The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980)

	Lloyd V.

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As a huge fan of Jayne, I was glued to my recliner in 1980 for the debut of this TV biopic, prepared to forgive ANY flaws. And there were more than a few to forgive, but forgive them I did. Primary flaw is casting. Loni is a big plastic thing a la Jayne, but she seemed content to look vaguely like her as opposed to finding a way to let us inside her (the script, as with Jayne bios, dwells on her alleged high IQ, insisting that she was a shrewd manipulator of her bimbo image...I never believed it in Jayne's lifetime, and Loni does nothing to change my mind). The Governator is ALL wrong as Mickey Hargitay, the male bimbo in Jayne's life, and has NO acting chops to bridge the gap between Hargitay and himself. BUT...the period detail is excellent, the landmark moments of Jayne's career are accurately represented, and it's a colorful and fun, if uninsightful, 90 minutes.

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