Who Are Those Gals? ~ Arlene Dahl

 

Arlene Carol Dahl, of Norwegian extraction, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 11, 1925. She was an American actress active in films from the late 1940s. Dahl was one of the last surviving stars from the Classical Hollywood cinema era. Arriving in Hollywood in 1946, she signed a brief contract with Warner Brothers, but she is best remembered for her work at MGM. “The Bride Goes Wild” (1948) was her first work at Metro. It was an odd but rather humorous love story, which starred Van Johnson and June Allyson.

Although her beauty captivated audiences, it ultimately limited her to smaller roles, and the mark she made at MGM was small. Some of her best films were “Reign of Terror” (1949), which actually required some acting and she acquitted herself quite well, “Three Little Words” (1950), “Woman's World” (1954), “Slightly Scarlet” (1956) and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (1959).

Leaving films behind her in 1959, her typecasting would pay off financially as she became a beauty columnist and writer. She later established herself as a businesswoman, founding Arlene Dahl Enterprises which marketed lingerie and Dahlia a perfume company.

She was married six times, two of whom were actors Lex Barker [1919-1973] from 1951-1952 and Fernando Lamas [1915-1982) from 1954-1960 (both appeared in Euro-westerns). She is the mother of actor star Lorenzo Lamas [1958- ], and actually made a guest appearance in his film “Night of the Warrior” (1991).

Dahl appeared in only one Euro-western 1969’s “Land Raiders” as Martha Cardenas the wife of Telly Savalas’ character.

Arlene Dahl died in Manhattan, New York on November 29, 2021. She was 96.

DAHL, Arlene (Arlene Carol Dahl) [8/11/1925, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. – 11/29/2021, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.] – writer, film, TV actress, singer, married to actor Lex Barker (Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr.) [1919–1973] (1951-1952), married to producer, director, writer, actor, singer Fernando Lamas [1915-1982] (1954-1960), mother of producer, director, stuntman, actor, singer Lorenzo Lamas (Lorenzo y de Santos Lamas) [1958-    ], married to Chris Holmes (Christian R. Holmes) [1923-1996] (1960-1964) mother of actress Carole Christina Holmes [1961-    ], married to entrepreneur, writer, Alexis Lichine [1913-1989] (1964-1969), married to industrialist Rounsevelle W. Schaum [1934-    ] (1969-1976) mother of Rounsevelle Andreas Schaum [1970-    ], married to packaging designer Marc Rosen [1947-    ] (1984-2021), grandmother of actor A.J. Lamas (Alvaro Joshua Lamas) [1983-    ], actress Shayne Lamas [1985-    ], director, actress Paton Ashbrook (Paton Lee Lamas) [1988-    ], actress Alexandra Lamas (Alexandra Lynne Lamas) [1997-    ], art department Victoria Lamas [1999-    ], Isabella Lamas [2001 -    ], founded Arlene Dahl Creations [1954].

Land Raiders – 1969 (Martha Cardenas)

Lex Barker Documentary – 2010 [herself]