Mamie Van Doren Was Unimpressed With Howard Hughes’ Manhood During Night of Passion

Lauren Novak July 29, 12:04 pm

Mamie Van Doren, 1950s — Everett Collection

94-year-old Mamie Van Doren doesn’t really care about who she offends these days. The star is telling it all — and she recently opened up about a romantic evening with producer Howard Hughes, who is said to have discovered her talents.

Van Doren explained to Indie Wire, “I met him, and he had a little bungalow at the Garden of Allah [Hotel in Hollywood] when he was seeing me. He also had one up at the Beverly Hills Hotel, but the real young ones he kept up at the Garden of Allah. And the swimming pool was beautiful… I was taking my shower after I got out of the pool, it was at night, and he insisted upon me getting my hair wet in the pool, because he had a role for me in the picture that he said that I had to have wet hair. So, I get out of the pool… I had a bikini… and I ran into the bungalow, showered, came out, and I got towel around me. He’s laying in bed.”

Howard Hughes, wearing 'good luck' hat, 1947

Everett Collection

Van Doren claimed that she wondered what her idol, Jean Harlow, would do in this situation — and since “I know she [slept with Hughes],” the actress decided to do the same.

She continued, “I jumped in bed. I said, ‘Howard… I have to have a rubber. You have a rubber?’ I peeked under the sheet and there was already a rubber on him. Well, shall I say… I thought that penises were the size of the man, — if he’s six foot four or five — the penis is going to be more in keeping with the size of the man. Well, that’s not the way it works.” She also admitted that she doesn’t believe the film The Aviator, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Hughes, was very accurate at all.

Everett Collection

This Labor Day weekend, Van Doren may share more tidbits from her past as she will be honored with the Legacy Award at the annual Cinecon Film Festival. There will also be a showing of her 1959 film Guns, Girls and Gangsters at the event in Los Angeles.