Dale Arden

From Flash Gordon Wiki

Dale Arden is a beautiful young woman, who gets caught up in Flash Gordon's adventures.

Contents 1 Comic strip 2 Sci Fi Channel 3 Dale through the years 4 First Words 5 Influence 6 References

Comic strip

In the original comic strip, Dale doesn't have a backstory; she's just a pretty girl who happens to be flying in an airplane with Flash at the moment. She doesn't speak at all in the first strip; in the second strip, she picks up a wrench and plans to hit Dr. Zarkov in the head with it, but doesn't follow through. ^[1]

By the seventh strip, Flash is referring to Dale as "the girl I love". ^[2] At that point in the strip, Flash has only said nine words to Dale, and she was unconscious at the time. ^[3] As is the case with the heroes and heroines of many adventure stories, Flash and Dale's relationship is can be taken for granted as an obvious element of the narrative. He's the hero; she's the pretty girl. They love each other.

Sci Fi Channel

On the Sci Fi Channel Flash Gordon series, Dale is a reporter, working for WIAD-4 in her hometown of Kendal, Maryland. Flash Gordon was her high school sweetheart. They've been close for a long time, since before Flash was 13. ^[4] Flash and Dale broke up when she left for Yale.

After graduating, Dale moved back to Kendall, and got a job as a reporter. She's engaged to a police detective, Joe Wylee. She avoided seeing Flash, meeting him again for the first time after his third marathon win. ^[5]

Following a lead on a story about an alien robot at the Xcalibur Lanes bowling alley, Dale gets caught up in Flash's adventures on Mongo. Including being Ming's Concubine for awhile.

In the episode "Possession" she is taken over by the spirt of an evil sorceror.

Dale through the years

• Jean Rogers: Flash Gordon (1936), Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
• Carol Hughes: Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
• Irene Champlin: Flash Gordon (1954)
• Diane Pershing: Flash Gordon (1979)
• Melody Anderson: Flash Gordon (1980)
• Lexa Doig: Flash Gordon (1996)
• Gina Holden: Flash Gordon (2007)

First Words

• Comic strip: "Oh, Flash -- Look out! --- He's going mad!"
• Radio serial: "Yes."
• 1936 serial: "Why is it so terribly rough?"
• 1979 cartoon: "I don't think I like being referred to as the day's catch."
• Movie: "Would you do us a favor and leave them alone? They're busy driving the bus."
• Sci Fi Channel: "Hey, Flash."

Influence

When he created Star Wars, George Lucas said that both Princess Leia Organa and her mother Padme Amidala were inspired by Dale, as well as the expanded universe character who became Luke Skywalker's wife Mara Jade. ^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ↑ Flash Gordon comic strip. January 7-14, 1934.
2. ↑ Flash Gordon comic strip. February 18, 1934.
3. ↑ Flash Gordon comic strip. January 14, 1934. Those magic nine words: "Dale! Dale! --- Good heavens! -- Say something - Speak to me!"
4. ↑ "Assassin". Dale says that when Flash's father died, she hugged him.
5. ↑ "Pilot".