Legendary “B” film producer Samuel Z. Arkoff, whose American International Pictures turned out such exploitation flicks as I Was a Teenage Werewolf, The Amityville Horror, Dressed to Kill and Beach Blanket Bingo, died Sunday in Burbank at the age of 83.
In a message posted on the Ain’t It Cool News site, horror film director Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream), who was given his first break by Arkoff, wrote: “Oh, my God, is there no end to the bad news?” … There goes one of the great old-time promoters and distributors. A man who played his hunches and put his money on the line. I loved him. Sam was generous, warm, down-to-earth and without pretense. He loved film almost as much as he loved his family, and was a showman of the first order.”
