Maila Nurmi passed away in Hollywood at 85 years old yesterday. You may not know her by name, but you know her Vampira persona (heavy mascara, red lipstick, slinky black dress and risque fishnets) which hosted horror movie broadcasts on KABC TV in Los Angeles in 1954.

Morticia Addams and Elvira were both created in her likeness, and there was a lengthy court case over Elvira’s blatant character copy which was eventually dismissed becaues Maila could not pay for her lawyer fees. Maila is quoted as saying, “There is no Elvira. There’s only a pirated Vampira. Cassandra Peterson slavishly copied my product and made a fortune. America has been duped.”