Günther Edward Arnold Schneider (February 18, 1890 – April 26, 1956) was an American actor of the stage and screen.

Early life

Arnold was born on February 18, 1890 in the Lower East Side of New York City, the son of German immigrants Elizabeth ( Ohse) and Carl Schneider. His schooling came at the East Side Settlement House. 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." Halliwell further praised him "For maintaining an ebullient star personality through two decades of talkies, despite his unromantic physique."

An image of Arnold made a posthumous appearance in the 1984 film Gremlins 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. Director Joe Dante mentioned that they received permission from Arnold's family to use his image.

thumb|Arnold on the radio show Three Thirds of a Nation, May 6, 1942

Radio

From 1947 to 1953, Arnold starred in the ABC radio program Mr. President. He also played a lawyer, Mr. Reynolds, on The Charlotte Greenwood Show. In 1953, he hosted Spotlight Story on the Mutual network.

Television

Arnold hosted Your Star Showcase, "a series of 52 half-hour television dramas ... released by Television Programs of America." It was launched January 1, 1954, and ran in 150 cities.

Personal life

thumb|right|upright=1.2|Seven actors and studio workers during a telephone conference held in the aftermath of [[Hollywood Black Friday in which American Federation of Labor officials denied issuing a "clarification" which set off the film strike, October 26, 1946.<br /><small>(L-R): James Skelton, Herbert Sorrell, Ronald Reagan, Edward Arnold, Roy Tindall, George Murphy, and Gene Kelly.</small>]]

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 supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election.

Arnold died at his home in Encino, California, at age 66, from a cerebral hemorrhage associated with atrial fibrillation. He was interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Recognition

Midwestern University awarded Arnold the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) on May 24, 1951. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6225 Hollywood Boulevard in the recording category on February 8, 1960.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Year

! Film

! Role

! Director

! class="unsortable" | Notes

|-

| rowspan=5 | 1916 || The Misleading Lady || Sidney Parker || Arthur Berthelet ||

|-

| The Strange Case of Mary Page || Dr. Foster || J. Charles Haydon || Lost film

|-

| Vultures of Society || Joseph Gripp || ||

|-

| Sherlock Holmes || Moriarty Henchman In Striped Cap || Arthur Berthelet<br />William Postance (assistant director) || uncredited

