Edward Arnold (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arnold in City That Never Sleeps

Edward Arnold (February 18, 1890 - April 26, 1956) was an American actor, known to play unique characters. He was born on the Lower East Side of New York City as Gunther Edward Arnold Schneider, the son of Christian German immigrants Carl Schneider and Elizabeth Ohse.

Interested in acting since his youth (he made his first stage appearance at the age of 12 as Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice), in 1907, he made his professional stage debut co-starring with Ethel Barrymore in Dream of a Summer Night. In 1915, he made his film debut as cowboy star for the Essanay studio of Chicago. In 1919, he left film for a return to the stage, and did not appear again in movies until 1932. His role in the 1935 film Diamond Jim (1935) boosted him to stardom.

Arnold appeared in over 150 movies. A heavy, thick-set man, he was an expert at playing rogues and authority figures. Arnold was later president of the Screen Actor's Guild in 1940 - 1942, where he took a strong stand against alleged Communists in Hollywood while trying to protect actors from the HUAC.

Arnold was best-known for his roles in Come and Get It (1936), Sutter's Gold (1936), Toast of New York (1937), You Can't Take It with You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), Eyes in the Night (1942) and The Hidden Eye (1945). From 1947 to 1953, Arnold starred in the ABC radio program called Mr. President.

Arnold was one of director Frank Capra's preferred actors. Starting in the 1940s, he became involved in Republican politics and was mentioned as a possible G.O.P candidate for the United States Senate. He was married three times and had three children by his first wife. He died in Encino, California.