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Roxanne Arlen

Performer

Roxanne Arlen is a Broadway performer. Explore their Broadway credits, shows, and songs below.

Part of our Broadway Credits Database, a resource for musical theater fans.

About

Roxanne Arlen, born Roxanne Giles on January 10, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan, was an American actress and model whose career spanned film, television, and stage work during the 1950s and 1960s. She died on February 22, 1989, in London, England.

Arlen grew up in Detroit, where her father, Harry Giles, worked as a chemist. She completed her secondary education at Highland Park High School at age 16, during which time she enrolled in evening drama classes at Wayne State University. Her entry into professional entertainment came through a modeling contest she won at Detroit's Fox Theater.

Her film career began in the mid-1950s and included roles in Battle Cry (1955), Son of Sinbad (1955), and Illegal (1955). She appeared in several 1956 productions, among them Miracle in the Rain, Bundle of Joy, Everything but the Truth, Hot Rod Girl, and The Best Things in Life Are Free. In 1955, she was named a WAMPUS Baby Star. Her later film credits included The Young Stranger (1957), The Big Caper (1957), Slim Carter (1957), Gypsy (1962), Bachelor Flat (1962), A House Is Not a Home (1964), and The Loved One (1965).

On television, Arlen appeared in two episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, playing Donna Dew in the 1956 episode "The Legacy" and Miss LaLune in the 1957 episode "I Killed the Count Part 2." She also appeared in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink," which aired on December 14, 1957, as Mae Nolan, and in the Colgate Theatre episode "Adventures of a Model" in 1958.

Her Broadway credit came in 1958, when she portrayed Gloria Coogle in the comedy Who Was That Lady I Saw You With? Arlen subsequently departed show business after finding herself being directed toward a sex-goddess persona modeled on that of Marilyn Monroe.

In her personal life, Arlen was married to Red Buttons from 1947 to 1949, to Milton Gilman from 1949 to 1954, and to Tom Roddy from 1954 to 1957, with all three marriages ending in divorce. She married William Shafer in 1960, and the couple had a daughter. During the 1970s, she began writing a play.

Personal Details

Born
January 10, 1931
Hometown
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Died
February 22, 1989

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Roxanne Arlen?
Roxanne Arlen is a Broadway performer. Roxanne Arlen, born Roxanne Giles on January 10, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan, was an American actress and model whose career spanned film, television, and stage work during the 1950s and 1960s. She died on February 22, 1989, in London, England. Arlen grew up in Detroit, where her father, Harry Giles,...
What roles has Roxanne Arlen played?
Roxanne Arlen has played roles as Performer.
Can I see Roxanne Arlen at Sing with the Stars?
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