Star of 1950s science fiction, Yvette Vickers was found mummified at the age of 83 after being forgotten by Hollywood. A look back at the sad fate of the heroine of “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman”.
B film released in 1958 and elevated to the rank of a small sci-fi classic, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, which had already been the subject of a remake in 1993 with Daryl Hannah in the lead, will once again be the subject of a new version, this time under the auspices of Tim Burton. The opportunity to reflect on the destiny and trajectory of Yvette Vickers.
B-movie muse, former Playmate of Playboy magazine in the 1950s, best known for playing the 50-foot woman in the sci-fi classic Attack of the 50 Foot Woman in 1958, Yvette Vickers had her hour of glory, although it was ultimately very fleeting, before falling into oblivion and complete anonymity. Until an outcome as tragic as it is sordid, which is reminiscent of the disastrous end of the trajectory of the former child star of the Disney studios, Bobby Driscoll.
Shampoo in Hollywood
Born August 26, 1928 and originally from Missouri, Yvette Vickers grew up with parents who were jazz artists and musicians. As a child, she traveled often, accompanying her parents on musical tours across the country. It was not until she entered the University of California, Los Angeles, that she discovered an interest in acting classes and, ultimatelydecides to become an actress.
Woolner Brothers Pictures
After filming a few commercials for a brand of shampoo, she made small appearances on television, and landed a leading role in the cinema, even if not credited, in Boulevard du crepuscule, in 1950. For several years , she will be content with numerous small appearances in films, notably in the only work signed by James Cagney, Two Steps from Hell, in 1957.
It is only with Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, in 1958, that she managed to land a leading role. In this sci-fi film by Nathan Juran, she plays the beautiful Honey Parker; mistress of a married man (William Hudson) who will seek with her to get rid of his troublesome wife.
Below is the trailer for the film…
If he remained in the B series, the film allowed him to win a leading role again the following year, in Attack of the Giant Leeches. Seduced by her attractive appearance, Hugh Hefner approached Vickers to ask her to become Playmate of the month in his Playboy magazine, in July 1959.
Released just before the film, Playboy magazine did a lot for the sudden notoriety of Yvette Vickers, who now appears in the arms of conquests like Cary Grant, Lee Marvin or Jim Hutton. If she married three times, she would never have children.
A very (very) shooting star
Her fame was as sudden as it was ephemeral, although she played for example in 1963 in The Wildest of All by Martin Ritt, whose headliner was Paul Newman. The proposals are becoming more and more rare, only filming an episode of a TV series here and there.
She tried to get back in the saddle with the Switch series in the 70s, but the attempt fizzled. Completely eclipsed in the 80s, she made a final attempt to return to the screens in 1991, in a film entitled Evil Spirits.
Toward the end of her life, Yvette Vickers became paranoid, convinced that people were constantly following her, drinking a lot of alcohol, and becoming significantly overweight. She lives most of her time completely reclusive, in a small house located in Beverly Hills.
Woolner Brothers Pictures
In April 2011, her neighbor, Susan Savage, worried about not seeing her for a long time, raised the alarm. She discovered the body of the actress in an upstairs room of her house, after breaking down a barricaded door. The body of Yvette Vickers was found in the middle of a mountain of trash, clothes and mail according to the Los Angeles Times, which reported the information.
The police who went to the scene were horrified by their discovery: the body of Yvette Vickers was literally mummified. Her death was at least a year old, given the advanced state of mummification of the unfortunate actress.
“She was a very independent spirit. Until the end, she received many postcards and letters from fans asking for autographed photos” said Susan Savage. The fact is that she died in complete oblivion and general indifference. Learning of his death, Hugh Hefner said: “She had a full life. But the fact that she could have died without a friend who noticed it immediately, it’s very sad.”