A candid, no-holds-barred memoir in which Hollywood icon Mamie Van Doren busts myths, settles old scores, and unveils untold stories from a life lived at the glittering and gritty edges of the Golden Age. You Thought I Was Dead is Mamie Van Doren as you’ve never seen her: unguarded, unapologetic, and gloriously unfiltered. From a South Dakota farm to Hollywood soundstages, Mamie’s life has been anything but ordinary. In this tell-all memoir, the platinum-blonde legend shatters the polished myths of Old Hollywood, sharing the wild, poignant, and often shocking truths behind the glamour. She takes you inside the studios, onto the sets, and behind closed doors with movie idols, music legends, and power brokers—from Clark Gable and Tony Curtis to Howard Hughes and Quincy Jones. With her trademark wit and candor, Mamie recounts friendships and feuds, headline-making romances, brushes with danger, and the fierce independence that kept her career and spirit alive long after the credits rolled. Alongside the dazzling stories are moments of raw honesty about the loneliness, loss, and resilience that shaped the woman behind the bombshell image. Illustrated with original cartoons by acclaimed artist Stephen B. Whatley, You Thought I Was Dead is part memoir, part Hollywood history, and wholly Mamie—bold, sexy, defiant, and unforgettable. Whether you’re a devotee of the Golden Age, a rock and roll nostalgist, or simply a lover of great, unvarnished storytelling, this is more than a memoir—it’s a front-row seat to a life lived without a script. Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander, February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and author, celebrated as one of the quintessential blonde bombshells of 1950s Hollywood. Rising to fame with Universal Pictures, she starred in a string of rock and roll and teen-oriented films such as Untamed Youth (1957) and High School Confidential! (1958), carving out a rebellious, sex-symbol image that set her apart from contemporaries like Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. Known for her platinum hair, sultry voice, and unfiltered candor, Van Doren built a career that spanned stage, screen, music, and memoir writing. Her 1987 autobiography Playing the Field and subsequent works offered frank accounts of Hollywood’s golden era, celebrity romances, and personal resilience. Still active into her nineties, she remains a pop culture icon, admired for her glamour, independence, and willingness to speak openly about her life in and beyond the spotlight.