Danny Arnold: Movies & Filmography

Danny Arnold, born Arnold Rothmann on January 23, 1925 in New York City, emerged as one of television’s most dynamic and contentious creators. After serving in the United States Marine Corps in the South Pacific during World War II, he returned to the stage, honing his craft in summer‑stock productions and vaudeville comedy before transitioning to Hollywood where he began a multifaceted career as an actor, writer, and eventually a producer. Arnold’s early screen appearances placed him opposite the legendary comic duo Martin and Lewis, and he secured his first screenplay credit with the 1953 Martin‑and‑Lewis vehicle The Caddy. By 1956 he was writing for variety shows such as The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show and The Rosemary Clooney Show, setting the stage for a prolific period in the 1960s when he wrote and produced iconic sitcoms including The Real McCoys, Bewitched (producing its inaugural season), and That Girl. His reputation for brilliance was matched by a reputation for volatility; colleagues described him as “brilliant, unpredictable (a nice term for bi‑polar), demanding, and kind.” Arnold’s uncompromising vision manifested most famously on Barney Miller, where his insistence on endless rewrites turned tapings into marathon sessions that eventually eliminated the live studio audience. The series earned him an Emmy, a Peabody Award, and cemented his status as a trailblazer in situational comedy. Frustrated by network politics, Arnold founded Pro‑Synd, Inc. to retain control over syndication, though the venture faltered after the cancellation of Joe Bash and Stat. In 1986 he sold Four D Productions to Columbia Pictures Television for $50 million, settling a protracted legal battle over Barney Miller profits. Recognized by his peers, he received the Writers Guild of America’s Paddy Chayefsky Award in 1985. Arnold’s personal life included two marriages—to actress Joanne Gilbert (1955‑56) and later to singer‑dancer Donna Arnold (1961‑1995)—and two children, David and Dannel. He died of heart failure on August 19, 1995, in Los Angeles and was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery.