SuraiyaSuraiya Jamaal Sheikh (1929 - January 31, 2004) was a singer and actress in Indian films, and was popularly known as Suraiya in the film industry. She became a superstar in the 1940s and 50s during the time when actors sang their own songs. Suraiya was born in Lahore (now in Pakistan) and was the only child of her parents. She was a dark plain looking girl and was not trained in music, however she went on to become a successful actress and singer. She got a break in films with the help of her uncle Zahoor, who was a popular villain of his time. She had accompanied her uncle to the sets of Taj Mahal, a 1941 movie by Nanubhai Vakil. Vakil noticed the 12-year old girl and chose her to play the role of a young Mumtaz Mahal. Suraiya started her career as a singer the following year when she sang for actress Mehtab under music director Naushad for the movie Sharda. Naushad had heard her voice on the All India Radio where she sang for a children's programme at the insistence of friend Raj Kapoor and neighbour Madan Mohan. She initially started by playing secondary roles in films like K. Asif's Phool (1944), Mehboob's Anmol Ghadi (1946) and Dard (1947). She got the break as a heroine for the movie Tadbir (1945) at the recommendation of K. L. Saigal who liked her voice during a rehearsal. She went on to co-star with Saigal for two more films Omar Khayyam (1946) and Parwana (1947). More opportunities appeared for Suraiya after reigning actress Noorjehan migrated to Pakistan during the 1947 partition. Suraiya had an edge over her contemporaries Kamini Kaushal and Nargis because she could sing her own songs. The years 1948-49 were the best of her career. After three hits Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), Badi Bahen and Dillagi (1949), she became the highest paid female star. Her reign at the top was brief and her films started flopping in the 1950s. She made a comeback with Waaris and Mirza Ghalib (1954). Her last film was Rustom Sohrab (1963) following which she kept away from films. She stayed at "Krishna Mahal", her Marine Drive residence in Mumbai until her death in 2004. Suraiya was romantically involved with actor Dev Anand and the two of them did six films together. During the shooting of a song, a boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning. She fell in love with him but her grandmother opposed the relationship. Suraiya remained unmarried all her life. She died of old age in 2004 at the age of 75. This page about Suraiya includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Suraiya News stories about Suraiya External links for Suraiya Videos for Suraiya Wikis about Suraiya Discussion Groups about Suraiya Blogs about Suraiya Images of Suraiya |
|
She died of old age in 2004 at the age of 75. Mamie Van Doren has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7057 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. Suraiya remained unmarried all her life. "The Web is the perfect place for an appreciation of Hollywood Glamour. Take a look at it through my eyes, kids!". She fell in love with him but her grandmother opposed the relationship. Included at her long, detailed site are photos, stories and anecdotes about Hollywood and her career, and an articulate and opinionated political weblog. During the shooting of a song, a boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning. You can read about Mamie Van Doren and her past exploits at her very own website, where "the first authentic sex-kitten in cyberspace" gives one of the most intimate looks at a celebrity's personal life on the Internet. Suraiya was romantically involved with actor Dev Anand and the two of them did six films together. She has written about this and discussed it in interviews. She stayed at "Krishna Mahal", her Marine Drive residence in Mumbai until her death in 2004. Starting at age sixty, she has had plastic surgery to maintain a youthful appearance. Her last film was Rustom Sohrab (1963) following which she kept away from films. In 1987, she wrote her autobiography, with Art Aveilhe, titled Playing the Field: My Story, published by GP Putnams, New York. She made a comeback with Waaris and Mirza Ghalib (1954). She did a nightclub act in Las Vegas in the 1970s. Her reign at the top was brief and her films started flopping in the 1950s. Her appearances on TV have include The Jack Benny Show, Fantasy Island and L.A. Law. After three hits Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), Badi Bahen and Dillagi (1949), she became the highest paid female star. In addition to USO shows, she visited hospitals, including the wards of amputees and burn victims that many other celebrities stayed away from. The years 1948-49 were the best of her career. troops in Vietnam, for three months in 1968 and again in 1970. Suraiya had an edge over her contemporaries Kamini Kaushal and Nargis because she could sing her own songs. During the Vietnam War she did tours for U.S. More opportunities appeared for Suraiya after reigning actress Noorjehan migrated to Pakistan during the 1947 partition. She performed in stage productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Dames at Sea at the Drury Lane Theatre, Chicago, and did shows such as Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter and The Tender Trap at the