Samuel Z. Arkoff

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Samuel Z. Arkoff

Samuel Zachary Arkoff (born June 12, 1918 in Fort Dodge , Iowa , † September 16, 2001 in Burbank , California ) was an American film producer .

Life

Arkoff was known as the "king of low-budget films" . He started out as a lawyer specializing in the entertainment industry. In 1954, together with James Harvey Nicholson , he founded the film distributor American Releasing Corporation , which was independent of the major studios and which was soon converted into the production company " American International Pictures (AIP)". AIP's most important creative collaborator was director and producer Roger Corman , who separated from the company in 1970 after Arkoff had Corman's film GAS-SSS re-edited against his will. James Nicholson left the company a year later. Arkoff led AIP alone for a few years and briefly merged with Filmways, Inc. in 1978 until the company was finally sold to Orion Pictures in 1982 .

Arkoff made about 150 films, including Death Has Black Claws , Dressed to Kill , The Portrait of Dorian Gray, and American Monster .

The "Arkoff Formula"

The formula forms the checklist, especially in a low-budget production :

  • A ction (exciting and entertaining)
  • R evolution (novel or controversial topics and ideas)
  • K illing (a degree of violence)
  • O ratory (remarkable dialogue and speeches)
  • F antasy (fantasies shared with the audience)
  • F ornication (sex appeal, for young adults)

Filmography

From the extensive work that Arkoff brought to distribution in the USA, a selection of films is listed below that have also become known in Germany.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Arkoff, Samuel Z.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Arkoff, Samuel Zachary
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American film producer
DATE OF BIRTH June 12, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH Fort Dodge , Iowa
DATE OF DEATH September 16, 2001
Place of death Burbank , California