Arlene Dahl

Arlene Dahl

Dahl in 1953
Born Arlene Carol Dahl
(1925-08-11) August 11, 1925
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Alma mater University of Minnesota
Occupation Actress, businesswoman, columnist
Years active 1947–99
Spouse(s) Lex Barker (m. 1951; div. 1952)
Fernando Lamas (m. 1954; div. 1960)
Christian R. Holmes (m. 1960; div. 1964)
Alexis Lichine (m. 1964; div. 1969)
Rounsevelle W. Schaum (m. 1969; div. 1976)
Marc Rosen (m. 1984)
Children Lorenzo Lamas (b. 1958)
Christina Carole Holmes (b. 1961)
Rounsevelle Andreas Schaum (b. 1970)

Arlene Carol Dahl (born August 11, 1925)[1][2] is an American actress and former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract star, who achieved notability during the 1950s. She has three children, the eldest of whom is actor Lorenzo Lamas.

Personal life

Dahl was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of Norwegian descent, to Idelle (née Swan) and Rudolph S. Dahl, a Ford Motor dealer and executive.[3] She cites her year of birth as 1928,[4] although her birth record (1925-43442), available through the Minnesota Historical Society, shows she was born on August 11, 1925.[1] An August 13, 2014 article in The New York Social Diary by David Patrick Columbia, entitled "Losses and Gains", references her 89th birthday celebration with her husband, children and family.[2]

After graduating from Washburn High School, she held various jobs, including performing in a local drama group and briefly working as a model for department stores. Dahl's mother was involved in local amateur theatre. As a child, Dahl took elocution and dancing lessons and was active in theatrical events at Margaret Fuller Elementary School, Ramsey Junior High School and Washburn Senior High School. Dahl briefly attended the University of Minnesota.

In the early 1950s, she met actor Lex Barker; they wed on April 16, 1951, and divorced the following year, and Dahl went on to marry another matinee idol, Fernando Lamas. (Barker later married Lana Turner.) In 1958, Dahl and Lamas had their only child, Lorenzo Lamas. Shortly after giving birth to Lorenzo, Dahl slowed and eventually ended her career as an actress, although she still appeared in movies and on television occasionally.[5]

Dahl and Lamas divorced in 1960, and Dahl later remarried. In addition to Lorenzo Lamas, Dahl has two other children: a daughter Christina Carole Holmes (born August 3, 1961) by third husband Christian R. Holmes, and a second son, Rounsevelle Andreas Schaum (born December 8, 1970), by her fifth husband, Rounsevelle W. Schaum. She has six grandchildren, one of whom is Shayne Lamas, and two great-grandchildren, and divides her time between New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida. Dahl has been married to Marc Rosen, a packaging designer, since 1984.[6]

Career

Dahl began her acting career in 1947. She reached the peak of her popularity and success in the 1950s. Her films include: Reign of Terror (1949), Three Little Words (1950), Slightly Scarlet (1956), and Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959).[5]

Dahl was both a mystery guest and a panelist on the CBS game show What's My Line?. In 1953, she hosted ABC's anthology series The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse. In 1960, she played the role of Lucy Belle in the episode "That Taylor Affair" of Riverboat, alongside Darren McGavin.[5]

She appeared on ABC's soap opera One Life to Live from 1981-84 as Lucinda Schenck Wilson. The character was planned as a short-termed role (she guest-starred from late 1981 to early 1982 and in late 1982), but Dahl was later offered a one-year contract to appear on the series from September 1983 to October 1984. Her last feature film, which followed a hiatus of more than two decades, was Night of the Warrior (1991), which co-starred her son, Lorenzo Lamas.[5]

