Roxanne Arlen (born Roxanne Giles; January 10, 1931 – February 22, 1989) was an American film and stage actress and model active in the 1950s and 1960s.[2][3]
Early years
Arlen was born Roxanne Giles[4] on January 10, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan.[5] Her father was Harry Giles, a chemist in Detroit. She graduated from
Highland Park High School when she was 16 and took drama classes at night at
Wayne State University while she was in high school. A modeling contest at the
Fox Theater in Detroit led to her career as an actress.[6]
Career
On Broadway, Arlen portrayed Gloria Coogle in Who Was That Lady I Saw You With? (1958).[5] Arlen left show business when she found herself being groomed for a sex-goddess role like that of
Marilyn Monroe.[7]
Personal life
Arlen was married to
Red Buttons from 1947 to 1949, Milton Gilman from 1949 to 1954, and Tom Roddy from 1954 to 1957. All three marriages ended in divorce.[5] She married William Shafer in 1960, and they had a daughter. In the 1970s, she began writing a play.[7]
She died in London, England, on February 22, 1989.[5]