Arleen Whelan

Arleen Whelan
Whelan in 1938
Born(1916-09-01)September 1, 1916
DiedApril 7, 1993(1993-04-07) (aged 76)
OccupationActress
Years active1937–1957
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1940; div. 1943)​
Hugh Owen
​
​
(m. 1942; div. 1953)​
Dr. Warren O. Cagney
​
​
(m. 1960; div. 1961)​

Arleen Whelan (September 1, 1916 – April 7, 1993[1]) was an American film actress.

Early years

Whelan was a native of Salt Lake City, Utah.[2] Before she became an actress, she worked in Southern California as a manicurist, contributing her earnings to help with her family's expenses.[3]

Career

Whelan appeared in 25 films between 1937 and 1957, reportedly after 20th Century Fox director H. Bruce Humberstone saw Whelan working as a manicurist in a barbershop. After her screen test, the studio cast Whelan as the female lead in a film version of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped (1938).[4]

Whelan's Broadway credits include Oh, Brother! (1945) and The Doughgirls (1942).[5]

Personal life

Whelan wed actor Alexander D'Arcy in September 1940, and they were divorced in 1943.[6] On October 1, 1942, she married Hugh Owen (a film distributor). They separated on July 8, 1952, and she filed for divorce in 1953.[7] Her third marriage, to Warren O. Cagney, also ended in divorce.[2]

On April 8, 1993, Whelan died in Orange, California, following a stroke.[2]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1937On Again-Off AgainMinor RoleUncredited
1938KidnappedJean MacDonald
GatewayCatherine O'Shea
Thanks for EverythingMadge Raines
1939Boy FriendSue Duffy
Young Mr. LincolnSarah Clay
SabotageGail
1940Young PeopleJudith
Charter PilotRaquel Andrews
1941Charley's AuntKitty Verdun
1942Castle in the DesertBrenda Hartford
Sundown JimCatherine Barr
1943Stage Door CanteenHerself
1947Suddenly, It's SpringGloria Fay
RamrodRose Leland
Variety GirlVariety GirlUncredited
The Senator Was IndiscreetValerie Shepherd
1948That Wonderful UrgeJessica Woods
1949Dear WifeTommy Murphy
1951Passage WestRose Billings
1952Flaming FeatherCarolina
1953Never Wave at a WACSgt. Toni Wayne
San AntoneJulia Allerby
The Sun Shines BrightLucy Lee Lake
1956The Women of Pitcairn IslandHutia
1957The Badge of Marshal BrennanMurdock
Raiders of Old CaliforniaJulie Johnson

References

  1. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved August 3, 2014. Arleen W Cagney, 07 Apr 1993; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
  2. 1 2 3 "Obituaries : Arleen Whelan; Acting Career Began in 1937". Los Angeles Times. April 16, 1993. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  3. ↑ "From A Manicure Girl To A Movie Star--It Can Happen in Hollywood--And Does!". The Sedalia Democrat. Missouri, Sedalia. June 19, 1938. p. 18. Retrieved July 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ↑ "These are Hollywood's Movie-struck Kids". Life. June 6, 1938. p. 34. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Arleen Whelan". Playbill. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Arleen Whelan Gets Divorce, Prepares Return to N.Y." The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah, Salt Lake City. August 19, 1943. p. 12. Retrieved July 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ↑ "Arleen Whelan Files For Divorce in L.A." The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. United Press. October 23, 1953. p. 39. Retrieved July 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon