Affectionately, Jayne Mansfield Paperback – Illustrated, April 24, 2015

Very good read about her life. She wasnt just a dumb blonde.

Jayne is easily overlooked and underrated for her contribution to the film industry. Many tout Marilyn for the formation of her own production company but Jayne did it too! With roughly a dozen books on Jayne, it's easy to get the same information regurgitated with no new insight. Koper tackles Jayne from a completely different aspect than most of these books. While I may not always agree with what he uses as source material, although with so little out there you can't please everyone and a difference of opinion isn't going to affect my review of his book, his dedication and obvious love for Jayne continues to shine through.In focusing on her movie career, he writes a book that personifies Jayne. We see how she was impacted by the rise and fall of her career, how her personal issues affected filming, and how issues with filming affected her. Koper brings something unique to the publicity party by tracing her life from this perspective. He hasn't tried to write the next "Pink Goddess" or "Jayne Mansfield Bio-Bibliography" or "Jayne Mansfield and the American Fifties." He wants us to look at Jayne's 6th child, her career. His "filmographies" or much more than that, they are peppered throughout with little facts and tidbits about Jayne's life.This isn't to say that Koper doesn't cover her life before, during, or after her career. Koper does have a nice biography at the beginning. It's might not be the strongest point in the book but it's far from weak and, again, a traditional bio isn't what this book is. Koper also has a chapter devoted solely to Jayne's competition and contemporaries. Some were never in Jayne's league while Jayne wasn't given the opportunity to be in the same league as others. This approach gives great insight to those who might not have followed others so that they can see what Jayne was up against.One of the negative reviews on here states that Koper doesn't give a well rounded view of Jayne's career but Koper notes how he is European in the beginning. He's giving a viewpoint that the average American is not going to have. We tend to forget that while Jayne may have fizzled out over here, she had a dedicated European following. I liken her to Diana Dors. Just because Dors wasn't as successful over here doesn't mean that she wasn't popular outside of the US. Movies are received differently all over the world and many a star can be popular here and not over there or vice-versa. Kope does have an obvious love towards her but it doesn't make him shortsighted.Another review says that this book comes across as a cash in to make a quick buck. I don't know if we were reading the same book! Koper obviously has put a lot of time and research into this treasure. His love shines through. He gives an accurate account of her life and, as I said before, brings something new to the table. This is a definite must have for any Jayne fan.

For a MELLOW MONDAY Morning......From THE FILM BIOGRAPHER......On Facebook and elsewhere...My review of AFFECTIONATELY, JAYNE MANSFIELD (BearManor Media, 2015), by Richard Koper, available at www.Amazon.com.......Over the next couple of months I will review a selection of biographies published by BearManor Media, Albany, Georgia. Headed and owned by publisher Ben Ohmart, BearManor Media offers a diverse selection of film related books, primarily biographies.AFFECTIONATELY, JAYNE MANSFIELD by author Richard Koper is yet another biography of the late 1950s blonde bombshell which possibly fails to enlighten us more into the pysche and persona of the actress. It does not dispel the stories of her rise to brief stardom, her unquenchable ambition, her promiscuity, and her tragic demise. But author Richard Koper is a dedicated writer. Though his grammar sometimes slips, and his conjugation sometimes needs correction, Koper nonetheless has produced a biography which thankfully is not a “fan-based” read.Born in Pennsylvania, and raised in Dallas, Texas, by the time she was a young teenager Jayne Mansfield was fully aware of the attention her body afforded her. Stubborn and willful, she was also self-enchanted. Her figure was her ticket out of Texas and away from her strict, domineering mother. After a brief, loveless marriage and the birth of her first child, Mansfield found herself where she always felt she was destined to reign – in Hollywood.The 1950s was then the era of the blonde sex star Marilyn Monroe, the most prominent post-WWII sex goddess. Jayne Mansfield was MM’s first big challenger in Tinseltown. Indeed 20th Century-Fox, Monroe’s very studio, signed Mansfield to a contract to threaten the sometimes fractious MM. Under capable direction, Mansfield often gave fine performances in a few early films (most notably in THE WAYWARD BUS). But none of her pictures became classics. Whereas Monroe was possibly more talented and gifted a performer, her innate qualities – her natural beauty and vulnerability – made her iconic. The physically “stacked” Mansfield, whose breasts were not truly large, but her ribcage was, parodied and mocked her own obvious sexuality in constant public exhibition After Monroe’s death in 1962, the times began to change. The era of the sexually, physically grotesque, platinum bombshell was lost forever in favor of more realistic necessities.In turn, Mansfield’s personal life suffered. Married to Hungarian bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay in 1958, Mansfield gave birth to three more children, squeezing them into her hectic schedule. She squeezed her body into tighter and tighter bikinis, and began accepting roles in grade-Z films made abroad long after her Fox contract was terminated. An obvious exhibitionist, and desperate to bring attention to herself, by the mid-60s Mansfield had taken on various lovers, and gave birth to yet another child by her third husband. Professional and public nudity became her trademark. Sordid affairs, drugs, and alcoholism made inroads towards her final destruction. In 1967 she was tragically killed in an automobile accident. She was 34 years old. Jayne Mansfield never achieved what she spent her life chasing. And that was super stardom.Richard Koper’s book is a dedicated effort. Though not a fully fleshed out biography per se, his biographical section, at times grammatically challenging, is not without its merit. He does not spare the reader the obvious. His narrative is brief and succinct, and one accepts Mansfield life for what it was worth. With that criticism aside, his filmography section is worth the price of the book. Very astute in his chronology, Koper sets Mansfield’s film career into perspective. Every one of her feature films, from her extra work to her heyday in THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT and WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?, to the final pictures, is detailed in this book.To Mr. Koper and BearManor Media, thanks for this book. Certainly worth a read….

BOOK REVIEW!!This is a good reference book on Jayne.Mainly a textbook on Jayne's career but Not her life.It is a sort of Films of......You know, the series that was put out by Citadel Press in the 60's & 70's.I like the volume.It includes a complete & precise discussion of each JM film..Each movie is examined in detail including film reviews & production notes.The reviews on each motion picture are there on most.However assessment is lacking on some of the European work..It seems that these over seas films were not reviewed by the press(this was clarified by the author).There are also pix of Jayne from each flick which is impressive.I mean who expects to find pix from Fat Spy or Dog Eat Dog?We would recommend this as an excellent directory on Jayne's entertainment career.It is hoped that at some point, we will see a source book on Jayne's life.There is a lot of negativity about Jayne's last years.I choose Not to accept any of this antagonism until the children(Jayn-Marie, Mickey & Ziltan) have all spoken.Anyway people are going to believe what they want to believe.We like to think Nice Thoughts about those not here to defend themselves.(anyway for those whom we like, & we like Jayne)!