WWWW by Ray B. #558 - Vampira and her "Little Red Fury"

[Ray B.]

Such a thorough search deserves a detailed answer.

- The picture: as I wrote before, it's most probably a private snapshot. It bears the name of the company who made the print, and the date. It also bears, handwritten (probably by Maila's own hand) the nickname she gave it, and who she guesses took the picture (a person very close to her) Since all this is part the picture, maybe the only way to find it is to find the picture.

-The color: It is candy apple red (this is typed in a comment written much more recently, so the person who wrote this may have ignored if the term was coined at the time). And it seems to have fadedUnfortunately typing "candy apple red" with "Maila" or "Vampira" in Google doesn't get any results, although the page is kind of official. The question is: why?

-The date: I said years earlier than 1960. I add some years later than the late 40's. I know the exact date when the photo was processed, not the exact day when it was taken, remember. But you're right, her show hadn't been broadcasted yet.

Locked for RayTheRat 48 hours

[RayTheRat]

After much digging, I found something that says, "Baby Jane Fury, my little hand made car."  I sure wouldn't have guessed that in a million years.

I'll stand by my statement that it's a cut-down Model A Ford or maybe a T with A wheels.

RtR

[Otto Puzzell]

Now that's some fancy sleuthing!

[RayTheRat]

It was more than a 2-pipe solution, that's for damned sure.     Let's just hope that fulfills the requirements of the puzzle.

Meanwhile, I'm up in the middle of the night trying to get the weekly Target 550 post finished up before I turn into a pumpkin...or something like that...so I can (if all the celestial bodies line up) get the race car on the trailer and get the exhaust re-done.  One good thing about Chevy smallblocks: I don't have to come up with a "basket of snakes" exhaust like some of the 60s/70s F1 cars, although I know some guys who go to great lengths to use equal-length tubes in their headers.  I just buy a set from Hooker.   (Not buy a hooker.)

Have a good one,

RtR

[Ray B.]

Baby Jane Fury it is!
As for the basis of this "handmade car" I guess that you're right, knowing nothing more.


You've secured the first point. Amazing sleuthing as Otto said.
Now, having found this, you're inches away to finding the picture with the processing lab caption, Maila's hanwriting and so the rest of the w-w-w-w.

Still locked for RTR

[RayTheRat]

Here's the info from the photo:

It says "Baby Jane Fury & me - Dink took pic. - at Warner Bros. Studio" There's a stamp on the back from Kodak indicating it's a Kodacolor print and was developed the week of January 25th, 1954. "Dink", by the way, was Maila's first husband.

RtR

[Ray B.]

 
That's 2 points for Ray.

And you were right about the supposed "candy apple red"color, according to this testimony:

Baby Jane Fury wasn't actually candy apple red (clear red over silver), she was just red. It isn't visible in this photo, because maybe it was a later addition, but Maila told me that the car also had some pinstriping done in a daisy design.
This may indicate that she did knew Von Dutch, although the guy in the picture above, even with the third eye on his forehead, doesn't really look like him.

"Dink", aka Dean Riesner, was as "Dinky Dean" a child actor, appearing in Chaplin's "The Pilgrim", and later a successful screenwriter. He wrote several Clint Eastwood films, including his first, "Play Misty For Me", and "Dirty Harry".

[Otto Puzzell]

And the pic - nice job, Ray and Ray

[Ray B.]

Thanks!
And the true Von Dutch

[RayTheRat]

That's 2 points for Ray.

And you were right about the supposed "candy apple red"color, according to this testimony:

Baby Jane Fury wasn't actually candy apple red (clear red over silver gold), she was just red. It isn't visible in this photo, because maybe it was a later addition, but Maila told me that the car also had some pinstriping done in a daisy design. 

(Thinking about von Dutch striping a daisy design brings on a bad case of cognitive dissonance.  If ya read up on him a bit, you'll find that while he was, in many ways, like others of the "Beat Generation", he wasn't a very nice man.  Ironically, a man who was very much influenced by his work, Ed Roth, was a VERY nice guy.  I speak from experience on that.)

This may indicate that she did knew Von Dutch, although the guy in the picture above, even with the third eye on his forehead, doesn't really look like him.

"Dink", aka Dean Riesner, was as "Dinky Dean" a child actor, appearing in Chaplin's "The Pilgrim", and later a successful screenwriter. He wrote several Clint Eastwood films, including his first, "Play Misty For Me", and "Dirty Harry".

Thank you, good sir.  I feel like I've just won a marathon.  Well, either that or stopped pounding my head on a brick wall.  Both situations would seem to stop inflicting pain when they cease. 

Now...if I can just solve one more obsession...I mean puzzle...that's been nagging at me before I leave for the "Great White Dynomometer" (Bonneville Salt Flats) on Wednesday, I might be able to concentrate on Speed Week and not obsess over other stuff.  Fat frikkin chance.  Obsession is my middle name, it seems.

Anyway, I now know WAY more about Maila Nurmi than...well, I didn't know anything about her until this puzzle.  Now she seems like a deceased relative.

Great puzzle, Ray B.  (from one Ray B to another Ray B) 

RtR  (aka Ray B Jr...seriously)

[Carnut]

"Dink", aka Dean Riesner, was as "Dinky Dean" a child actor, appearing in Chaplin's "The Pilgrim", and later a successful screenwriter. He wrote several Clint Eastwood films, including his first, "Play Misty For Me", and "Dirty Harry".

I always thought "Dirty Harry" was written by Rita M. Fink and her husband, Harry Julian?!

[woodinsight]

Anyway, I now know WAY more about Maila Nurmi than...well, I didn't know anything about her until this puzzle.  Now she seems like a deceased relative.
[/quote]

[Ray B.]

"Dink", aka Dean Riesner, was as "Dinky Dean" a child actor, appearing in Chaplin's "The Pilgrim", and later a successful screenwriter. He wrote several Clint Eastwood films, including his first, "Play Misty For Me", and "Dirty Harry".

I always thought "Dirty Harry" was written by Rita M. Fink and her husband, Harry Julian?!

You're right, but they were not alone. According to Imdb, there also was Riesner , Jo Heims and even John Milius (uncredited).