Arlington Park Theatre. She went on to co-star with Saigal for two more films Omar Khayyam (1946) and Parwana (1947). She also developed a nightclub act and did a lot of theatre work. Saigal who liked her voice during a rehearsal. In 1964, Van Doren was at the Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood when The Beatles were at the club, and a drunk George Harrison accidentally threw his drink on her when he was really trying to throw it on some bothersome journalists. L. In 1963, she posed twice for Playboy to promote her movie Three Nuts In Search of a Bolt (1964). Asif's Phool (1944), Mehboob's Anmol Ghadi (1946) and Dard (1947). She got the break as a heroine for the movie Tadbir (1945) at the recommendation of K. Some of her later movies were foreign and independent productions, such as The Blonde from Buenos Aires (1961), The Candidate (1964), The Navy vs the Night Monsters (1966) and Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968), which was directed by Peter Bogdanovich, who used another name, fearing the movie would ruin his reputation. She initially started by playing secondary roles in films like K. Van Doren was now a free agent and had to struggle to find work. Naushad had heard her voice on the All India Radio where she sang for a children's programme at the insistence of friend Raj Kapoor and neighbour Madan Mohan. In 1959, Universal chose not to exercise the option in her contract. Suraiya started her career as a singer the following year when she sang for actress Mehtab under music director Naushad for the movie Sharda. Besides the casting decisions at Universal, a problem with her career was poor management. Vakil noticed the 12-year old girl and chose her to play the role of a young Mumtaz Mahal. They are largely unknown to later generations, though some have gained a following for their high camp value. She had accompanied her uncle to the sets of Taj Mahal, a 1941 movie by Nanubhai Vakil. But many of the productions she starred in were low-budget B-movies. She got a break in films with the help of her uncle Zahoor, who was a popular villain of his time. Some of her more noteworthy movies include Teacher's Pet (1958) at Paramount, Born Reckless (1958) at Warner Bros., and High School Confidential! (1958) at MGM. She was a dark plain looking girl and was not trained in music, however she went on to become a successful actress and singer. In her tell-all autobiography, she acknowledged numerous affairs, including ones with Clark Gable and Joe Namath. Suraiya was born in Lahore (now in Pakistan) and was the only child of her parents. Her on-again off-again engagement to baseball player Bo Belinsky broke off for good in 1964. She became a superstar in the 1940s and 50s during the time when actors sang their own songs. She and Anthony had one son, Perry Ray Anthony (born March 18, 1956). Suraiya Jamaal Sheikh (1929 - January 31, 2004) was a singer and actress in Indian films, and was popularly known as Suraiya in the film industry. Van Doren has had five husbands, sportswear manufacturer Jack Newman (married 1950-divorced 1950), bandleader, composer and actor Ray Anthony (married 1955-divorced 1961), baseball player Lee Meyers (married 1966-divorced 1967), businessman Ross McClintock (married 1972-divorced 1973) and actor Thomas Dixon (married 1979-present). But while Monroe did Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Mansfield had a big success with Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, a part that was originally written for Van Doren, who turned it down, Universal stuck Van Doren with Francis the talking mule in Francis Joins the WACS. Marilyn, Mamie and Jayne Mansfield were known as the "Three M's," and Van Doren achieved legendary status as being the sole survivor. While she and the other blonde bombshells did not attain the same level of superstar status as Monroe, Van Doren did become one of the leading sex symbols of the day. She became identified with this rebellious style, and made some Rock records. She also appeared in some of the first movies to feature Rock & Roll music. Van Doren starred as the "bad girl" archetype in several teenage cult movies of the 1950s. In Yankee Pasha (1954) starring Tony Curtis and Rhonda Fleming, she played a slave girl, Lilith. She then made The All American (1953), playing Susie Ward, a girl from the other side of the tracks who is the man-trap at a campus beer joint. Her first movie for Universal was Forbidden (1953), playing a singer. It has been said that because the day she was signed was also the day President Eisenhower was inaugurated, the studio decided to give her the name Mamie for Ike's wife, Mamie Eisenhower, and Van Doren because it sounds Dutch. The studio had big plans for her, hoping she would bring the success that 20th Century Fox had with Marilyn Monroe, the reigning sex symbol of the era. On January 20, 1953, she signed a contract with Universal. While appearing in the role of Marie in a showcase production of Come Back, Little Sheba, she was seen by Phil Benjamin, a casting director at Universal International. She studied with Ben Bard and Bliss-Hayden. Songwriter Jimmy McHugh discovered her for his musicals, then decided she was too good for the chorus line and should have dramatic training. She was a showgirl in New York