Monique van Vooren

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Monique van Vooren
Van Vooren in 1957
Born(1927-03-25)March 25, 1927
Brussels, Belgium
DiedJanuary 25, 2020(2020-01-25) (aged 92)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
NationalityBelgian-American
Other namesMonique Vooren
CitizenshipUnited States
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer
Years active1950–2012
Spouses
  • Jakobson (details unknown)
    Kurt (or Curt) Henry Pfenniger (m. 1950-195?; divorced)
Gerard Walter "Jerry" Purcell
(m. 1958⁠–⁠2002)
, his death); 1 child[1][2]
Children1

Monique van Vooren (March 25, 1927 – January 25, 2020) was a Belgian-American actress, singer, and dancer whose credits included onscreen roles in

Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, the television series Batman, and Wall Street.[3]

Early years

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

On

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

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

  • 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:
    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

  1. ^ a b "Paid Notice: Deaths PURCELL, GERARD W." The New York Times. 2002-03-20. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  2. ^ "Desert Sun". Cdnc.ucr.edu. 1958-06-13. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  3. ^ 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Beauty Hinders Acting Career -- Monique van Vooren". Standard-Speaker. Standard-Speaker. December 16, 1961. p. 19. Retrieved October 19, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ 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. Open access icon
  6. ^ 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. Open access icon
  7. ^ "Monique Van Vooren". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Music as Written" (PDF). Billboard. May 12, 1956. p. 14. Retrieved 20 October 2015.[permanent dead link]
  9. .
  10. ^ 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. Open access icon
  11. ^ a b "Monique van Vooren Sentenced". The Dispatch. September 24, 1983. p. 2. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  12. ^ "Monique van Vooren, Actress in 'Tarzan and the She-Devil' and 'Batman,' Dies at 92". The Hollywood Reporter. 28 January 2020.

External links