| Dorothy Arnold | |
| Birth Name: | Dorothy Arnoldine Olson |
| Birth Date: | 21 November 1917 |
| Birth Place: | Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Ensenada, Mexico |
| Resting Place: | Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 1937–1958 |
| Children: | Joseph Paul DiMaggio III |
Dorothy Arnold (born Dorothy Arnoldine Olson; November 21, 1917 – November 13, 1984)[1] was an American film actress. Her 20-year movie career began with 1937's Freshies and ended with Fräulein.[2] She was the first wife of baseball star Joe DiMaggio.
She was born Dorothy Arnoldine Olson in Duluth, Minnesota, of Norwegian heritage, the third of five daughters. Her father was a conductor for Northern Pacific Railway; her mother was a housewife.[3]
Arnold appeared in 15 films between 1937 and 1939. She portrayed Jean Drew in The Phantom Creeps, and Gloria DeVere in The House of Fear. She won praise for her performance in 1957's Lizzie as the wanton, immoral mother of the title character. She also guest starred on TV's The Adventures of Jim Bowie, and Dragnet.
Arnold met DiMaggio in 1937 on the set of the film Manhattan Merry-Go-Round. He had a minor speaking role; she had no lines. She was 19; he was 23.[4] They married three days before her 22nd birthday on November 18, 1939, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in San Francisco.[5] Their son, Joseph Paul DiMaggio III, was born at Doctors Hospital.[6] In 1944, Arnold and DiMaggio divorced.[7] Though they didn't speak much during the divorce, the divorce was an amicable one.[8]
Her next marriage was to stockbroker George Schuster in 1946. They divorced in 1950. She married Ralph Peck (Peckovich) on August 27, 1970, with whom she remained until her death.[9]
Arnold made headlines in 1952 when she sued DiMaggio for sole custody of their son and increased support payments, citing Joe's new girlfriend Marilyn Monroe as a threat to the boy's morals.[10]
Arnold lived with Peck in Cathedral City. They owned and operated a supper club called "Charcoal Charley's", where she regularly performed for the club's patrons. [11]
The Desert Sun stated that she died from pancreatic cancer eight days before her 67th birthday at La Gloria Clinic in Ensenada, Mexico. [12] She is interred at Desert Memorial Park. [13] [14]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Freshies | Singer | Short | |
| Manhattan Merry-Go-Round | Dancer | Uncredited Alternative title: Manhattan Music Box | ||
| 1938 | The Storm | Nora, Bar Girl | ||
| Exposed | Hatcheck Girl | Uncredited | ||
| Secrets of a Nurse | Secretary | |||
| Gambling Ship | Hostess | Uncredited | ||
| 1939 | The Phantom Creeps | Jean Drew | Serial, Alternative title: The Shadow Creeps | |
| Pirates of the Skies | Waitress | Uncredited | ||
| You Can't Cheat an Honest Man | First Debutante | Uncredited | ||
| Risky Business | Helen | Uncredited | ||
| The Family Next Door | Cashier | |||
| Code of the Streets | Mildred | |||
| Unexpected Father | Sally | Alternative title: Sandy Takes a Bow | ||
| The House of Fear | Gloria DeVere | |||
| Hero for a Day | Dorothy | |||
| 1957 | Lizzie | Elizabeth's Mother | ||
| 1958 | Fräulein | Woman with Hugo | Uncredited (final film role) |
| Year | TV series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | The Files of Jeffrey Jones | Episode "Squeeze Play" | |
| 1954 | The Lone Wolf | Nancy St. Clair | Episode "The Robbery Store" |
| 1957 | The Adventures of Jim Bowie | Cherry Blondell | Episode "Jackson's Assassination" |
| Dragnet | Episode "The Big Help" |