Arline Judge
A pre-Code Hollywood actress whose off-screen life of serial marriages, including to two brothers, often eclipsed her roles in gritty B-movies.
1912–1974 (age 62)·American actress·Birthday: February 21·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arline Judge arrived in Hollywood as a teenager, her fresh-faced look belying a talent for playing brassy, street-smart women. She found her niche in the early 1930s, a brief window before the Hays Code enforced stricter morality on film. During this pre-Code era, she starred in risqué dramas like 'The Age of Consent' for low-budget studios, embodying characters of 'questionable virtue' with a believable earthiness. As the industry changed, her leading roles faded into supporting parts. Her personal life, however, kept her in the headlines; she was married seven times, a sequence that included wedding and later divorcing two brothers from the same family. This notoriety defined her public persona more than her filmography, making her a fascinating footnote in an era when Hollywood's on-screen daring was matched by its off-screen scandals.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Arline was born in 1912, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arline Was Born
The biggest hits of 1912
Arline's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1912Born
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1917Started school
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Became a teenager
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Could drive
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1930Could vote
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Turned 21
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1942Turned 30
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 40
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 50
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 60
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Died at 62
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
Key Achievements
- Starred in pre-Code films like 'The Age of Consent' and 'Sensation Hunters' during the early 1930s.
- Built a career primarily in B-movies, often for poverty row studios, specializing in gritty, worldly female roles.
- Gained significant public notoriety for her seven marriages, a personal narrative that overshadowed her professional work.
Did You Know?
She was married seven times in total.
Two of her marriages were to brothers, Edward and John V. 'Jack' Gamble.
Her final film role was in the 1963 comedy 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father'.
“A girl's got to look out for herself, because no one else in this town will.”