in Monte Proser's nightclub version of Billion Dollar Baby. She then began working on the stage. I look barely old enough to drive.". About her appearance in that one, Van Doren has said, "If you blinked you would miss me. She did a few more bit parts in movies at RKO, including His Kind of Woman (1951) starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell and Vincent Price. But it turned out that he was abusive, so she quickly got out of the marriage. She was briefly married at seventeen, when she and first husband, Jack Newman, eloped to Santa Barbara. The following year, 1951, she posed for famous pin-up girl artist Alberto Vargas, the painter of the glamorous "Varga Girls." His painting of Van Doren was on the July cover of Esquire. Her line of dialogue consisted of one word, "Look!" Though production of the movie was in 1949 and 1950, it was not released until 1957. She lunched with him and he gave her a bit part in Jet Pilot at RKO, which was her motion picture debut. While doing the Miss Palm Springs contest, she was discovered by Howard Hughes. In the summer of 1949, at age sixteen, she won the titles "Miss Eight Ball" and "Miss Palm Springs.". She also sang with Ted Fio Rito's band and entered beauty contests. The following year she had a bit part on an early television show. In early 1946, Joan went to work as an usherette at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. In May 1942, they moved to Los Angeles. In 1939, the family moved to Sioux City, Iowa. Her mother named her after Joan Crawford. She is of Swedish ancestry. She was born Joan Lucille Olander in Rowena, South Dakota, the daughter of Warner Carl Olander (March 30, 1908-June 4, 1992) and Lucille Harriet Bennett (January 21, 1912-August 27, 1995). Mamie Van Doren (born February 6, 1931) is a American actress and sex symbol. For, to be glamorous, to be beautiful, is to be doomed eventually to be disappointed.". Our profession is perhaps the most competitive in the world. As young women we were told that we were infinitely desirable and beautiful, only to discover that there was always someone coming up behind who was more desirable and beautiful. "There is a history of calamitous and violent deaths among the glamorous girls that boggles the mind and chills the blood, especially if you're one of the few survivors.. "I don't wear panties anymore - this startles the Hollywood wolves so much they don't know what to pull at, so they leave me alone.". And endure I have.". My hope was to endure. "I came to Hollywood determined to follow in Jean Harlow's footsteps, but I was determined not to die young. Without my brain, I don't think the rest of me would be too hot.". "My best asset is my brain. Van Graaf. Mrs. Slackers (2002) (Screen Gems, Sony) .. Rita. The Vegas Connection (1999) (Pacific Films) .. Debbie Stockwell. Free Ride (1986) (Galaxy International Pictures) .. That Girl from Boston (1975) (Moonstone Films). aka The Arizona Kid. Girlfriend .. I Fratelli di Arizona (1971) Italian .. Moana. Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968) (Filmgroup Production) .. Miss Hathaway. You've Got to be Smart (1967) (Producers Releasing Organization) .. Boots Malone. Las Vegas Hillbillys (1966) (Woolner Brothers) .. Nora Hall. The Navy vs the Night Monsters (1966) (Real Art) .. Samantha Ashley. The Candidate (1964) (Cosmat Production) .. aka The Wild, Wild West (USA). Olivia .. Freddy und das Lied der Prärie (1964) German .. Saxie Symbol. Three Nuts In Search of a Bolt (1964) (Adrian Weiss Productions) .. The Blonde from Buenos Aires (1961) (Argentinian Films). Sally Blake. College Confidential (1960) (Univeral) .. Evie Simms. The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1961) (Universal) .. Mathilda West. Dr. Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) (Allied Artists) .. Mary Gibson. The Big Operator (1959) (MGM) .. Carol Hudson. Vice Raid (1959) (United Artists) .. Silver Morgan. Girls Town (1959) (MGM) .. Mary Gibson. The Big Operator (1959) (MGM) .. aka This Rebel Age. Georgia Altera .. The Beat Generation (1959) (MGM) .. Vi Victor. Guns, Girls, and Gangsters (1959) (United Artists) .. Gwen Dulaine. High School Confidential! (1958) (MGM) .. aka The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina. Sabrina .. Le Bellissime gambe di Sabrina (1958) Italian (Cinecittā Studios) .. Jackie Adams. Born Reckless (1958) (Warner Bros.) .. Peggy DeFore. Teacher's Pet (1958) (Paramount) .. Penny Lowe. Untamed Youth (1957) (Warner Bros.) .. Harriet Ames. The Girl in Black Stockings (1957) (United Artists) .. Ellen Ballard. Star in the Dust (1956) (Universal) .. Irma Bean. Running Wild (1955) (Universal) .. Birdie Snyder. The Second Greatest Sex (1955) (Universal) .. Jackie. Ain't Misbehavin' (1955) (Universal) .. Bunky Hilstrom. Cpl. Francis Joins the WACS (1954) (Universal) .. Lilith. Yankee Pasha (1954) (Universal) .. Hawaiian Nights (1954) (Universal). Susie Ward. The All American (1953) (Universal) .. Singer (uncredited). Forbidden (1953) (Universal) .. Blonde in theatre (credited as Joan Olander). Footlight Varieties (1951) (RKO) .. (credited as Joan Olander). Two Tickets to Broadway (1951) (RKO) .. Lodge guest at bar (uncredited). His Kind of Woman (1951) (RKO) .. WAF. Jet Pilot (Production: 1949-1950) (Released: 1957) (RKO) .. |