Arlene Martel, an actress of immense talent and versatility, left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment. Born Arline Greta Sax on April 14, 1936, in New York City to Austrian Jewish immigrants, her early life was marked by poverty, living in one of the city's poorest slums in the Bronx.
However, her fortunes changed when her mother's boss, moved by her living conditions, personally underwrote her attendance at an upper-crust boarding school in Connecticut. At the age of 12, she took it upon herself to audition for the prestigious High School of the Performing Arts in New York, and her determination paid off as she not only gained entrance but also excelled at the school, graduating with the top drama award.
Martel's professional career began in her teens when she landed the role of Esther in the Broadway production of 'Uncle Willie', starring alongside Norman Fell. She then made the transition to Hollywood, making guest appearances on popular television series such as The Untouchables, Route 66, and The Twilight Zone.
Her versatility as an actress was showcased through her recurring role as Tiger on the situation comedy Hogan's Heroes, and her ability to master accents and dialects earned her the nickname "The Chameleon". Her relationship with James Dean was chronicled in Joe Hyams's biography, "The James Dean Story".
Martel's personal life was marked by three marriages and the birth of three children: Adam Palmer, Avra Douglas, and Jod Douglas. Her later years were marked by a battle with breast cancer, and she ultimately passed away at the age of 78 on August 12, 2014, in Santa Monica, California, due to a heart attack. Despite her passing, Arlene Martel's legacy lives on through her impressive body of work and her enduring impact on the world of entertainment.
