Samuel Z. Arkoff

Executive, Producer

About

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Birth Place

Fort Dodge, Iowa, USA

Born

June 12, 1918

Died

September 16, 2001

Cause of Death

Natural Causes

Biography

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Arkoff is the co-founder (with James H. Nicholson) of American International Pictures and has served as producer or executive on over 200 of the low-budget exploitation films--monster movies, motorcycle films and beach-party pictures geared to the teenage audience--that made the studio famous. Arkoff also gave fresh talent such as Francis Ford Coppola ("Dementia 13" 1963), Martin Scorses...

Filmography

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Some Nudity Required (1998)

The Pitch (1996)

Runaway Daughters (1994)

Naked Paradise (1957)

Sam, plantation owner

The Day the World Ended (2001)

Executive Producer

Up The Creek (1983)

Executive Producer

Photos & Videos

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Bikini Beach (1964) -- Gimmie Your Love

Cult Of The Damned (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go) (1969) -- (Movie Clip) I'm A Fairy Princess

Family & Companions

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Hilda Rusoff

Wife

Sculptor. Born in Winnipeg, Canada; married to Arkoff from 1945 until her death on July 26, 2001.

Bibliography

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"Flying Through Hollywood by the Seat of My Pants"

Samuel Z. Arkoff with Richard Trubo (1992)

Notes

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In 1990, Arkoff announced his return to film production, with plans to remake "Machine Gun Kelly" and "The Man With X-Ray Eyes." In 1993, he was planning auditions for a remake of "I Was a Teenage Werewolf".

He is the international vice president of the Variety Clubs International (1973- )

Biography

Arkoff is the co-founder (with James H. Nicholson) of American International Pictures and has served as producer or executive on over 200 of the low-budget exploitation films--monster movies, motorcycle films and beach-party pictures geared to the teenage audience--that made the studio famous. Arkoff also gave fresh talent such as Francis Ford Coppola ("Dementia 13" 1963), Martin Scorsese ("Boxcar Bertha" 1972) and Woody Allen ("What's Up, Tiger Lily?" 1966) the opportunity to direct some of their early feature films. In 1980, he sold AIP and formed his own companies, Samuel Z. Arkoff Pictures and Arkoff International Pictures. Arkoff wrote his memoirs, "Flying Through Hollywood by the Seat of My Pants" in 1992. His son, Louis, is also a producer.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Some Nudity Required (1998)

The Pitch (1996)

Runaway Daughters (1994)

Naked Paradise (1957)

Sam, plantation owner

Producer (Feature Film)

The Day the World Ended (2001)

Executive Producer

Up The Creek (1983)

Executive Producer

The Final Terror (1981)

Executive Producer

Dressed To Kill (1980)

Executive Producer

How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980)

Executive Producer

The Amityville Horror (1979)

Executive Producer

C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979)

Executive Producer

Our Winning Season (1978)

Executive Producer

The Norseman (1978)

Executive Producer

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1977)

Executive Producer

The People That Time Forgot (1977)

Executive Producer

Empire Of The Ants (1977)

Executive Producer

The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977)

Executive Producer

The Great Scout And Cathouse Thursday (1976)

Executive Producer

Futureworld (1976)

Executive Producer

A Matter of Time (1976)

Executive Producer

The Food Of The Gods (1976)

Executive Producer

Hennessy (1975)

Executive Producer

Return to Macon County (1975)

Executive Producer

Dragonfly (1975)

Executive Producer

Cooley High (1975)

Executive Producer

Madhouse (1974)

Executive Producer

Slaughter (1972)

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Executive Producer

Boxcar Bertha (1972)

Executive Producer

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

The Thing with Two Heads (1972)

Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971)

Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971)

Bunny O'Hare (1971)

Executive Producer

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)

Executive Producer

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Executive Producer

Wuthering Heights (1970)

Up in the Cellar (1970)

The Dunwich Horror (1970)

Bloody Mama (1970)

Executive Producer

Bloody Mama (1970)

Angel Unchained (1970)

Two Gentlemen Sharing (1969)

Angel, Angel, Down We Go (1969)

Psych-Out (1968)

3 in the Attic (1968)

