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

Early years

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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

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On Broadway, Van Vooren played in John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953–54) and Man on the Moon (1975).[7] In the 1960s, Van Vooren also starred in 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]

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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

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References

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  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.
  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. ^ Vooren, Monique Van (1981). Night Sanctuary. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. ISBN 0451120558.
  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.
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