Carl Abrahamsson’s Trapart Books recently release California Infernal, a book of photos taken by Walter Fischer and text by Abrahamsson, Kenneth Anger and Alf Wahlgren. The Trapart site describes the book thusly:
“Movie star Jayne Mansfield and notorious Satanist Anton LaVey met in 1966. Both were publicity conscious and made the most of the meetings, which evolved into friendship. Almost always present was German paparazzo Walter Fischer, stationed in Hollywood and catering to image- and scandal-hungry photo magazines all over the world.
“Fischer’s unique collection of photos takes us straight into the ritual chamber of the Church of Satan in LaVey’s infamous “black house” in San Francisco, as well as into Mansfield’s Hollywood “pink palace”. We also get to follow LaVey on excursions to his friend Forrest “Famous Monsters of Filmland” Ackerman, to Marilyn Monroe’s grave, to TV studios and back to Satanic weddings and baptisms at the Church of Satan HQ.
“These were wild and narcissistic times in America. Few understood the power of media exposure better than Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey. Captured alone or together by master paparazzo Walter Fischer, this devilishly handsome couple made headlines that still resonate today.
“The book also contains an introduction by legendary filmmaker Kenneth Anger, and forewords by writer Carl Abrahamsson and collector Alf Wahlgren.
“This book comes in a standard hardbound edition (400 copies) and a limited deluxe edition (33 hand-numbered copies, which include a print of one of the images from the book).
The book comprises 144 pages, more than 100 unseen and rare photographs of Anton LaVey and Jayne Mansfield, size 21 x 25 cm, hardbound with dust jacket.
Jayne was not a Satanist. LaVey used her for publicity when she was most fragile. Jayne was very spiritual and wore a cross around her neck.
Many of LaVey’s followers, including his daughter, would claim that Anton LaVey was not a true “Satanist” and may not have believed in the objective existence of Satan and if he did, was not doing active worship of Satan as a deity. It’s supposed that his was more of a humanist philosophy that rejected certain Christian sects’ disdain for sexual pleasure and Satan was just a sexy brand. At least that’s what some say. So, Mansfield could have been comfortable with LaVey’s philosophy while having a different set of spiritual beliefs. The cross, while normally associated with Christianity, was a mystic symbol before the time of Jesus of Nazareth, and continued to be a mystic symbol outside of Christian religious contexts.
Finally, if Anton used Jayne for publicity – likely she was likewise using him to the same end to help create a public image with greater depth and edge than Hollywood had made for her.
I will admit, all the above is conjecture.