Executive Producer

Wild in the Streets (1968)

Thunder Alley (1967)

Executive Producer

Devil's Angels (1967)

Executive Producer

Fireball 500 (1966)

What's Up Tiger Lily? (1966)

Frankenstein Conquers the World (1966)

The Big T.N.T. Show (1966)

Executive Producer

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)

Die, Monster, Die! (1965)

Ski Party (1965)

Executive Producer

Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965)

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)

Sergeant Deadhead (1965)

Die, Monster, Die! (1965)

Executive Producer

Muscle Beach Party (1964)

Executive Producer

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Pajama Party (1964)

Bikini Beach (1964)

Black Sabbath (1964)

Bikini Beach (1964)

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

Executive Producer

The Haunted Palace (1963)

Executive Producer

Beach Party (1963)

Executive Producer

Operation Bikini (1963)

The Raven (1963)

Executive Producer

Summer Holiday (1963)

Executive Producer

Operation Bikini (1963)

Executive Producer

The Young Racers (1963)

The Comedy of Terrors (1963)

The Comedy of Terrors (1963)

Tales of Terror (1962)

Executive Producer

Marco Polo (1962)

Panic in Year Zero! (1962)

Executive Producer

Prisoner of the Iron Mask (1962)

Burn, Witch, Burn (1962)

Alakazam the Great (1961)

Pres, U.S. version

Black Sunday (1961)

Pres of U.S. version

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Master of the World (1961)

Lost Battalion (1961)

Master of the World (1961)

Executive Producer

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Executive Producer

House of Usher (1960)

La Maschera del Demonio (1960)

Executive Producer

The Headless Ghost (1959)

Horrors of the Black Museum (1959)

Goliath and the Barbarians (1959)

The Diary of a High School Bride (1959)

Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959)

A Bucket of Blood (1959)

Paratroop Command (1959)

The Jailbreakers (1959)

Executive Producer

Terror from the Year 5,000 (1958)

Hot Rod Gang (1958)

Jet Attack (1958)

Suicide Battalion (1958)

The Bonnie Parker Story (1958)

High School Hellcats (1958)

Attack of the Puppet People (1958)

Executive Producer

The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1958)

Executive Producer

Machine-Gun Kelly (1958)

Executive Producer

Night of the Blood Beast (1958)

Executive Producer

Suicide Battalion (1958)

Executive Producer

Teenage Cave Man (1958)

Executive Producer

Terror from the Year 5,000 (1958)

Executive Producer

War of the Colossal Beast (1958)

How to Make a Monster (1958)

Motorcycle Gang (1957)

Executive Producer

The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)

I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)

I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957)

Motorcycle Gang (1957)

Blood of Dracula (1957)

Rock All Night (1957)

Reform School Girl (1957)

Reform School Girl (1957)

Naked Paradise (1957)

Voodoo Woman (1957)

Executive Producer

Dragstrip Girl (1957)

Dragstrip Girl (1957)

Executive Producer

Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)

Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)

Executive Producer

Runaway Daughters (1956)

Executive Producer

Runaway Daughters (1956)

Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1956)

Day the World Ended (1956)

Girls in Prison (1956)

Executive Producer

The She-Creature (1956)

Executive Producer

Production Companies (Feature Film)

Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965)

Beach Party (1963)

Panic in Year Zero! (1962)

Submarine Seahawk (1959)

Roadracers (1959)

Tank Commando (1959)

High School Hellcats (1958)

The Spider (1958)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

The Pitch (1996)

Cast (Special)

It Conquered Hollywood: The Story of American International Pictures (2001)

Canned Ham: Bowfinger (1999)

After Sunset: The Life and Times of the Drive-In (1998)

The Man Who Drew Bug-Eyed Monsters (1996)

Anatomy of Horror (1995)

Writer (Special)

It Conquered Hollywood: The Story of American International Pictures (2001)

Special Thanks (Special)

It Conquered Hollywood: The Story of American International Pictures (2001)

Producer (TV Mini-Series)

Teenage Caveman (2001)

Executive Producer

How to Make A Monster (2001)

Executive Producer

Earth Vs. the Spider (2001)

Executive Producer

She Creature (2001)

