Arlene Dahl, who has died aged 96, is best remembered for her successful acting career, but she also wrote a newspaper column for 20 years, penned books about astrology, designed fashion collections for Vogue Patterns, and even had her own perfume.
Speaking about his mother, the actor Lorenzo Lamas said: “I will remember her laughter, her joy, her dignity as she navigated the challenges that she faced.”
Dahl’s acting career peaked during the 50s. The film Journey to The Centre of the Earth (1959) was one of her most prominent roles. The movie, which is based on the story by Jules Verne, had a mixed critical reception, but was nominated for three Academy awards. Dahl, who played Carla Göteborg has said that she almost drowned during filming.
She greatly treasured her role in Three Little Words (1950). Having been a keen singer, the opportunity to perform her first song and dance in a motion picture, alongside working with Fred Astaire, meant a lot to her. When interviewed about the experience on The Paul Leslie Hour in 2015, she remembered it fondly, saying: “I felt like a princess because Fred was on the set every day.”
Born to Norwegian parents Rudolph and Idelle Dahl in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dahl described her childhood as “very happy”. Her father sold cars, while her mother was a homemaker. Both of them, she said, sang in the church choir and instilled in her a strong work ethic.
Dahl got her start in show business early. At the age of eight or nine, she took part in a local theatre production that was later made into a radio show.
Tragically, her mother passed away not long after she graduated from high school.
Following her father’s remarriage, she moved to Chicago. Her earliest job was as a model and buyer for department stores in the city.
At the age of 17, she turned down an offer from Jack Warner of Warner Bros because she was under contract for another production. However, she did eventually take up the offer and starred in films My Wild Irish Rose (1947) and Life With Father (1947). Later on, she moved to MGM, which was the more successful studio at the time, featuring in films The Bride Goes Wild (1948) and Scene of the Crime (1949).
Over the course of her life, Dahl married six times. Her last husband, Marc Rosen, was 18 years younger than her and they spent over 30 happy years together.
She is survived by him, her children Lorenzo, Carole and Stephen, nine grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She once said: “I believe in living every moment and making the best of it whatever cards you are dealt.”
Arlene Dahl, actor and writer, born 11 August 1925, died 29 November 2021
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