Veronica Ericson: A Profile of a Mysterious Actress

Veronica Ericson is one of the most enigmatic figures from the cast of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Her life and career are shrouded in mystery, filled with conflicting information and significant gaps in her life story. Even the most basic facts about her identity are subject to speculation. The blog “a wasted life” describes her as one of the “Five Mysterians,” a group of actresses with small, often unknown roles.

Identity and Personal Life: A Web of Uncertainties

The greatest uncertainty surrounds her true identity. Throughout her career, she used a series of aliases, including:

Veronica Erickson
Ingrid Erickson
Erica Ericson
Veronica Reed
Bambi May

It is not certain which of these, if any, was her birth name.

Her personal background is equally unclear, with sources contradicting each other:

Birth Date: The most commonly cited date is August 16, 1944.
Origin: Various stories exist. Playboy magazine once claimed she was a Manhattan stockbroker trying to break into films. Fling cited Gary, Indiana, as her birthplace, while other sources suggested she was from Sweden — likely because of her appearance on You Bet Your Life, where she stated she was Swedish.
Later Life: What happened to her after her brief career is completely unknown. The sources do not mention where she went or whether she is still alive today.

Early TV and Modeling Work

Before and during her film appearances, Ericson was an active cheesecake and nude model for various men’s magazines in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With striking measurements of 39-23-37, she was a sought-after figure.

TV appearance:

You Bet Your Life – Episode #11.31 (May 11, 1961): Appearing under the name Veronica Reed, she introduced herself as being from Sweden, claiming to have traveled via Australia after winning a Miss Australia contest. On the show, she described how that victory earned her a world trip — a rare early glimpse of her on American television.

Around the same time, Ericson was also active as a glamour model:

As Veronica Reed, she appeared in Fling magazine (Fling Festival v7 – Fall 1961).
As Bambi May, she was the cover girl for Adam v5 #6 (1961), a magazine that even claimed her “real name” was Ingrid Erickson. She also turned up in Scamp (July 1961).

One of the highlights of her modeling career was an appearance in Playboy as a live-action version of the magazine’s famous “Femlin” cartoon mascot.

Film Career: A Series of Small, Often Unnoticed Roles

Her film career was short and consisted mainly of minor, often uncredited background roles. Due to the uncertainty surrounding her name, definitively identifying all her roles is challenging. The sources mention the following possible film appearances:

You Bet Your Life, Episode #11.31 (May 11, 1961): as
Blue Hawaii (1961): She is said to have had an uncredited bit part in this Elvis Presley film.
Europe in the Raw (1963): In this early pseudo-documentary by Russ Meyer, she was one of the few non-European women featured, ironically cast as a “French hooker”.
Russ Meyer’s Fanny Hill (1964): Her second film with Meyer, in which she had a speaking role as “Emily,” using the pseudonym “Erica Ericson”.
The Swinger (1966): An uncredited role as a model, appearing alongside fellow BVD actress Phyllis Davis.
No Way to Treat a Lady (1968): A possible uncredited role as a customer at Sardi’s restaurant.
Live a Little, Love a Little (1968): Her second film with Elvis Presley, in which she is uncredited as “Woman 2”.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970): Her third and final collaboration with Russ Meyer. She plays the unnamed blonde date of the character Lance Rocke during the party scene. Her part is described in the script simply as “BLONDE”. Many online sources mistakenly use a photo of actress Joyce Rees to identify her role.
The Don Is Dead (1973): In what appears to be her final film appearance, she played the uncredited role of “Zutti’s Girlfriend”.
The Yum-Yum Girls (1976): At least one website claims she plays the “Boom Boom Girl” in this film, though the source “a wasted life” expresses doubt about this credit.

Evidence & Identified Fragments

Because Veronica Ericson’s screen appearances were often uncredited, confirming her presence in specific films requires a careful process of visual comparison and cross-referencing with secondary sources. This section documents fragments where she is believed to appear, supported by screenshots, timestamps, and contextual notes. Each entry represents ongoing research, and new findings will be added as evidence surfaces.

Blue Hawaii (1961) – Background Scene

Timestamp: 01:21:26
Description: Veronica Ericson is believed to appear in the background with two men, seemingly as a guest at the resort. The scene takes place before dinner, near the garden area.
Analysis: Based on her figure and the contours of her face, I believe she can be recognized from various photos — the narrow waist, fuller bust, blonde hair, and slender facial features. The woman closely resembles Ericson’s later confirmed role in Fanny Hill (1964). While not officially credited, the visual similarities strongly suggest her presence.