|-

| The Return of Eve || Seymour Purchwell || ||

|-

| rowspan=2 | 1917 || The Slacker's Heart || Frank Allen || ||

|-

| The Wide, Wrong Way || Hugh Chilvers || E.H. Calvert || Essanay Studios

|-

| rowspan=2 | 1919 || Phil for Short || Tom Wentworth || Oscar Apfel ||

|-

| A Broadway Saint || Mr. Frewen || Harry O. Hoyt ||

|-

| 1920 || The Cost || Hampden Scarborough || Harley Knoles || Lost film

|-

| rowspan=5 | 1932 || Murder in the Pullman || Nick Valentine || || Short

|-

| Okay, America! || Duke Morgan || Tay Garnett ||

|-

| Three on a Match || Ace || Mervyn LeRoy ||

|-

| Afraid to Talk || Jig Skelli || Edward L. Cahn ||

|-

| Rasputin and the Empress || Dr A. Remezov || Richard Boleslawski ||

|-

| rowspan=10 | 1933 || Whistling in the Dark || Dillon || Charles Reisner ||

|-

| The White Sister || Father Saracinesca || Victor Fleming ||

|-

| The Barbarian || Pasha Achmed || Sam Wood ||

|-

| The Life of Jimmy Dolan || Inspector Ennis || Archie Mayo || uncredited

|-

| Jennie Gerhardt || Sen. Brander || Marion Gering ||

|-

| Secret of the Blue Room || Commissioner Forster || Kurt Neumann ||

|-

| Her Bodyguard || Orson Bitzer || William Beaudine ||

|-

| I'm No Angel || "Big Bill" Barton || Wesley Ruggles ||

|-

| Duck Soup || Politician || Leo McCarey || uncredited

|-

| Roman Scandals || Emperor Valerius || Frank Tuttle ||

|-

| rowspan=8 | 1934 || Madame Spy || Schultz || Karl Freund ||

|-

| Sadie McKee || Jack Brennan || Clarence Brown ||

|-

| Unknown Blonde || Frank Rodie || Hobart Henley ||

|-

| Thirty Day Princess || Richard M. Gresham || Marion Gering ||

|-

| Hide-Out || Det. Lt. 'Mac' MacCarthy || W.S. Van Dyke ||

|-

| Million Dollar Ransom || Vincent Shelton || Murray Roth ||

|-

| Wednesday's Child || Ray Phillips || John S. Robertson<br>Ray Lissner (assistant) ||

|-

| The President Vanishes || Secretary of War Lewis Wardell || William A. Wellman ||

|-

| rowspan=7 | 1935 || Biography of a Bachelor Girl || Mr. 'Feydie' Feydak || Edward H. Griffith ||

|-

| Cardinal Richelieu || Louis XIII || Rowland V. Lee ||

|-

| The Glass Key || Paul Madvig || Frank Tuttle ||

|-

| Diamond Jim || Diamond Jim Brady || A. Edward Sutherland ||

|-

| Remember Last Night? || Danny Harrison || James Whale ||

|-

| Crime and Punishment || Insp. Porfiry || Josef von Sternberg ||

|-

| Sutter's Gold || John Sutter || James Cruze ||

|-

| rowspan=2 | 1936 || Meet Nero Wolfe || Nero Wolfe || Herbert Biberman ||

|-

| Come and Get It || Barney Glasgow || William Wyler ||

|-

| rowspan=4 | 1937 || John Meade's Woman || John Meade || Richard Wallace ||

|-

| Easy Living || J.B. Ball || Mitchell Leisen ||

|-

| The Toast of New York || Jim Fisk || Rowland V. Lee ||

|-

| Blossoms on Broadway || Ira Collins || Richard Wallace ||

|-

| rowspan=2 | 1938 || The Crowd Roars || Jim Cain || Richard Thorpe ||

|-

| You Can't Take It with You || Anthony P. Kirby || Frank Capra ||

|-

| rowspan=5 | 1939 || Idiot's Delight || Achille Weber || Clarence Brown ||

|-

| Let Freedom Ring || Jim Knox || Jack Conway ||

|-

| Man About Town || Sir John Arlington || Mark Sandrich ||

|-

| Mr. Smith Goes to Washington || Jim Taylor || Frank Capra ||

|-

| Slightly Honorable || Vincent Cushing || Tay Garnett<br>Charles Kerr (assistant) ||

|-

| rowspan=3 | 1940 || The Earl of Chicago || Quentin 'Doc' Ramsey || Richard Thorpe ||

|-

| Johnny Apollo || Robert Cain Sr. || Henry Hathaway ||

|-

| Lillian Russell || Diamond Jim Brady || Irving Cummings ||

|-

| rowspan=8 | 1941 || The Penalty || Martin 'Stuff' Nelson || Harold S. Bucquet ||

|-

| The Lady from Cheyenne || James 'Jim' Cork || Frank Lloyd ||

|-

| Meet John Doe || D.B. Norton || Frank Capra ||

|-

| Nothing but the Truth || T.T. Ralson || Elliott Nugent ||

|-

| The Devil and Daniel Webster || Daniel Webster || William Dieterle ||

|-

| Unholy Partners || Merrill Lambert || Mervyn LeRoy ||

|-

| Johnny Eager || John Benson Farrell || Mervyn LeRoy ||

|-

| Design for Scandal || Judson M. Blair || Norman Taurog ||

|-

| rowspan=2| 1942 || The War Against Mrs. Hadley || Elliott Fulton || Harold S. Bucquet ||

