Dorothy Arnold (born Dorothy Arnoldine Olson; November 21, 1917 – November 13, 1984) was an American film actress. Her 20-year movie career began with 1937's ''Freshies'' and ended with ''Fräulein''. She was the first wife of baseball star

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...

Early life

She was born Dorothy Arnoldine Olson in

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

, of Norwegian heritage, the third of five daughters. Her father was a

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

for

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

; her mother was a housewife.

Career

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 Lizzie or Lizzy is a nickname for Elizabeth or Elisabet, often given as an independent name in the United States, especially in the late 19th century. Lizzie can also be the shortened version of Lizeth, Lissette or Lizette. People * Elizabe ...

'' as the wanton,

immoral Immorality is the violation of moral laws, norms or standards. It refers to an agent doing or thinking something they know or believe to be wrong. Immorality is normally applied to people or actions, or in a broader sense, it can be applied to gr ...

mother of the title character. She also guest starred on TV's ''The Adventures of Jim Bowie'', and ''Dragnet''.

Personal life

Arnold met DiMaggio in 1937 on the set of the film ''

Manhattan Merry-Go-Round ''Manhattan Merry-Go-Round'' is an NBC musical variety radio program that was broadcast from November 6, 1932, until April 17, 1949. The musical revue was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert. Sponsored by Dr. Lyon's Tooth Powder, the radio seri ...

''. He had a minor speaking role; she had no lines. She was 19; he was 23. They married three days before her 22nd birthday on November 18, 1939, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. Their son, Joseph Paul DiMaggio III, was born at Doctors Hospital. In 1944, Arnold and DiMaggio divorced. Though they didn't speak much during the divorce, the divorce was an amicable one. Her next marriage was to stockbroker George Schubert in 1946. They divorced in 1950. She married Ralph Peck (Peckovich) on August 27, 1970, with whom she remained until her death. 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 Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

as a threat to the boy's morals.

Later years and death

Arnold lived with Peck in

Cathedral City City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the the Crown, monarch of the United Kingdom to specific centres of population, which might or might not meet the generally accepted definition of city, cities. , there are List of cities in the Un ...

. They owned and operated a

supper club A supper club is a traditional dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class imag ...

called "Charcoal Charley's", where she regularly performed for the club's patrons. ''

The Desert Sun ''The Desert Sun'' is a local daily newspaper serving Palm Springs and the surrounding Coachella Valley in Southern California. History First issued on August 5, 1927, as a weekly six-page newspaper, ''The Desert Sun'' grew with the desert co ...

'' stated that she died from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

eight days before her 67th birthday at ''La Gloria Clinic'' in

Ensenada, Mexico Ensenada ("inlet") is a city in Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Located on Bahía de Todos Santos, the city had a population of 279,765 in 2018, making it the third-largest city in Baja Californ ...

. She is interred at

Desert Memorial Park Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs. Opening in 1956 and receiving its first interment in 1957,The Palm Springs Cemetery District itself was covers 504 square ...

. "Dorothy Arnold"
by Anthony Bush

Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and statistical record of baseball. The organization was founded in Cooperstown, New York, on Au ...

; retrieved September 20, 2023

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, Dorothy 1917 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses Actresses from Duluth, Minnesota American people of Norwegian descent American television actresses Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Mexico Joe DiMaggio