Executive Producer

Life Events

1950

Began producing career with TV's "The Hank McCune Show" (NBC)

1952

Suffered a cerebral hemorrhage; recovered after spending a week in a coma

1954

Co-founded American Releasing Corp. with James H Nicholson; first released film "The Fast and the Furious", directed by Roger Corman

1955

Company name changed to American International Pictures (AIP)

1957

AIP released "I Was a Teenage Werewolf", starring Michael Landon

1960

With "House of Usher" starring Vincent Price, AIP began series of adaptations based in part on the writings of Edgar Allen Poe

1963

Enjoyed success with the teen "beach" movie "Beach Party", starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello

1966

AIP released the English-language dubbed version of "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" with dialogue by Woody Allen

1966

Moved into highbrow fare releasing Fellini's "La Dolce Vita"

1972

AIP released "Boxcar Bertha", helmed by Martin Scorsese, and "Sisters", directed by Brian De Palma

1973

First association between John Milius and AIP, "Dillinger"

1980

AIP released "Mad Max", featuring Mel Gibson (although dialogue was re-dubbed to eradicate Australian accents)

1980

Formed Samuel Z Arkoff Company (president and chairman)

1981

Formed Arkoff International Pictures (president)

1993

Received star Number 1973 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 14

2000

Signed deal with HBO allowing remakes of five AIP films

Videos

Bikini Beach (1964) -- Gimmie Your Love Testing video for ticket 1394 with clip Gimmie Your Love from Bikini Beach, 1964.

Cult Of The Damned (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go) (1969) -- (Movie Clip) I'm A Fairy Princess Shortly after the opening, a flashback to earlier in the life of troubled Tara-Nicole (Joan Calhoun in this scene, growing up to be Holly Near), at a restaurant with her warring super-wealthy parents (Charles Aidman, Jennifer Jones) with writer Robert Thom in his only outing as a director, in Cult Of The Damned, (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go), 1969.

Cult Of The Damned (1969) -- (Movie Clip) All Sorts Of Tranquilizers Usually low-budget American International pictures shooting on location at the Getz-Hearst “Beverly House” in Beverly Hills, singer Bogart (Jordan Christopher) has the full attention of mother Astrid (Jennifer Jones) and daughter Tara Nicole (Holly Near), then another original song by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in Cult Of The Damned, (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go), 1969.

Cult Of The Damned (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go) (1969) -- (Movie Clip) The Fat Song Tara-Nicole (Holly Near), after a sexual encounter with singer Bogart (Jordan Christopher), by whom she was willingly abducted from her own debutante ball, meets his “new group,” Davey Davison, Lou Rawls and Roddy McDowall as Ana Livia, Joe and Santoro, and hears his new song for her (by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil), in Cult Of The Damned, (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go), 1969.

Cult Of The Damned (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Open, My Parents Were Perfect The soundtrack doing much of the work, with voice over by Holly Near as rich and twisted Tara Nicole, the opening to American International’s shocker Cult Of The Damned, (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go), 1969, leading to Charles Aidman as her father in the shower, also starring Jennifer Jones.

Cult Of The Damned (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go) (1969) -- (Movie Clip) Angel, Angel Down We Go At her coming-out party thrown by her super-rich parents in LA (Jennifer Jones, Charles Aidman), Tara-Nicole (Holly Near), home from finishing school in Switzerland and nervous about her weight, is dazzled by singer “Bogart” (Jordan Christopher), performing an original song by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, in American International’s Cult Of The Damned, (a.k.a. Angel, Angel Down We Go), 1969.

Masque Of The Red Death, The (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Demon Lover Being conducted away from chambers where her captive father and brother are being tortured, hostage Francesca (Jane Asher) tries to keep up with proud devil worshipper Prospero (Vincent Price), while his incumbent lover Juliana (Hazel Court) works to enhance her own credentials, in Roger Corman’s Masque Of The Red Death, 1964.

Masque of the Red Death, The (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Shouldn't You Be On Your Knees? Cruel Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) discovers the humble Francesca (Paul McCartney's then-girlfriend Jane Asher), looking out for the interest of her village, lover and father (David Weston, Nigel Green, early in The Masque of the Red Death, 1964.

