Do You Remember When Loni Anderson Played Jayne Mansfield?
Shortly after she became a household name playing the glamorous Jennifer Marlowe on WKRP in Cincinnati, Loni Anderson tackled another extremely glamorous role: that of silver screen siren Jayne Mansfield. In the made-for-TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story, which aired on CBS on Oct. 29, 1980, Anderson stepped into the stilettos of the 1950s bombshell with a mix of charm and camp, starring opposite a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, who portrayed Mansfield’s muscle-bound husband, Mickey Hargitay.
It was a casting choice that raised eyebrows. Directed by Dick Lowry and based on the book Jayne Mansfield and the American Fifties by Martha Saxton, the film set out to chronicle Mansfield’s meteoric rise and tragic fall. It opens dramatically in 1967, with a fictionalized version of her final moments, intercut with flashes of her childhood, her dreams and her calculated path to stardom.
Alan Landsburg Productions/Everett Collection
Despite its best efforts, the movie didn’t escape criticism. In fact, it earned a spot in The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of the “100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.” Some criticisms included that the performances were too theatrical, the wigs were rough and that the film took too many creative liberties with Mansfield’s story.
Alan Landsburg Productions/Everett Collection
Anderson, for her part, leaned into the role with gusto. She brought a surprising vulnerability to the role, even when surrounded by pink Cadillacs and chimpanzee publicity stunts. If you’ve never seen it, the film is a time capsule of both Mansfield’s over-the-top Hollywood and the kind of television event you don’t see anymore.
The movie occasionally pops up on streaming platforms that specialize in retro content or classic TV films, and physical copies can sometimes be found through vintage DVD sellers or collectors’ sites if you want to watch. Have you seen it? What did you think about it?
Remind 
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