Veronica Ericson is believed to appear in the background with two men, seemingly as a guest at the resort — Screenshot

Europe in the Raw (1963) – French hooker in Berlin

Timestamp: 00:30:44
Description: Set in West Berlin at the Fair Lady film bar, Veronica Ericson performs a dance that begins behind a glass panel, leading into a striptease sequence.
Analysis: The dancer looks very much like Veronica Ericson — the figure, the smile, even the signature curves all seem to match. I’m pretty convinced, but take a look yourself and see what you think.

Fanny Hill (1964)– Veronica Ericson in Victorian Style

Timestamp: 00:10:20
Description: The scene takes place in a stylized Victorian-era setting, consistent with the playful tone of the film’s period comedy. Characters gather in a lavish interior, with the atmosphere mixing costume drama and Russ Meyer’s signature tongue-in-cheek sensuality.
Analysis: Veronica Ericson is clearly visible here. Her familiar facial features, blonde hair, and figure strongly suggest her presence in this sequence.

The Swinger (1966) – Veronica Ericson as a Model

Timestamps & Scenes:

04:30 – Wearing red pants and a black-and-white striped blouse, Veronica is seen walking down the sidewalk and entering a building, possibly accompanied by a friend.
17:46 – Appears in a beauty contest sequence, seated in the top row, second from the right, wearing a bikini.
22:00 – Again in red pants with a striped white blouse, entering what appears to be an office setting.

Description:
Veronica Ericson appears in at least two distinct moments. In one, she seems to be portrayed as a model entering a modeling agency building. Later, she takes part in a staged beauty contest sequence, clearly visible among the contestants.

Analysis:
Ericson is clearly recognizable in these scenes, her features matching those seen in her other screen appearances. Notably, she is seen alongside fellow Beyond the Valley of the Dolls actress Phyllis Davis, further connecting her to Meyer’s circle of performers.

Her career seems to have ended abruptly after 1973 (or possibly 1976), after which she vanished from the public eye.

No Way To Treat A Lady (1968) – Diner in Sardi’s

Timestamp: 1:06:00 – 1:06:31

Description:
Veronica Ericson appears seated at a table in the famous Sardi’s restaurant, wearing a bright, colorful red blouse. She is shown dining during the background action of the scene.

Analysis:
Though uncredited, her facial features and styling are consistent with Ericson’s known appearances. The placement in this recognizable New York landmark adds charm to her brief but noticeable cameo.

Live a Little, Love a Little (1968)– Veronica as an extra

Timestamp: 01:01:33 (combined from 16:49 and 44:44)

Description:
Veronica Ericson appears as an extra wearing a white dress during a large party sequence. Elvis Presley passes close by while performing the song, singing “come on, come on…” as he moves past her.

Analysis:
I have to admit, I’m not 100% certain here — but the face really does look like Veronica Ericson. The resemblance in her features is strong enough to make me lean toward it being her. Her figure is a bit harder to judge in this scene (especially with the white dress), so for me the identification rests mainly on the face.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) – Veronica as a Party girl

Timestamps:

13:30 – Veronica appears dancing in a striking blue dress. She delivers the line “You’re a moon child,” to a man across from her, who snaps back with “You’re a bitch.” The whole exchange lasts only about three seconds, but it’s unmistakably her.
15:33 – Later, she’s seen dancing with Lance Rocke (played by Michael Blodgett), again in the same low-cut blue dress that perfectly shows off her famous curves.

Analysis:
Here there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind — this is Veronica Ericson. The face, the voice, the figure: everything lines up. It’s one of her most noticeable appearances, and the blue dress makes her presence impossible to miss.

The Don is Death (1973)- Veronica Ericson as Zutti’s Girlfriend

Timestamp: 1:28:30

Description:
In this scene set during Zutti’s birthday celebration at a restaurant, Veronica Ericson appears seated beside him in a bright red dress, her blonde hair standing out clearly. A large cake is brought in, she smiles happily at his side, and Zutti blows out the candles — only to be gunned down moments later by two waiters who open fire.

Analysis:
I find her fairly recognizable here. The face looks very much like Ericson, and the styling — red dress, blonde hair — makes her stand out. She even has a couple of small lines, which adds to the credibility of this being her. While not formally credited, I’m convinced enough to count this as one of her later on-screen appearances.