Boxcar Bertha (1972) -- (Movie Clip) Leave It To Harvey Rake (Barry Primus), Von (Bernie Casey) and Bill (David Carradine), all friends of Barbara Hershey (title character), have wound up on the same chain gang, guarded by lame Harvey (Harry Northrup), in Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha, 1972.

Boxcar Bertha (1972) -- (Movie Clip) Thing Called The Depression As the credits finish, wandering Barbara Hershey (title character) finds friend Big Bill (David Carradine) doing some labor organizing, before they escape together, in Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha, 1972.

Cooley High (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Y'all Need To Go To Church After school Preach (Glynn Turman) in a dice game with Stone and Robert (recruited Chicago gang members Rick Stone and Norman Gibson, in their first scene), joined by Cochise (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), the bothered Brenda (Cynthia Davis) and proprietor Martha (Juanita McConnell), Michael Schultz directing from Eric Monte's original screenplay, in Cooley High, 1975.

Cooley High (1975) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Rise And Shine Not accidentally idyllic, though the Chicago scenes and other elements confirm that the credit sequence was shot after 1964, when the story begins, with The Supremes’ recording of the Holland-Dozier-Holland song, and director Michael Schultz just introducing leads Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Glynn Turman, opening Cooley High, 1975.

Bloody Mama (1970) Original Trailer Original trailer with twisted content right up front, and commentary resembling critical praise for producer-director Roger Corman, for Bloody Mama, 1970, from American International Pictures, with Shelley Winters, Robert De Niro and Bruce Dern.

X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes -- (1963) -- Original Trailer Original trailer for what has become one of producer-director Roger Corman and American-Internationlal Pictjures' most beloved titles, X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes, 1963, starring Ray Milland.

Blacula - (Original Trailer) An African prince (William Marshall) bitten by Dracula stalks the Los Angeles night as Blacula (1972).

Amityville Horror, The - (Original Trailer) Newlyweds (James Brolin, Margot Kidder) discover their dream home is haunted in The Amityville Horror (1979).

Beach Blanket Bingo - (Original Trailer) Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello play Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) with guest appearances by Paul Lynde, Don Rickles and Buster Keaton.

Pit and the Pendulum, The - (Original Trailer) Vincent Price and Barbara Steele are a couple united by guilt and madness in Roger Corman's The Pit and the Pendulum (1961).

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini - (Original Trailer) White witch doctor Buster Keaton teaches the Beach Party gang How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965).

Tales of Terror - (Original Trailer) Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone star in three of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror (1962).

What's Up, Tiger Lily? - (Re-issue Trailer) Woody Allen added comic dialogue to What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966), a Japanese spy thriller dubbed into English.

Burn, Witch, Burn - (Original Trailer) A skeptical college professor discovers that his wife has been practicing magic for years in Burn, Witch, Burn (1962).

House of Usher -- (Original Trailer) A young man tries to rescue the woman he loves from her demonic brother (Vincent Price). The first of director Roger Corman's adaptations of Poe.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) - (Original Trailer) A Parisian theater owner producing a Grand Guignol play discovers a string of murders on set in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971).

Family

Louis Arkoff

Son

Producer.

Donna Arkoff Roth

Daughter

Producer. Married to executive and director Joe Roth.

Joe Roth

Son-In-Law

Executive, director.

Companions

Hilda Rusoff

Wife

Sculptor. Born in Winnipeg, Canada; married to Arkoff from 1945 until her death on July 26, 2001.

Bibliography

"Flying Through Hollywood by the Seat of My Pants"

Samuel Z. Arkoff with Richard Trubo (1992)

Notes

In 1990, Arkoff announced his return to film production, with plans to remake "Machine Gun Kelly" and "The Man With X-Ray Eyes." In 1993, he was planning auditions for a remake of "I Was a Teenage Werewolf".

He is the international vice president of the Variety Clubs International (1973- )

He has served as the vice president of the Permanent Charities Committee.

Arkoff has served as a member of the board of trustees of Loyola Marymount University.

He received the Commendatore of the Order of Merit by the President of the Republic of Italy in 1970.

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