7 Iconic Pinup Girls Who Made Jaws Drop All Over America — And Beyond

Jayne Mansfield

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From an early age, Jayne Mansfield dreamt of fame. In the early 1950s, she convinced her husband to move to Hollywood with her so she could pursue her dream.BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Her initial struggle to break into showbiz led to strain in her marriage, and the couple soon parted ways. However, she chose to keep his last name — which proved to be a wise career choice for her.BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Dabbling in everything from film to stage to television, Mansfield clearly couldn't resist making her mark as a pinup model as well.BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Known for her voluptuous curves, Mansfield famously revealed her measurements: 40-22-35. BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Even though Mansfield often played the role of a dumb blonde, she was said to be secretly intelligent with a "genius" IQ of 160.BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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But despite her intelligence, Mansfield clearly knew that the dumb blonde role was more profitable at the time.BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Jayne Mansfield dances with a Marine at the U.S. Naval Station in Newfoundland, Canada. Mansfield traveled to the Arctic base as part of the Bob Hope Christmas Show.Bettmann/Getty Images

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At the height of her fame, Mansfield was known as a naughtier version of Marilyn Monroe — with a proclivity for publicity stunts and "wardrobe malfunctions."BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Despite the similarities between Mansfield and Monroe, the real Monroe hated being compared to Mansfield and even expressed a desire to sue her at one point. BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Though she was famous for her good looks, Mansfield was also known for her tumultuous love life.Bettmann/Getty Images

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Mansfield was married three times and had a string of controversial romances, including an alleged fling with the founder of the Church of Satan.BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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When Mansfield tragically died in a car crash at the age of 34, some wondered whether her Satanist ex had placed a curse on her or her new boyfriend (who was in the car with her). BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Mansfield's daughter, Mariska Hargitay, who survived the car crash that killed her mother, would later reflect on her mom's legacy: "My mother was this amazing, beautiful, glamor­ous sex symbol. But people didn’t know that she played the violin and had a 160 IQ and had five kids and loved dogs."BeautyMansfield/Facebook

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Clearly, Mansfield was more than just Marilyn Monroe's rival.Wikia

Jayne Mansfield

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On April 19, 1933, Vera Jayne Palmer — the woman who would eventually become known as Jayne Mansfield — was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Her father, a successful attorney, died of a heart attack when she was just three years old. Her mother remarried when she was six, and the family moved to Dallas, Texas.

Although Mansfield had a relatively happy childhood, she grew up quickly. By age 17, she was already married to a 20-year-old named Paul Mansfield and the couple soon welcomed a baby girl. Although Jayne Mansfield took some classes and worked odd jobs to support her family, her big dream was to become a famous actress.

In the early 1950s, she convinced her husband to move to Hollywood so she could follow her dream. But as she struggled to break into showbiz, her marriage suffered and she soon parted ways with her husband. However, she decided to keep his last name.

Wikimedia CommonsJayne Mansfield's daughter Mariska Hargitay once said of her late mother, "She was just so ahead of her time. She was an inspiration, she had this appetite for life, and I think I share that with her."

By 1955, she was signed to Warner Bros. and within the next couple of years, she had become a star. Mansfield dabbled in every type of entertainment media — film, television, stage — and naturally joined the ranks of successful pinup girls.

Mansfield was known for being a naughtier version of Marilyn Monroe, and the real Monroe hated it, saying, "I know it's supposed to be flattering to be imitated, but she does it so grossly, so vulgarly — I wish I had some legal means to sue her."

Famous for her voluptuous curves, Mansfield was not at all shy about sharing her measurements: 40-22-35. However, not many people knew that she reportedly had a genius IQ of 160. She focused on perpetuating the stereotype of the "dumb blonde" — probably because it was so profitable at the time.

Aside from her good looks, acting chops, and publicity stunts, Mansfield was also known for her tumultuous love life. She was married three times and had five children. She also reportedly had a string of unconventional romances, including one with Anton LaVey, the counterculture figure who founded the Church of Satan.

Mansfield's wild life came to a tragic end on June 29, 1967, when she was killed in a car accident. She was just 34 years old.