Monique van Vooren
Monique van Vooren | |
---|---|
Born | Brussels, Belgium | March 25, 1927
Died | January 25, 2020 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | (aged 92)
Nationality | Belgian-American |
Other names | Monique Vooren |
Citizenship | United States |
Occupation(s) | Actress, dancer |
Years active | 1950–2012 |
Spouses | |
Children | 1 |
Monique van Vooren (March 25, 1927 – January 25, 2020) was a Belgian-American actress, singer, and dancer whose credits included onscreen roles in Tarzan and the She-Devil, Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, the television series Batman, and Wall Street.[3]
Early years
[edit]Born Monique Bronz in Brussels to George Bronz (or Bronze) and Louise van Vooren, Monique was a champion skater and a beauty queen in Belgium. She reportedly studied philosophy at New York University on a Fulbright scholarship,[3] and languages, learning to speak English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch. "I can also read Greek and Latin," she stated.[4] Her first visit to the United States apparently took place in 1946 at age 19, with the married name "Jakobson" and listed as a "housewife."[5][6] Her second husband was Kurt (or Curt) Henry Pfenniger. Her third husband was New York businessman Gerard Walter Purcell. The couple were married from 1958 until Purcell's death in 2002.[1]
Career
[edit]On Broadway, Van Vooren played in John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953–54) and Man on the Moon (1975).[7] In the 1960s, Van Vooren also starred in summer stock theatre productions in the United States.[6]
She had roles in numerous films from 1950 to 1979.[3]
On television, she appeared in a 1959 NBC adaptation What Makes Sammy Run? and as Miss Clean on Batman (1968).[3]
In 1956, she signed a contract with Request Records, and in 1958, Van Vooren recorded an album, Mink in HiFi for RCA Victor.[6] She appeared frequently in cabaret performances[8] and on game shows including To Tell the Truth and Password.[3]
In 1981, Signet published Night Sanctuary, written by Van Vooren.[9] She described the book as being about "the dark side of people."[10]
Later life, legal problems, and death
[edit]In 1983, Van Vooren was found guilty of lying before a federal grand jury and "ordered to get psychiatric help and perform 500 hours of community service as part of a suspended sentence."[11] The sentence resulted from an investigation of "whether she had pocketed her dead mother's Social Security payments."[11] Van Vooren died of cancer in Manhattan on January 25, 2020, leaving behind a son, Eric Purcell, and granddaughter.[12][3]
Filmography
[edit]- 1950: Tomorrow Is Too Late - Giannina
- 1953: Tarzan and the She-Devil - Lyra, the She-Devil
- 1955: The Infiltrator - Elaine
- 1955: Ça va barder - Irène
- 1957: Producers' Showcase (episode: "Mayerling", TV film released theatrically in Europe)
- 1957: Ten Thousand Bedrooms - Girl on Main Title
- 1958: Gigi - showgirl (uncredited)
- 1959: Sunday Showcase (TV series) - Zizi Molnari
- "What Makes Sammy Run?: Part 1" (1959)
- "What Makes Sammy Run?: Part 2" (1959)
- 1959: Happy Anniversary - Jeanette Revere
- 1961: The DuPont Show of the Month (TV series) - Krys
- "Trick or Treason"
- 1959–1963: The United States Steel Hour (TV series)
- "A Taste of Champagne" (1959) - Simone Durrell
- "Southwest Quarter" (1963)
- 1965: The Trials of O'Brien (TV series)
- "Goodbye and Keep Cool" (1965) - Eve St. Clair
- 1967: Fearless Frank - Plethora
- 1968: Batman (TV series)
- "Nora Clavicle and the Ladies' Crime Club" (1968) - Miss Clean (uncredited)
- "Penguin's Clean Sweep" (1968) - Miss Clean
- 1971: The Decameron - Queen of Skulls (as Monique Van Voren)
- 1973: Sugar Cookies - Helene
- 1973: Ash Wednesday - German Woman
- 1973: Andy Warhol's Frankenstein - Baroness Katrin Frankenstein
- 1987: Wall Street - "Woman at '21'"
- 2012: Greystone Park - Monique
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Paid Notice: Deaths PURCELL, GERARD W." The New York Times. 2002-03-20. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
- ^ "Desert Sun". Cdnc.ucr.edu. 1958-06-13. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
- ^ a b c d e f Gates, Anita (February 1, 2020). "Monique Van Vooren, Actress With a Diverse Résumé, Dies at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ "Beauty Hinders Acting Career -- Monique van Vooren". Standard-Speaker. Standard-Speaker. December 16, 1961. p. 19. Retrieved October 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Thomas, Bob (February 16, 1957). "Blonde Belgian Singer Cocks Practiced Eye at U.S. Women". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. p. 4. Retrieved October 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Monique van Vooren To Star In Canal Fulton Production". The Daily Times. The Daily Times. July 19, 1963. p. 7. Retrieved October 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Monique Van Vooren". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Music as Written" (PDF). Billboard. May 12, 1956. p. 14. Retrieved 20 October 2015.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ Vooren, Monique Van (1981). Night Sanctuary. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. ISBN 0451120558.
- ^ Kleiner, Dick (April 10, 1982). "Monique van Vooren turns to writing". The Index-Journal. The Index-Journal. p. 26. Retrieved October 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Monique van Vooren Sentenced". The Dispatch. September 24, 1983. p. 2. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- ^ "Monique van Vooren, Actress in 'Tarzan and the She-Devil' and 'Batman,' Dies at 92". The Hollywood Reporter. 28 January 2020.
External links
[edit]- Monique van Vooren at IMDb
- Monique van Vooren discography at Discogs