Former stage and movie actor who filmed numerous documentaries for the US State Department, the Army and private industry in the late 1940s and began making low-budget features in the early 50s. Arnold concocted some of that era's classic science fiction-horror films, notably the pioneering 3-D efforts "It Came from Outer Space" (1952) and "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" (1954) as well as "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957).A prolific director, mostly for Universal, Arnold worked in many genres, turning out 3-D mystery thrillers ("The Glass Web" 1953), teen exploitation flicks ("High School Confidential" 1958), blaxploitation actioners ("Boss Nigger" 1975), the wry Peter Sellers satire "The Mouse That Roared" (1959), and Bob Hope comedies including "Bachelor in Paradise" (1961) and "A Global Affair" (1964). By the mid-60s, Arnold had turned his attention increasingly to TV, as a director on "Rawhide", "Perry Mason" "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", "Wonder Woman" and "The Bionic Woman", and as producer-director of "Mr. Lucky" (1959-60) "Gilligan's Island" (1964-67) and "It Takes a Thief" (1968-70).
Profession(s):
director, Actor, producer
Sometimes Credited As:
Emmy Outstanding Variety Special "The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special" 1966 - 1967
1984 Made a cameo appearance in John Landis's "Into the Night"
1981 John Landis had tried to mount a project for Arnold to direct, an unrealized remake of "Creature from the Black Lagoon"
1959 Producer (also director) of first fiction feature, "No Name on the Bullet"
1953 Directed first fiction feature, "Girls in the Night/Life After Dark"
1952 Signed by Universal Pictures
1950 Directed and produced first feature, "With These Hands" (full-length, semidocumentary made for ILGW Union) which was nominated for an Oscar
Performed as actor on Broadway in such plays as "My Sister Eileen" and "A Bell for Adano" in the the 1930s
Acted in British films
Served in the US Air Force Signal Corps; worked with documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty
After military service, became independent documentary filmmaker, producing 25 documentary films for the State Department, the Army and private industry