Dale Arden is a fictional character, the fellow adventurer and

love interest ''Gli Innamorati'' (, meaning "The Lovers") were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the Lovers in some regard. These dramatic and pos ...

of Flash Gordon and a prototypic heroine for later female characters, including Princess Leia and Padme Amidala in '' Star Wars''. Flash, Dale and Dr.

Hans Zarkov Dr. Hans Zarkov is a fictional character appearing in the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip and the following serials, films, television shows and comic books. Zarkov is a brilliant scientist who creates a rocket and forces Flash and Dale Arden to co ...

fight together against

Ming the Merciless Ming the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, television series and film adaptation. Ming is depicted as ...

Profile

Dale is Flash Gordon's constant companion in his adventures, as well as his one true love. The emperor Ming the Merciless is immediately attracted to her and the early strips were essentially based on Flash's heroic efforts to rescue Dale from Ming's many attempts to marry her. Filmation's Flash Gordon's Bible portrayed Dale Arden as follows:

Alex Raymond's comic strip

Dale Arden is introduced in the first ''Flash Gordon'' story, July 7, 1934, as simply "a passenger" on the plane Flash is flying on. After the plane is hit by a meteor, Flash saves Dale by parachuting to the ground. The two are then abducted by Dr. Zarkov, who takes them on his rocket to the planet Mongo. In the 1930s comic strips, Dale often comes into conflict with other female characters who desire Flash romantically (such as

Princess Aura Princess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She has been portrayed by various actresses in the many ''Flash Gordon'' adaptations in film and television. Character overview Aura is the daughter of the ser ...

and Queen Azura).

Comic books

In the 2011 Dynamite Comics ''Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist'', Dale Arden is a cartographer and researcher for the State Department in 1934. As in Raymond's original story, she and Flash are abducted by Zarkov and brought to Mongo. In the later Dynamite Comics ''Flash Gordon'' series, Dale Arden is a modern-day science journalist with a special interest in the space program, as well as a feminist. She travels with Zarkov and Flash on the former's Z-Plane to Mongo.

In other media

*Dale's broadcast debut was in a Hearst Radio series that ran from April to October 1935. The actress who played her is unknown. *Dale was first portrayed on film by

Jean Rogers Jean Rogers (born Eleanor Dorothy Lovegren, March 25, 1916 – February 24, 1991) was an American actress who starred in serial films in the 1930s and low–budget feature films in the 1940s as a leading lady. She is best remembered for ...

in the film serials ''

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' adve ...

'' (1936) and ''

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ''Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars'' is a 1938 Universal Pictures 15–chapter science-fiction movie serial based on the syndicated newspaper comic strip ''Flash Gordon''. It is the second of the three Flash Gordon serials made by Universal between 1 ...

'' (1938). *In the 1940 serial, ''

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe ''Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe'' is a 1940 American black-and-white science fiction 12-chapter movie serial from Universal Pictures, produced by Henry MacRae and co-directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. The serial stars Buster Crabbe, Ca ...

'', Dale was portrayed by Carol Hughes. *

Irene Champlin Irene Champlin (born Irene Parsons; March 16, 1931 – July 10, 1990) was an American actress. Biography She was born in Waurika, Oklahoma. Her most prominent role was as Dale Arden in the 1954–1955 syndicated television series '' Flash Gordo ...

took the role for the 1954 ''

'' television series. Champlin was praised for transforming Arden from the typical

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a recurring narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has either been kidnapped or placed in general peril. Kinship, love, or lust (or a combination of those) gives the male protagonist the motiv ...

of the serials into a trained scientist and a "quick thinker who often saved lash and Zarkovfrom perishing". * Meltem Mete portrayed in Dale in the 1967 Turkish film ''Flash Gordon's Battle in Space'' (AKA ''Baytekin – Fezada Çarpisanlar'' in Turkish). Here Dale is depicted as a spy who helps Flash. *

Diane Pershing Diane Pershing (born May 27, 1943) is an American voice actress. She began her singing career as a back-up singer for Johnny Mathis and went on to appear in the show group, The Establishment, on tour and on TV. She also voiced Poison Ivy in th ...

provided the voice for the character in the 1979

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...

series. Filmation's version of the character was a newspaper reporter. *In 1980, Dale was portrayed by

Melody Anderson Melody Anderson (born December 3, 1955) is a Canadian retired actress, social worker and public speaker specializing in the impact of addiction on families. As an actress, her most high-profile role was playing Dale Arden in the 1980 adaptation ...

in the film ''

'', produced by

Dino De Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...

. In this version of the story, Dale is a New York travel agent. *During the course of the 1980s Marvel animated series ''

Defenders of the Earth ''Defenders of the Earth'' is an American animated television series produced in 1986, featuring characters from three comic strips distributed by King Features Syndicate—Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Mandrake's assista ...

'', Dale is captured and killed by Ming, but her consciousness is left trapped inside a crystal Flash uses to power the Defenders' base on Earth, Monitor. Dale is reborn as the heart of the base, Dynak. *

Lexa Doig Alexandra Doig (born June 8, 1973) is a Canadian actress. She played the title role in the science fiction television series '' Andromeda'' (2000–2005). She also played the lead female role of Rowan in the science fiction-action horror film ...

voiced Dale in the 1996 animated series ''

''. *

Gina Holden Gina Holden (born March 17, 1975) is a Canadian actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Coreen Fennel in '' Blood Ties'', Dale Arden in '' Flash Gordon'', and Shea Allen in ''Harper's Island''. Early life Holden was born in the small to ...

portrayed Dale in the 2007 ''

'' television series.

Parodies

*In the 1974 adult film spoof ''

Flesh Gordon ''Flesh Gordon'' is a 1974 American sex comedy feature film serving as a spoof of Universal Pictures first (of three) ''Flash Gordon'' serial films from the 1930s. The film was produced by Walter R. Cichy, Bill Osco, and Howard Ziehm. It was co ...

'', the character is renamed Dale Ardor and is portrayed by Cindy Hopkins, aka Suzanne Fields.

References

Notes Bibliography * * . {{DEFAULTSORT:Arden, Dale Comics characters introduced in 1934 Fictional reporters Flash Gordon characters Female characters in comics Fictional feminists and women's rights activists