RIP Mary Arden

By Staff

December 15, 2014

Mary Dawne Arden, a former American actress and model, who worked in both Hollywood and Italy, died Saturday, December 13, 2014, at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to NYC at the age of 12 to attend art school.

Mary Dawne had a successful modeling career in Europe and appeared in numerous Italian movies during the 1960s.

Arden modeled for the runway shows and top fashion magazine photographers for some of the world's greatest couture designers including Valentino, Yves St.Laurent, Christian Dior, Lanvin, and Karl Lagerfeld. She worked for and was on the cover of fashion magazines, including Italian Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Bellezza, L'Art et la Mode, Novita, Cosi, and Madam.

Her best known film role is Peggy Peyton in Blood and Black Lace, directed by Mario Bava. She also appeared as an uncredited cameo in Juliet of the Spirits. While in Italy, Mary Dawne also appeared in photo novels, including Sadistik. Arden has been credited for over a dozen roles in foreign and domestic films.

Arden spent four years in the Caribbean and Latin America as a marketing director and general manager for Helena Rubinstein International. Arden hosted and created fashion segments for the Channel 11 Noon News in Los Angeles California. She lived in Mexico City, where she taught at the modeling, self-improvement, and acting school that she created. With respected news anchor, Juan Lopez Moctezuma, she co-hosted television documentaries for Mexican Public Television and created special events for top designers for the leading department store El Palaccio de Hierro.

When Mary Dawne returned to NYC, she began her own marketing and body language consulting firm, Arden Associates. The firm has developed marketing, public relations, training and new product introductions for many fashion, cosmetic and consumer-product companies such as Elizabeth Arden, Clairol, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany and Co., May Co. California, Lanvin, Estee Lauder, and Lancome.

Mary Dawne appeared as a Communications Expert for the NBC Today Show, Weekend Edition as well as FOX 5 and CBS. Arden was on the faculty of New York University's Department of Culture and Communication, where she taught cross-cultural and business communication. She was also a member of the Commission for the Arts and Humanities in Education at NYU.

Arden is predeceased by her parents and former husband, Arthur A. Hansl. She is survived by her cousins Allan Ohaver, his wife Glenna and their children Dawn and Aaron, and Mike, his wife and their children Tamara and Kelly.

In memorial to Mary Dawne, please consider a donation to the Jarvie Commonweal Service. Jarvie partnered with Mary Dawne with extraordinary grace and compassion throughout her illness..

Born: 7/30/1933, St. Louis Missouri, U.S.A.

Died: 12/13/2014, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.

They Called Him Marcado - 1971