Edward Arnold | |
|---|---|
 Arnold in 1941 | |
| Born | Günther Edward Arnold Schneider (1890-02-18)February 18, 1890 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 26, 1956(1956-04-26) (aged 66) Encino, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1907–1956 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| President of theScreen Actors Guild | |
| In office 1940–1942 | |
| Preceded by | Ralph Morgan |
| Succeeded by | James Cagney |
Günther Edward Arnold Schneider[1] (February 18, 1890 – April 26, 1956) was an American actor of the stage and screen.
Arnold was born on February 18, 1890, inLower East Side ofNew York City, the son of German immigrants Elizabeth (Ohse) and Carl Schneider. His schooling came at the East Side Settlement House.[2]
Arnold was interested in acting ever since he appeared on stage as Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice at age 12. He made his professional stage debut in 1907 and had important roles in several plays on Broadway in the 1920s and 1930s. Among them is the 1927 revival ofThe Jazz Singer, with Arnold as the second lead to the star,George Jessel.
He found work as anextra forEssanay Studios and World Studios, before landing his first significant role in 1916'sThe Misleading Lady. He returned to the stage in 1919, and did not appear in movies again until his talkie debut inOkay America! (1932). He recreated one of his stage roles in one of his early films,Whistling in the Dark (1933). His role in the 1935 filmDiamond Jim boosted him to stardom. He reprised the role ofDiamond Jim Brady in the 1940 filmLillian Russell. He played a similar role inThe Toast of New York (1937), another fictionalized version of real-life business chicanery, for which he was billed aboveCary Grant on posters, with his name in much larger letters.
Arnold appeared in over 150 movies. Although he was labeled "box office poison" in 1938 by an exhibitor publication (he shared this dubious distinction withJoan Crawford,Greta Garbo,Marlene Dietrich,Mae West,Fred Astaire andKatharine Hepburn), he never lacked work. Rather than continue in leading man roles, he gave up losing weight and went after character parts instead. He said, "The bigger I got, the better character roles I received." He was so sought-after, he often worked on two pictures at once.
Arnold was expert as rogues and authority figures, and superb at combining the two as powerful villains quietly pulling strings. He was best known for his roles inCome and Get It (1936),Sutter's Gold (1936), the aforementionedThe Toast of New York (1937),You Can't Take It with You (1938),Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939),Meet John Doe (1941), and a larger than life star turn as Daniel Webster inThe Devil and Daniel Webster (1941). He was the first to portrayRex Stout's famous detectiveNero Wolfe, starring inMeet Nero Wolfe (1936), based on thefirst novel in the series.
He played blind detective Duncan Maclain in two movies based on the novels byBaynard Kendrick,Eyes in the Night (1942) andThe Hidden Eye (1945).
Leonard Maltin stated, "Few character actors achieved the particular kind of stardom that came to Edward Arnold in the 1930s, playing historical figures and dynamic, larger-than-life characters. Burly and round-faced, with piercing eyes and sharp nose, Arnold was a commanding presence."[3]Leslie Halliwell called him "Rotund but dynamic actor who played go-getter leading roles in the thirties. Although he later became typed as kindly father/apoplectic business man, he never lost his popularity."[4] Halliwell further praised him "For maintaining an ebullient star personality through two decades of talkies, despite his unromantic physique."[5]
An image of Arnold made a posthumous appearance in the 1984 filmGremlins as the deceased husband (visible in a large framed photograph) of Mrs. Deagle, a character much like the rich, heartless characters Arnold was known for. DirectorJoe Dante mentioned that they received permission from Arnold's family to use his image.
From 1947 to 1953, Arnold starred in theABC radio programMr. President. He also played a lawyer, Mr. Reynolds, onThe Charlotte Greenwood Show.[6] In 1953, he hostedSpotlight Story on theMutual network.[7]
Arnold hostedYour Star Showcase, "a series of 52 half-hour television dramas ... released byTelevision Programs of America."[8] It was launched January 1, 1954, and ran in 150 cities.[8] He co-starred in "Ever Since the Day", an episode ofFord Theatre onNBC.[9]
Arnold was married three times: to Harriet Marshall (1917–1927), with whom he had three children—Elizabeth, Jane, and William (who had a short movie career as Edward Arnold Jr.); to Olive Emerson (1929–1948), and to Cleo McLain (1951 until his death)
Arnold was president of theScreen Actors Guild from 1940 to 1942. In 1940, his autobiographyLorenzo Goes to Hollywood was published. He was the co-founder of the I Am an American Foundation.[clarification needed]
Starting in the 1940s, Arnold became involved inRepublican politics and was mentioned as a possible candidate for the United States Senate. In 1950, he announced his candidacy for the open U.S. Senate seat from California, but withdrew soon after, saying he did not have enough time to mount a campaign. He lost a closely contested election for Los Angeles County Supervisor and said at the time that perhaps actors were not suited to run for political office.[citation needed]
Arnold supportedThomas Dewey in the1944 United States presidential election.[10]
Arnold died at his home inEncino, California, at age 66, from acerebral hemorrhage associated withatrial fibrillation. He was interred in theSan Fernando Mission Cemetery.[11]
Midwestern University awarded Arnold thehonorary degree ofDoctor of Letters (D.Litt) on May 24, 1951.[2] He received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6225Hollywood Boulevard in the recording category on February 8, 1960.[12]
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Philip Morris Playhouse | The Maltese Falcon[13] |
