Cars and Dolls #18 - Joi Lansing / 1955 Mercedes Benz 190 SL

[Otto Puzzell]

Time to turn up the heat with a shapely blonde from yesteryear.

For 1 point, identify this then-young lady, and a vehicle with which can be associated.    

Partial answers will be answered with 'incomplete', so be sure to answer all parts of the question, if you'd like the point.

Only complete answers will earn a point

If you haven't registered yet, you need to do so in order to reply.  You can do so by clicking here.

[Otto Puzzell]

Up she goes

[wingroad]

Is it Sabrina ?

[Otto Puzzell]

No Sabrina here

[Tackitt]

Is she British?

[Otto Puzzell]

Is she British?

No sir

[Otto Puzzell]

Up again

[Allan L]

Is it Jayne Mansfield, whose life ended 45 years ago last Friday in a 1966 Buick Electra ?

[Otto Puzzell]

No sir

[Allemano]

US-American second row actress?

[Otto Puzzell]

She appeared in A and B movies (more B's than A's), and a lot of television programs

[Allemano]

the prototype of the blonde man-eater or in other words the needle in the haystack..

[Otto Puzzell]

Perhaps.

Here's a big clue: you might find the answer to this puzzle in a place that specializes in automobiles, and their appearance in motion pictures.

Now, you have two haystacks in which to search.  

[Allemano]

I know this source, but my life is too short to find it there I guess.

[Otto Puzzell]

OK - one more clue, to make the haystack smaller. This actress appeared in a film about automobiles.

[Allemano]

A movie about a road race?

[Otto Puzzell]

Not a racing movie

[Tom_I]

I can't find this exact picture, but she looks very much like Joi Lansing (1928-1972), whose career in movies and television pretty well matches the description given earlier.

She starred in the 1956 film Hot Cars, in which she is seen driving a Mercedes 190 SL in the opening sequence.

[Ray B.]

A very dagmaresque actress indeed. I'm sure that Tom is right.

[Ray B.]

... But I think that you may be wrong about the car:
Does she get blown up in a 1956 Chrysler in "Touch of Evil"?

She plays the role of "Zita", and I couldn't get the script and so am not sure that Zita actually is the girl in the Chrysler. But dhe does look like her somehow. If that is correct, it 's a very small (and short) role, but one in maybe the most famous and long tracking shot (3'28") in movie history.

[Otto Puzzell]

I can't find this exact picture, but she looks very much like Joi Lansing (1928-1972), whose career in movies and television pretty well matches the description given earlier.

She starred in the 1956 film Hot Cars, in which she is seen driving a Mercedes 190 SL in the opening sequence.

That's it!

BTW - I just noticed the (unintentional) similarity in our profile pics. I'll put another one up soon. 

[Otto Puzzell]

... But I think that you may be wrong about the car:
Does she get blown up in a 1956 Chrysler in "Touch of Evil"?

She plays the role of "Zita", and I couldn't get the script and so am not sure that Zita actually is the girl in the Chrysler. But dhe does look like her somehow. If that is correct, it 's a very small (and short) role, but one in maybe the most famous and long tracking shot (3'28") in movie history.

That's certainly a much better-remembered flick, but it's not about automobiles (my earlier clue). I saw that movie years ago, and don't remember the blow-up scene. But I do remember the seemingly endless tracking shot at the beginning. As one might better remember Joi for that movie, I'll give you a second point.

[Ray B.]

The blow-up scene is at the end of the tracking shot. Thanks for the point, but I didn't deserve it: the hard part was identifying the girl, and if Tom hadn't done it, I just would have been left wondering.

[Otto Puzzell]

My memory is worse than I thought! 

[Tom_I]

BTW - I just noticed the (unintentional) similarity in our profile pics.

You were a better-looking child than I was.