Actress Maila Nurmi, who gave life to character Vampira, the glamorous horror-movie hostess, died at the age of 85.

Nurmi died Thursday afternoon at her Hollywood home, Los Angeles County coroner's Lt. Fred Corral said. The cause of death has not been determined, Corral said.

The television personality created her spooky-yet-sexy character, complete with revealing black gown, smoky eyes and blood-red lipstick, to host horror movie broadcasts on KABC TV in Los Angeles in 1954, as she introduced flicks like "Revenge of the Zombies" and "Devil Bat's Daughter."

Nurmi said that in creating Vampira, she went beyond the Addams cartoon, developing an alter ego influenced by beatnik culture and her experiences as a child of the Depression.

"I bound my bosoms, so that I was flat-chested," Nurmi said, "and I got a wig, and painted my body a kind of a mauve white pancake with a little lavender powder so that I looked as though I'd been entombed."

Born Maila Syrjäniemi in Finland, Nurmi immigrated to the United States as a child and was later discovered by Howard Hawks.

Although "The Vampira Show" was canceled after about a year, Nurmi remained a cult figure among B-movie buffs and is thought to have inspired the Morticia Addams on "The Addams Family," which premiered a decade later.

Nurmi’ movie credits include Ed Wood’s "Plan 9 From Outer Space" where she played Bela Lugosi's mate, "Sex Kittens Go to College," "The Beat Generation" and "The Big Operator."