Jami Deadly: Vintage Pinup Beauty And Horror T.V. Show Host

Jami Deadly is a busy girl. Her resume is highlighted with activities such as becoming a renowned Marilyn Monroe impersonator, hosting her own goofy horror t.v. show called “Deadly Cinema”, and being featured as a pinup beauty contest winner in several magazines. She has been a retro enthusiast for over a decade and has collected just about everything there is to own about Marilyn, as well as vintage pinup books, old Hollywood biographies, and a large dvd collection. I will be sure to feature Ms. Deadly's collection on iTaggit as soon as she has finished posting her things.

As a young brunette growing up on a farm, she loved watching Betty Grable, Jean Harlow, and Mae West, but could identify most with Miss Marilyn Monroe. Jami spoke of Monroe's inner light that matched her beauty as one of her most outstanding features to replicate. Being an impersonator is more work than one would begin to believe. It takes a lot of character study and mental preparation to get down every little detail and mannerism about the person. Jami's first priority is portraying Marilyn in a positive light, as her memory has been skewed by media coverage since her death in 1962. “When I am applying my makeup in the mirror, I have to start the psychological transformation as well, and by the time I've applied the beauty mark, I'm Miss Monroe.”

As a successful Marilyn impersonator, Jami has been able to travel around the world performing in conventions and publicity shoots during her career. She has met a wide array of persons, including those who lose touch with reality, become starry eyed, and begin to ask her personal questions as if she were really Marilyn. Jami also mentioned one instance where she “did a gig representing the Marilyn Monroe touring exhibit, and people were coming up to me and poking me to see if I was a wax figure or not. It can get a little strange!”

In my previous two blogs of this trilogy, I have introduced you to Drew and his comic Halloween Man, as well as Gayla and 666photography. Jami is Drew's wife and the cover model for Halloween Man, which Gayla shot. Gayla has also produced some of Jami's favorite career photos, which can be viewed on their MySpace pages. Jami also loves starring in her own t.v. show, “Deadly Cinema,” which mixes Elvira with Mystery Science Theater 3000. Jami was inspired to create a blonde bombshell horror host, bringing a twist to the usual raven haired beauties. She crossed paths with director/writer/cast member Matt Muhl, and as they say, the rest is history. Jami describes her show as “an odd mix of a glamorous blonde, bad "b" movies, a pink coffin, and monster cast members.” People have embraced it and now it has its own cult following separate of her pinup career. If you want to check it out: Jami has a 3-disc set of all her episodes, including special features, available here on her MySpace page.