Before her untimely death in a car accident at the age of 34 in 1967, this voluptuous actress was once described by the New York Times as a "weak imitation of Marilyn Monroe." Who was she?

Throughout her career, Jayne Mansfield was frequently and intentionally compared to Marilyn Monroe. Both were famous "blonde bombshells" of the 1950s, and 20th Century Fox, the studio both actresses worked for, openly marketed Mansfield as a successor or alternative to the often-difficult Monroe. The New York Times critique calling her a "weak imitation" was from a review of her starring role in the 1957 film "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?". Mansfield leaned into this flamboyant, publicity-hungry persona, famously living in a pink-themed mansion known as the "Pink Palace."

Her life was cut tragically short, matching the other details of the clue. In the early hours of June 29, 1967, the car Mansfield was a passenger in crashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer in Louisiana. The 34-year-old actress was killed instantly. The gruesome nature of the accident led to a lasting public safety legacy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration later mandated that all semi-truck trailers be fitted with a steel bar underneath to prevent cars from sliding under in a rear-end collision. This safety feature is still known today as a "Mansfield bar."

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