Dahl began writing a syndicated beauty column in 1952,[6] and opened Arlene Dahl Enterprises in 1954, marketing cosmetics and designer lingerie.[7] After closing her company in 1967, she began working as a vice president at ad agency Kenyon and Eckhardt that same year.[7] Dahl moved to Sears Roebuck as director of beauty products in 1970, earning nearly $750,000 annually, but left in 1975 to found her short-lived fragrance company Dahlia.[6][7] She entered the field of astrology in the 1980s, writing a syndicated column and later operating a premium phoneline company.[7] Dahl has written more than two dozen books on the topics of beauty and astrology.[8]

Filmography

Year Title Role
1947 My Wild Irish Rose Rose Donovan
1948 The Bride Goes Wild Tillie Smith Oliver
A Southern Yankee Sallyann Weatharby
1949 Scene of the Crime Gloria Conovan
Reign of Terror Madelon
1950 Ambush Ann Duverall
The Outriders Jen Gort
Three Little Words Eileen Percy
Watch the Birdie Lucia Corlone
1951 Inside Straight Lily Douvane
No Questions Asked Ellen Sayburn Jessman
1952 Caribbean Christine Barclay McAllister
1953 Desert Legion Morjana
Jamaica Run Ena Dacey
Sangaree Nancy Darby
Here Come the Girls Irene Bailey
The Diamond Queen Queen Maya
1954 Woman's World Carol Talbot
Bengal Brigade Vivian Morrow
1956 Slightly Scarlet Dorothy Allen
Wicked as They Come Kathleen "Kathy" Allen
1957 Fortune Is a Woman Sarah Moreton Branwell[note 1]
1959 Journey to the Center of the Earth Carla Goetabaug
1964 Kisses for My President Doris Reid Weaver
1967 Les Poneyttes Shoura Cassidy
1969 The Pleasure Pit Laureen
Land Raiders Martha Cardenas
1991 Night of the Warrior Edie Keane
2003 Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There Herself

Television work

Year Title Role Notes
1953-1954 The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse Host
1954-1955 Lux Video Theatre Ilsa Lund Episodes: "Casablanca" and "September Affair"
The Ford Television Theatre Mary McNeil/Jody Hill 2 episodes
1958 Opening Night Host (canceled after a few weeks)
1963-1965 Burke's Law Princess Kortzoff/Eva Martinelli/Gloria Cooke/Maggie French 4 episodes
1965 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Valerie Episode: "Perilous Time"
1971 Deadly Dream Connie Television movie
1976 Jigsaw John Episode: "Sand Trap"
1979-1987 The Love Boat Monica Cross/Natalie Martin/Ellen Kirkwood/Jessica York 4 episodes
1981 Fantasy Island Amelia Shelby 1 Episode
1981-1984 One Life to Live Lucinda Schenk Wilson
1995-1997 Renegade Virginia Biddle/Elaine Carlisle 2 episodes
1995 All My Children Lady Lucille
1999 Air America Cynthia Garland Episode: "Eye of the Storm"

Radio appearances

Year Program Episode/source
1953 Broadway Playhouse "No Man of Her Own"[9]
1953 Stars over Hollywood "Remember Bill"[9]

Bibliography

Notes

  1. Released in the United States as She Played with Fire (1958)

References

  1. 1 2 "Search Birth Certificates Index". Minnesota Historical Society. CERTID# 1925-43442. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Columbia, David Patrick (August 13, 2014). "Losses and Gains". New York Social Diary. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  3. "Arlene Dahl profile at". FilmReference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  4. Chase's Calendar of Events 2013 (56th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. 2013. p. 403. ISBN 978-0-07-180117-1.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Arlene Dahl on IMDb
  6. 1 2 3 Stark, John (January 21, 1985). "Arlene Takes Her Sixth Husband Or: It's So Nice to Have a Young Man Around the House, Dahl-Ing". People. 23 (3).
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Arlene Dahl biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  8. "Arlene Dahl Shares Her Horoscope Insights". Larry King Live via CNN.com. May 9, 2001. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  9. 1 2 Kirby, Walter (May 31, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. 40. Retrieved June 30, 2015 via Newspapers.com.
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