Günther Edward Arnold Schneider (February 18, 1890 – April 26, 1956) was an American actor of the stage and screen.
Personal life
Arnold was born on February 18, 1890, in 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.
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).
Acting career
Stage
Interested in acting since his youth (he first appeared on stage at age 12, as Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice), Arnold made his professional stage debut in 1907. He had important roles in several plays on Broadway in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Among them is the 1927 revival of The Jazz Singer, with Arnold as the second lead to the star, George Jessel.
Film
He found work as an extra for Essanay Studios and World Studios, before landing his first significant role in 1916’s The Misleading Lady. He returned to the stage in 1919, and did not appear in movies again until his talkie debut in Okay 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 film Diamond Jim boosted him to stardom. He reprised the role of Diamond Jim Brady in the 1940 film Lillian Russell. He played a similar role in The Toast of New York (1937), another fictionalized version of real-life business chicanery, for which he was billed above Cary 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 with Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Fred Astaire and Katharine 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 in Come and Get It (1936), Sutter’s Gold (1936), the aforementioned The 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 in The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941). He was the first to portray Rex Stout’s famous detective Nero Wolfe, starring in Meet Nero Wolfe (1936), based on the first novel in the series.
He played blind detective Duncan Maclain in two movies based on the novels by Baynard Kendrick, Eyes in the Night (1942) and The Hidden Eye (1945).
Arnold made a posthumous cameo 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.
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 1950 cities. He co-starred in “Ever Since the Day”, an episode of Ford Theatre on NBC.
Recognition
Midwestern University awarded Arnold an honorary Doctor of Letters degree on May 24, 1951. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6225 Hollywood Blvd.
Other
Arnold was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1940 to 1942.
In 1940, his autobiography Lorenzo Goes to Hollywood was published.
He was the co-founder of the I Am an American Foundation.[clarification needed]
Politics
Starting in the 1940s, Arnold became involved in Republican politics and was mentioned as a possible candidate for the United States Senate. 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 supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election.
Death
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.
Filmography
The Misleading Lady (1916) as Sidney Parker (film debut)
The Strange Case of Mary Page (1916) as Dr. Foster
Vultures of Society (1916) as Joseph Gripp
Sherlock Holmes (1916) as Moriarty Henchman In Striped Cap (uncredited)
The Return of Eve (1916) as Seymour Purchwell
The Slacker’s Heart (1917) as Frank Allen
Phil for Short (1919) as Tom Wentworth
A Broadway Saint (1919) as Mr. Frewen
The Cost (1920) as Hampden Scarborough
Murder in the Pullman (1932, Short) as Nick Valentine
Okay, America! (1932) as Duke Morgan
Three on a Match (1932) as Ace
Afraid to Talk (1932) as Jig Skelli
Rasputin and the Empress (1932) as Dr A. Remezov
Whistling in the Dark (1933) as Dillon
The White Sister (1933) as Father Saracinesca
The Barbarian (1933) as Pasha Achmed
The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933) as Inspector Ennis (uncredited)
Jennie Gerhardt (1933) as Sen. Brander
Secret of the Blue Room (1933) as Commissioner Forster
Her Bodyguard (1933) as Orson Bitzer
I’m No Angel (1933) as “Big Bill” Barton
Duck Soup (1933) as Politician (uncredited)
Roman Scandals (1933) as Emperor Valerius
Madame Spy (1934) as Schultz
Sadie McKee (1934) as Jack Brennan
Thirty Day Princess (1934) as Richard M. Gresham
Hide-Out (1934) as Det. Lt. ‘Mac’ MacCarthy
Million Dollar Ransom (1934) as Vincent Shelton
Wednesday’s Child (1934) as Ray Phillips
The President Vanishes (1934) as Secretary of War Lewis Wardell
Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935) as Mr. ‘Feydie’ Feydak
Cardinal Richelieu (1935) as Louis XIII
The Glass Key (1935) as Paul Madvig
Diamond Jim (1935) as Diamond Jim Brady
Remember Last Night? (1935) as Danny Harrison
Crime and Punishment (1935) as Insp. Porfiry
Sutter’s Gold (1936) as John Sutter
Meet Nero Wolfe (1936) as Nero Wolfe
Come and Get It (1936) as Barney Glasgow
John Meade’s Woman (1937) as John Meade
Easy Living (1937) as J.B. Ball
The Toast of New York (1937) as Jim Fisk
Blossoms on Broadway (1937) as Ira Collins
The Crowd Roars (1938) as Jim Cain
You Can’t Take It with You (1938) as Anthony P. Kirby
Idiot’s Delight (1939) as Achille Weber
Let Freedom Ring (1939) as Jim Knox
Man About Town (1939) as Sir John Arlington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) as Jim Taylor
Slightly Honorable (1939) as Vincent Cushing
The Earl of Chicago (1940) as Quentin ‘Doc’ Ramsey
Johnny Apollo (1940) as Robert Cain Sr.
