biography

Arlene Dahl Stunning redhead Arlene Dahl was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 11, 1925. Early on, Dahl cultivated an interest in acting, and after completing high school she supported herself by working as a department store model. By the mid 1940s, she had made her way to Broadway, and in 1946 she signed a contract with Warner Bros. Her tenure at Warners was short-lived, with her only role coming in the 1947 release My Wild Irish Rose. However, the following year she went to MGM, where she was soon cast in such films as A Southern Yankee (1948; with Red Skelton and Brian Donlevy) and No Questions Asked (1951; with Barry Sullivan).

Arlene DahlArlene Dahl

LEFT: Late 1940s MGM publicity photo. RIGHT: Cheesecake shot of Arlene Dahl

Dahl proved to be disappointed in the roles offered her at MGM. After starring roles in the western romance Inside Straight (1951; with David Brian and Paula Raymond) and the noir thriller No Questions Asked (1951; with Barry Sullivan and Jean Hagen), Dahl left the studio and signed a contract with Pine-Thomas Productions to star in the adventure Caribbean (1952; with John Payne) and the noir thriller Jamaica Run (1953; with Ray Milland). Perhaps her best roles came in 1956, with the release of the noirs Slightly Scarlet (1956; with John Payne and Rhonda Fleming) and Wicked as They Come (1956; with Philip Carey), Soon, however, Dahl would virtually abandon her career.

Arlene Dahl and Lex BarkerArlene Dahl and Fernando Lamas

LEFT: With first husband Lex Barker in 1952. RIGHT: With second husband Fernando Lamas in 1957


Married six times, Arlene Dahl's most famous husbands were the first two: Lex Barker (1951-1952) and Fernando Lamas (1954-1960). Dahl's marriages have produced three children, including actor Lorenzo Lamas.

the films of arlene dahl

Inside Straight (1951)

Arlene Dahl and David Brian

With David Brian in Inside Straight

Desert Legion (1953)

Arlene DahlArlene DahlArlene DahlArlene Dahl

Stills from the Universal-International adventure flick Desert Legion

Woman's World (1954)

Arlene Dahl and Van Heflin

With Van Heflin in Woman's World


Slightly Scarlet (1956)

Rhonda Fleming and Arlene Dahl

With Rhonda Fleming in the film noir thriller Slightly Scarlet

Wicked as They Come (1956)

Arlene Dahl and Philip Carey

Dahl as the ruthless Kathy Allen in Wicked as They Come. Also pictured is Philip Carey

Kisses for My President (1964)

Arlene Dahl and Fred MacMurray

Dahl puts the moves on Fred MacMurray in the Warner Bros. farce Kisses for My President

Land Raiders (1969)

Arlene Dahl and George Maharis

Struggling with George Maharis in the Columbia western Land Raiders

later years

Arlene Dahl Although she was still in demand as an actress, Dahl virtually abandoned her acting career in the late 1950s for the business world. In 1951, she began writing a popular syndicated beauty column, and later in the 1950s, she took it a step further and started a highly successful company that marketed cosmetics and lingerie. In the 1960s and 1970s, she took on relatively few acting roles in films and television. However, when her cosmetics company went under in the early 1980s, she went back to acting, taking a recurring role on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. In the early 1990s, Dahl once again retired from the screen, this time to write an astrology column. Sadly, she passed away on November 29, 2021 at age 96. She is survived by her son, actor Lorenzo Lamas, daughter Carole, and son Rounsevelle.

filmography

FILM
Night of the Warrior (1991) with Lorenzo Lamas
Deadly Dream (1971) with Lloyd Bridges, Janet Leigh, Carl Betz, Leif Erickson, Don Stroud, Yvonne Gilbert, Richard Jaeckel, and Salome Jens
The Road to Katmandu (1969) with Elsa Martinelli
Land Raiders (1969) with George Maharis, Telly Savalas, Jocelyn Lane, and Guy Rolfe
Les Poneyttes (1967) with Corinne Clery
Kisses for My President (1964) with Fred MacMurray and Polly Bergen
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) with Pat Boone, James Mason, and Diane Baker
She Played with Fire (1957) with Christopher Lee
Wicked as They Come (1956) with Philip Carey
Slightly Scarlet (1956) with John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, and Lance Fuller
Bengal Brigade (1954) with Rock Hudson
Woman's World (1954) with Van Heflin, Cornel Wilde, and Lauren Bacall
The Diamond Queen (1953) with Michael Ansara, Fernando Lamas, and Gilbert Roland
Jamaica Run (1953) with Ray Milland and Wendell Corey
Here Come the Girls (1953) with Bob Hope and Rosemary Clooney
Sangaree (1953) with Fernando Lamas
Desert Legion (1953) with Alan Ladd and Richard Conte
Caribbean (1952) with John Payne
Inside Straight (1951) with David Brian, Mercedes McCambridge, and Lon Chaney Jr.
No Questions Asked (1951) with Barry Sullivan, Jean Hagen, and Mari Blanchard
The Outriders (1950) with Joel McCrea and Barry Sullivan
Watch the Birdie (1950) with Red Skelton and Ann Miller
Three Little Words (1950) with Fred Astaire and Red Skelton
Ambush (1949) with Robert Taylor and John Hodiak
Reign of Terror (1949) with Robert Cummings and Richard Basehart
Scene of the Crime (1949) with Van Johnson
A Southern Yankee (1948) with Red Skelton, Brian Donlevy, and John Ireland
The Bride Goes Wild (1948) with Van Johnson and June Allyson
My Wild Irish Rose (1947) with Dennis Morgan, Andrea King, and George O'Brien

TELEVISION SERIES
One Life to Live, 1968-2013 ABC daytime drama. Dahl portrayed Lucinda Schenck Wilson from 1981-1984.
Opening Night, 1958 TV series. Dahl served as the host of this dramatic anthology.
Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, 1953-1955 TV Series. Dahl served as the host of this anthology series during the 1953 season.

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Watch the trailer for Arlene Dahl's 1949 noir thriller Scene of the Crime

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Watch Arlene Dahl's 1956 crime drama Wicked as They Come
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This page premiered June 19, 2002.
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