TELE-FOLKS DIRECTORY - THE LIFE AND DEATH OF VIVICA ST. JOHN

‘SIX FEET UNDER’

“AN OPEN BOOK”

JEAN LOUISE McARTHUR 

September 9, 1957 – February 17, 2001

When we first met her, Jean Louise McArthur was a fading porn star who was born in Miami. Since the late 70s, she appeared in such adult films as “Easy Slider” and “Deep Diving”, but not under her birth name.  She chose as her screen name “Vivica St. John”.

VIVECA SCOTT

Her choice of the first name “Vivica” stemmed from her fascination with a high-profile murder case from the early 1970s – the owner of the cosmetics company Beauty Mark had been convicted of murder in the death of one of her company’s chemists.  Her name was Viveca Scott but Jean Louise altered the name by one letter.  (It had something to do with numerology; don’t ask me.) 

A catty book about the queen of cosmetics, focusing on the murder case, was written by her business rival David Lang and was entitled “Lovely But Lethal”.  Under her real name of Jean Louise McArthur and with the help of her agent Ari Gold, she bought the movie rights to the biography.  (The price may have become prohibitive had it been known a famous porn actress had bought the rights.)  It had been her dream to one day get out of the porn flick business and produce a mainstream movie about Viveca Scott in which she would play the lead.

 

DET. SGT. CASSIE ST. JOHN

As for her last name, the actress used a family name, that of her cousin back in Miami, Cassandra St. John.  Cassie St. John was a detective sergeant on the Miami Police Department, working with her ex-husband Detective Sergeant Tom Ryan.

Jean Louise McArthur died at the age of 43 in Los Angeles when she was electrocuted in her bath.  Her memorial service was held at the Fisher Funeral Home in Los Angeles.

"VIVICA ST. JOHN"

OTHER SHOWS CITED:

• ‘COLUMBO’ – “LOVELY BUT LETHAL”
• ‘SILK STALKINGS’
• 'ENTOURAGE'

BCnU!