July 31, 2021 at 6PM EST
1) Answer the below question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog post
2) Then TWEET (not DM) the following message*:
Just entered to win the “Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn’t Help It” #BookGiveaway courtesy of @KentuckyPress & @ClassicMovieHub – #EnterToWin http://www.classicmoviehub.com/blog/jayne-mansfield-the-girl-couldnt-help-it-book-giveaway-july/
THE QUESTION:
What is your favorite Jayne Mansfield film and why? And, if you’re not familiar with Jayne’s movies, why do you want to win this book?
*If you do not have a Twitter account, you can still enter the contest by simply answering the above question via the comment section at the bottom of this blog — BUT PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ADD THIS VERBIAGE TO YOUR ANSWER: I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
NOTE: if for any reason you encounter a problem commenting here on this blog, please feel free to tweet or DM us, or send an email to clas…@gmail.com and we will be happy to create the entry for you.
ALSO: Please allow us 48 hours to approve your comments. Sorry about that, but we are being overwhelmed with spam, and must sort through 100s of comments…
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If you missed our other chats in the Screen Classics Discussion Series, you can catch them on Facebook and YouTube:
Vitagraph: America’s First Great Motion Picture Studio – with Author Andrew Erish:
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Jane Russell and the Marketing of a Hollywood Legend – with Author Christina Rice:
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Growing Up Hollywood with Victoria Riskin and William Wellman Jr:
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About the Book: 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.
Click here for the full contest rules.
Please note that only United States (excluding the territory of Puerto Rico) and Canada entrants are eligible.
Good Luck!
And if you can’t wait to win the book, you can purchase them on amazon by clicking below:
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
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Always felt a special connection to Jayne Mansfield since I worked the Indiana State Fair Midway one summer where “Jayne Mansfield’s Death Car” was on display. In a gesture of good taste, they had a mannequin head on the front seat (it was years later I learned the true story of Jayne’s death). Favorite film has to be THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT with all the rock and roll stars!
I’d have to say the movie, Illegal. It was not a big role by any means, but it showed she could definitely act.
“Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter” (1957) is my favorite Jane Mansfield movie. Perfectly cast in a satire to play a dumb blonde Marilyn Monroe sex symbol, Mansfield shot right to the top with this role. Unfortunately, she never stayed there long enough as after her roles were really in schlock movies. I never understood why she kept on playing the blonde and even dumb sex symbol when that was no longer even amusing. Anyway, that is one of the reasons I would like to read this book.
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
My favorite jane Mansfield film is: will success spoil rock hunter?, her and Tony Randall are so funny together in that film.
I haven’t seen a lot of Jayne Mansfield’s films but one that I would like to see is The Wayward Bus. I’m a big Steinbeck fan and although the film received mediocre reviews I’d still like to give it a look. Thanks.
I have never seen any of Jayne’s films but several of them are on my watch list.
The wayward Bus and Will Success Spoil The Great Rock Hunter? Are two that I will watch first.
I’d like to win the book to read more about her and also to read more about her films too.
I hope I win!
It would be so great to win this book! Love Jayne Mansfield as likely most men my age do! The iconic photo of her and Sophia Loren alone is enough to cause great curiosity.
I’ve always loved “The girl can’t help it” Edmond O’Brien, Tom Ewell, and Julie London are all terrific as is epic character actor Henry Jones (as always). The soundtrack is great and I love the Runyon-esque tale! Any film that has this group of musicians can’t be bad and EDDIE COCHRAN & Gene Vincent are awesome!!
Even before I scrolled down, I was composing my ‘why, if you’ve not seen her films’: to learn more about the subject of that (in?)famous Loren/Mansfield photo! and then there it was…
Co-starring with Tony Randall? Sound like reason enough to screen Will Success..
I always enjoy watching The Girl Can’t Help It (1956). Along with Jayne, it has Julie London, whom I adore. Then, Gene Vincent and Little Richard highlight the excellent soundtrack.
THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT. The film is pure genius on many levels and Jayne could not be more perfect. But WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? is a close second. And she was quite good in THE BURGLAR in a more serious role.
Two more memorable TV appearances are the Golden Globes with Mickey Rooney that left Ronald Reagan speechless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5zJkYNRd-w. And then there is the Person-to-Person spoof with Steve Allen proving her sense of humor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp3MD7tT_Q
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
Pete Kelly’s Blues because, even though Jayne has a tiny part, it’s got a great cast. How could you go wrong with Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald??
My favorite is “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”. It’s very funny and we go back to it often.
The little-seen film THE BURGLAR (1957) is my favorite Mansfield performance. Although released in 1957, the film was shot in 1955 before Mansfield became a big star. What her performance here, and you can tell that she’s extremely focused on becoming a serious actress. And she does quite well.
The Burglar!
My favorite Jayne Mansfield movie is “The Girl Can’t Help It.” She is sexy as all get-out and vulnerable as well. Plus, the movie is hilarious, and it has a great soundtrack that inspired no less than The Beatles (Paul McCartney does a brief but lovely critique of the movie in the BEATLES ANTHOLOGY video set).
My favorite is “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter” — lots of fun!
My favorite Jayne Mansfield movie by far is “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter.” Jayne was never more beautiful, and her comic timing with the great Tony Randall was impeccable! The film was a clever send-up of both advertising and television that still resonates today. The cinemaphotography of Joseph MacDonald enlivened the screen!
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here to enter but cannot tweet the message.
I fell in love with both Jayne Mansfield and Frank Tashlin when Jeanine Basinger showed us “The Girl Can’t Help It” in the course “The Directorial Style of Comedy” at Wesleyan U. in the 1970s. The zaniness of combining live action with cartoon effects was wonderfully inventive.
The Little ves of Hercules
I do not have a Twitter account, so I am posting here because I can’t tweet.
I do not have a favorite movie but I do enjoy her and would love to win the book and read about her her story is so sad
I forgot to add that I do not have a twitter account so I am posting here to eanter I sure hope this counts
yes, it will 🙂
Just entered to win the Jayne Mansfield the girl couldn’t help it. The movie I am
Most familiar with “Will success spoil Rock Hunter ? I watch her daughter Mariska Hargitay on Law and Order SVU Special victims on. Regular basis she has her mother’s eyes. Ok hope I will thanx for providing a chance to win the book