Arlene Carol Dahl (born August 11, 1925) is an American actress and former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract star, who achieved notability during the 1950s. She has three children, the eldest of whom is actor Lorenzo Lamas.
Dahl was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of Norwegian descent, to Idelle (née Swan) and Rudolph S. Dahl, a Ford Motor dealer and executive. She cites her year of birth as 1928, although her birth record (1925-43442), available through the Minnesota Historical Society, shows she was born on August 11, 1925. An August 13, 2014 article in The New York Social Diary by David Patrick Columbia, entitled "Losses and Gains", references her 89th birthday celebration with her husband, children and family.
After graduating from Washburn High School, she held various jobs, including performing in a local drama group and briefly working as a model for department stores. Dahl's mother was involved in local amateur theatre. As a child, Dahl took elocution and dancing lessons and was active in theatrical events at Margaret Fuller Elementary School, Ramsey Junior High School and Washburn Senior High School. Dahl briefly attended the University of Minnesota.