Samuel Z. Arkoff

Samuel Z. Arkoff (June 12 1918–September 16 2001) was an American producer of B-movies.

Related Topics:
June 12 - 1918 - September 16 - 2001 - American - Producer - B-movies

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Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Arkoff first studied to be a lawyer. Along with business partner James H. Nicholson and producer-director Roger Corman, he produced eighteen films. In the 1950s, he and Nicholson founded American Releasing Corporation, which later became known as American International Pictures and produced over 125 films before the company's demise in the 1980's. These films were mostly low-budget, with production completed in a few days, though nearly all of them became profitable.

Related Topics:
Fort Dodge, Iowa - Lawyer - James H. Nicholson - Roger Corman - American International Pictures

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Arkoff is also credited with starting a few genres, such as the Beach Party and outlaw biker movies, and his company played a substantial part in bringing the horror movie genre to a novel level with successes such as I Was a Teenage Werewolf and The Thing with Two Heads. American International Pictures movies starred many established actors in principal or cameo roles, such as Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester and Vincent Price, as well as up-and-comers who later became household names, including Don Johnson, Nick Nolte, Diane Ladd, and most notably Jack Nicholson (no relation to James Nicholson). A number of actors shunned or overlooked by most of Hollywood during the 1960s and 1970s, such as Bruce Dern and Dennis Hopper, also found work in one or more of Arkoff's productions.

Related Topics:
Beach Party - Outlaw biker - Horror movie - I Was a Teenage Werewolf - The Thing with Two Heads - Boris Karloff - Elsa Lanchester - Vincent Price - Don Johnson - Nick Nolte - Diane Ladd - Jack Nicholson - 1960s - 1970s - Bruce Dern - Dennis Hopper

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Not long after American International Pictures went out of business, Arkoff founded Arkoff International Pictures.

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Arkoff died in 2001, within weeks of his wife's own death.

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