Born Mardiningsih Olivia Nowak in a suburb of Chicago, film-goers know her as Brenda Denaut, and Patricia, Rosanna, Alexis, Richmond, and David Arquette all know her as Mom. The mother of Hollywood favorites, also known as Mardi Arquette, had her own movie career before all the other Arquettes became famous, albeit a short one, and mostly low budget. She began as Leeta in the drama Too Young, Too Immortal (1962), about a man recalling the life of his narcotics-addicted brother. This was followed by the role of Danielle in the nudie cutie All of Me (1963), tagline: “The Story of a BIG girl.” Her next role was as Stacy (credited as Brenda de Naut) in Olga’s House of Shame (1964), one in a string of Olga films, about a corrupt and very mean madame who likes to punish her girls if she thinks they done her wrong—even if they haven’t. Brenda’s character Stacy was just such a girl, and is tied up wearing only a pair of silky tap pants and a barely there bra struggling to contain its contents. Later, she’s tied to a tree, her arms above her head, silky drawers still in place, with a sleeveless top flung wide open to expose her large, wide-set breasts with twin tiny pokies topping them off. (Mr. Skin shares all of this with you, because he’s a nice guy like that.) Brenda’s last acting credit was opposite her real-life husband, actor Lewis Arquette (billed as Mike Arquette), in the flick The Very Naked Canvas (1965). Filmed in New York, the movie’s plot keywords include “female nudity” and “erotica,” and is the story of an artist trying to complete an assignment for a “nudie” magazine (insert over-active imagination here). Sadly, Brenda passed away in 1997 at the age of 57.
