Arleen Whelan (September 1, 1916 – April 7, 1993
) was an American film actress.
Early years
Whelan was a native of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Before she became an actress, she worked in Southern California as a manicurist, contributing her earnings to help with her family's expenses.
Career
Whelan appeared in 25 films between 1937 and 1957, reportedly after
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
director
H. Bruce Humberstone saw Whelan working as a manicurist in a barbershop. After her
screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...
, the studio cast Whelan as the female lead in a film version of
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...
's ''
Kidnapped
Kidnapped may refer to:
* subject to the crime of kidnapping
Literature
* ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
* ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...
'' (1938).
Whelan's
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
credits include ''Oh, Brother!'' (1945) and ''
The Doughgirls
''The Doughgirls'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by James V. Kern based on the 1942 hit Broadway play written by Joseph Fields. The film works around three newlywed couples, focusing on the Halstead couple, played by Jane Wyman and ...
'' (1942).
Personal life
Whelan wed
Alex D'Arcy
Alexander D'Arcy ( ar, ألكسندر دارسي;
10 August 1908 – 20 April 1996) was an Egyptian stage, television and film actor with an international film repertoire.
Career
Born Alexander Sarruf in Cairo, Egypt, D'Arcy, variously credited ...
(an actor) in September 1940, and they were divorced in 1943. On October 1, 1942, she married Hugh Owen (a film distributor). They separated on July 8, 1952, and she filed for divorce in 1953.
[ ] Her third marriage, to Warren O. Cagney, also ended in divorce.
[
On April 8, 1993, Whelan died in Orange, California, following a stroke.][
]
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Arleen
1916 births
1993 deaths
20th-century American actresses
American film actresses
Actresses from Salt Lake City
Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City