Mamie Van Doren - Happy 81st Birthday to the Bullet Bra's Inventor!

Ever wonder what Marilyn Monroe or Jayne Mansfield would be like if they were still alive today? Well, take a look at Mamie Van Doren, who celebrates her 81st birthday on Feb. 6.

Mamie Then

Mamie Now (Photo: Orange County Register)

Mamie was known as a Marilyn imitator in the 1950s, only her specialty was bad girl movies (see clip below) and early rock & roll rebelliousness. In fact, she was the first woman ever to sing a rock song in the movies, in the 1957 cult classic Untamed Youth.

She also was known as the inventor of the bullet bra (see above left to check out the bra's effect under a tight sweater).  The bra was Mamie's sweet revenge on film censors who tried to tone down her God-given sexuality.

"Everything was censorship. I mean, it was devastating," she recalls in a BBC documentary. "When I had a scene with a negligee or anything that showed any type of cleavage, they were always standing there watching. It was unbelievable. They'd have to go to wardrobe to get a little handkerchief to cover any kind of cleavage. So what I did was start wearing a bullet bra. I created the bullet bra, and the bullet bra was made so they were like pyramids. They were pointed. And to piss them off, I would make them even larger."

Today, Mamie Van Doren is a practicing Buddhist who still rides a motorcyle and speaks openly about her cosmetic surgeries, five marriages, abortion, sex life with Elvis Presley and Rock Hudson (yes, the gay actor), and the thrill of making love while tripping on LSD.

Happy Birthday, Miss Van Doren. Glad you're still with us.