Vanna White

Every now and then a celebrity appears upon the American show business scene analysis knows not of. It is more often than not a woman whose notoriety, publicity or appearance seems inexplicably to grasp public imagination and go click. What results is a faddish fascination with a person as product, pop phenomenon, fast food sensation, human hula hoop. Vanna White is such a person.Discovered by Merv Griffin, who chose her from over two hundred other hopefuls for her position as hostess of television's syndicated quiz show, "Wheel of Fortune", White got the job (says Griffin) because of her "Rita Hayworth look." Since then her one foray into acting--in 1988's TV Movie "Goddess of Love"--produced no other comparisons to the great 1940s Love Goddess.But she's still a big wheel on the Home Shopping Network, enough to sustain a certain degree of Vannamania. Why all the fuss? Perhaps because White seems friendly and decidedly ordinary, the majorette who made good and got all dressed up to visit middle America's living rooms, diverting her viewing audience with their idea of glamour. Anyway, she receives $250,000 a year for taping four days a month--not bad for flipping letters, as she gazes into the camera...

Every now and then a celebrity appears upon the American show business scene analysis knows not of. It is more often than not a woman whose notoriety, publicity or appearance seems inexplicably to grasp public imagination and go click. What results is a faddish fascination with a person as product, pop phenomenon, fast food sensation, human hula hoop. Vanna White is such a person.

Discovered by Merv Griffin, who chose her from over two hundred other hopefuls for her position as hostess of television's syndicated quiz show, "Wheel of Fortune", White got the job (says Griffin) because of her "Rita Hayworth look." Since then her one foray into acting--in 1988's TV Movie "Goddess of Love"--produced no other comparisons to the great 1940s Love Goddess.

But she's still a big wheel on the Home Shopping Network, enough to sustain a certain degree of Vannamania. Why all the fuss? Perhaps because White seems friendly and decidedly ordinary, the majorette who made good and got all dressed up to visit middle America's living rooms, diverting her viewing audience with their idea of glamour. Anyway, she receives $250,000 a year for taping four days a month--not bad for flipping letters, as she gazes into the camera with the smile of a quiz show Mona Lisa.

CAST: (feature film)