Lillian Russell (1940) as Diamond Jim Brady
The Penalty (1941) as Martin ‘Stuff’ Nelson
The Lady from Cheyenne (1941) as James ‘Jim’ Cork
Meet John Doe (1941) as D.B. Norton
Nothing but the Truth (1941) as T.T. Ralson
The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) as Daniel Webster
Unholy Partners (1941) as Merrill Lambert
Johnny Eager (1941) as John Benson Farrell
Design for Scandal (1941) as Judson M. Blair
The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942) as Elliott Fulton
Eyes in the Night (1942) as Duncan ‘Mac’ Maclain
The Youngest Profession (1943) as Burton V. Lyons
Standing Room Only (1944) as T. J. Todd
Janie (1944) as Charles Conway
Kismet (1944) as The Grand Vizier
Mrs. Parkington (1944) as Amory Stilham
Main Street After Dark (1945) as Lt. Lorrgan
Ziegfeld Follies (1945) as Lawyer (‘Pay the Two Dollars’)
The Hidden Eye (1945) as Capt. Duncan Maclain
Week-End at the Waldorf (1945) as Martin X. Edley
Janie Gets Married (1946) as Charles Conway
Three Wise Fools (1946) as Theodore Findley
No Leave, No Love (1946) as Hobart Canford Stiles
The Mighty McGurk (1947) as Mike Glenson
My Brother Talks to Horses (1947) as Mr. Bledsoe
Dear Ruth (1947) as Judge Harry Wilkins
The Hucksters (1947) as David ‘Dave’ Lash
Three Daring Daughters (1948) as Robert Nelson
Big City (1948) as Judge Martin O. Abercrombie
Wallflower (1948) as Andrew J. Linnett
Command Decision (1948) as Congressman Arthur Malcolm
John Loves Mary (1949) as Sen. James McKinley
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949) as Joe Lorgan
Big Jack (1949) as Mayor Mahoney
Dear Wife (1949) as Judge Harry Wilkins
The Yellow Cab Man (1950) as Martin Creavy
Annie Get Your Gun (1950) as Pawnee Bill
The Skipper Surprised His Wife (1950) as Adm. Homer Thorndyke
Dear Brat (1951) as Senator Wilkins
Belles on Their Toes (1952) as Sam Harper
City That Never Sleeps (1953) as Penrod Biddel
Man of Conflict (1953) as J.R. Compton
Living It Up (1954) as The Mayor
Twelve Angry Men (1954, TV Movie) as Juror #10
The Houston Story (1956) as Paul Atlas
The Ambassador’s Daughter (1956) as Ambassador William Fisk
Miami Exposé (1956) as Oliver Tubbs (final film)
Radio appearances
| Year |
Program |
Episode/source |
| 1942 |
Philip Morris Playhouse |
The Maltese Falcon |
External Links
Actor Edward Arnold – Wikipedia