|-

| Eyes in the Night || Duncan 'Mac' Maclain || Fred Zinnemann ||

|-

| 1943 || The Youngest Profession || Burton V. Lyons || Edward Buzzell ||

|-

| rowspan=4 | 1944 || Standing Room Only || T. J. Todd || Sidney Lanfield ||

|-

| Janie || Charles Conway || Michael Curtiz ||

|-

| Kismet || The Grand Vizier || William Dieterle ||

|-

| Mrs. Parkington || Amory Stilham || Tay Garnett ||

|-

| rowspan=4 | 1945 || Main Street After Dark || Lt. Lorrgan || Edward L. Cahn ||

|-

| Ziegfeld Follies || Lawyer || George Sidney || 'Pay the Two Dollars'

|-

| The Hidden Eye || Capt. Duncan Maclain || Richard Whorf ||

|-

| Week-End at the Waldorf || Martin X. Edley || Robert Z. Leonard ||

|-

| rowspan=3 | 1946 || Janie Gets Married || Charles Conway || Vincent Sherman ||

|-

| Three Wise Fools || Theodore Findley || Edward Buzzell ||

|-

| No Leave, No Love || Hobart Canford Stiles || Charles Martin ||

|-

| rowspan=4 | 1947 || The Mighty McGurk || Mike Glenson || John Waters ||

|-

| My Brother Talks to Horses || Mr. Bledsoe || Fred Zinnemann ||

|-

| Dear Ruth || Judge Harry Wilkins || William D. Russell ||

|-

| The Hucksters || David 'Dave' Lash || Jack Conway ||

|-

| rowspan=4 | 1948 || Three Daring Daughters || Robert Nelson || Fred M. Wilcox ||

|-

| Big City || Judge Martin O. Abercrombie || Norman Taurog ||

|-

| Wallflower || Andrew J. Linnett || Frederick de Cordova ||

|-

| Command Decision || Congressman Arthur Malcolm || Sam Wood ||

|-

| rowspan=4 | 1949 || John Loves Mary || Sen. James McKinley || David Butler ||

|-

| Take Me Out to the Ballgame || Joe Lorgan || Busby Berkeley ||

|-

| Big Jack || Mayor Mahoney || Richard Thorpe ||

|-

| Dear Wife || Judge Harry Wilkins || Richard Haydn ||

|-

| rowspan=3 | 1950 || The Yellow Cab Man || Martin Creavy || Jack Donohue ||

|-

| Annie Get Your Gun || Pawnee Bill || Charles Walters ||

|-

| The Skipper Surprised His Wife || Adm. Homer Thorndyke || Elliott Nugent ||

|-

| 1951 || Dear Brat || Senator Wilkins || William A. Seiter ||

|-

| 1952 || Belles on Their Toes || Sam Harper || Henry Levin ||

|-

| rowspan=2 | 1953 || City That Never Sleeps || Penrod Biddel || John H. Auer ||

|-

| Man of Conflict || J.R. Compton || Hal R. Makelim ||

|-

| rowspan=2 | 1954 || Living It Up || The Mayor || Norman Taurog ||

|-

| Studio One || Juror No. 10 || Franklin J. Schaffner || "Twelve Angry Men" (TV episode)

|-

| rowspan=3 | 1956 || The Houston Story || Paul Atlas || William Castle ||

|-

| The Ambassador's Daughter || Ambassador William Fisk || Norman Krasna || Posthumous release

|-

| Miami Exposé || Oliver Tubbs || Fred F. Sears || Posthumous release (final film role)

|-

|}

Radio appearances

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year !! Program !! Episode/source

|-

| 1942|| Philip Morris Playhouse || The Maltese Falcon

|}

References

Further reading

  • Arnold, Edward (1940). Lorenzo Goes to Hollywood: The Autobiography of Edward Arnold. New York: Liveright.
  • Edward Arnold at Virtual History