Arnold Moss (January 28, 1910 – December 15, 1989) was an American character actor. His son was songwriter

Jeff Moss Jeffrey Arnold "Jeff" Moss (June 19, 1942 – September 24, 1998) was an American composer, lyricist, playwright and television writer, best known for his award-winning work on the children's television series ''Sesame Street''. Early life ...

Early years

Born in Flatbush, Moss was a third-generation Brooklyn native. He attended Brooklyn's

Boys High School Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in separate buildings or schools. The practice of ...

. His first involvement with acting came when he was in college, after which he joined the Eva Le Gallienne Apprentice Gruup.

Career

Radio

Moss was an announcer at two Baltimore, Maryland, radio stations, moving to

WCAO WCAO (600 AM broadcasting, AM "Heaven 600") is a commercial radio, commercial radio station in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland. It broadcasts an urban gospel radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It also airs some Christian talk and teac ...

in 1931 after having worked at

WTAM WTAM (1100 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, and carries a news/ talk/sports format commonly known as "Newsradio WTAM 1100". Owned by iHeartMedia, WTAM serves Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Oh ...

. In 1932, he was the youngest announcer at

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. He played Dr. Fabian in '' Cabin B-13'' on

radio in 1948-49, played in '' Cafe Istanbul'' on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

radio in 1952, was Ahmed on '' Stella Dallas'', was Philip Cameron in '' Against the Storm'' and was the first voice of the character of Ted White on the radio serial, ''The Guiding Light'', from April 1948 to May 1949.

Teaching

In the early 1930s, Moss taught speech at the Brooklyn branch of City College of New York.

Film

Moss made two appearances in

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

films, as Hope's Casablanca contact in the espionage spoof '' My Favorite Spy'' and as a conniving Venetian doge in ''

Casanova's Big Night ''Casanova's Big Night'' is a 1954 American comedy film starring Bob Hope and Joan Fontaine, which is a spoof of swashbuckling historical adventure films. It was directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Hope plays a tailor who impersonates Giacomo Casanova ...

''. Moss appeared in the feature film ''

The 27th Day ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1957) as The Alien. In ''

Kim Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

'' (1950) he played Lurgan, the shopkeeper and secret spy trainer.

Stage

Moss's stage career began when he acted and directed for Le Gallienne's

Civic Repertory Theatre The Fourteenth Street Theatre was a New York City theatre located at 107 West 14th Street just west of Sixth Avenue.Berg, J.C. (9 January 2011)The Fourteenth Street Theater, ''nycvintageimages.com'' History It was designed by Alexander Saelt ...

, with his first production being ''Peter Pan'' (1929). He played

Prospero Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, whose usurping brother, Antonio, had put him (with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda) to se ...

Margaret Webster Margaret Webster (March 15, 1905 – November 13, 1972) was an American-British theater actress, producer and director. Critic George Jean Nathan described her as "the best director of the plays of Shakespeare that we have." Life and care ...

's 1945 production of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's '' The Tempest'' for a combined total of 124 performances, the longest run of the play in

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

history. He appeared in the original Broadway production of the

Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

/ Stephen Sondheim musical ''

Follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...

'', playing impresario Dimitri Weismann. Moss also was narrator for orchestras in Boston, Detroit, and Milwaukee.

Television

Moss appeared in dozens of television programs during the golden age of TV. On November 22, 1950, he starred in "Lord Mountdrago" on '' Somerset Maugham TV Theatre''. He appeared on television in '' Star Trek'' (1966) as mysterious actor Anton Karidian, alter-ego of the tyrannical Gov. Kodos of Tarsus IV, in the episode "

The Conscience of the King "The Conscience of the King" is the 13th episode of the first season of the American science-fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Barry Trivers and directed by Gerd Oswald, it was first aired on December 8, 1966. The episode tak ...

". He also played in ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...

'' as the school teacher, Mr. Griswald, and as Chief Lonespear in '' Bonanza'' episode "In Defense of Honor" in 1968. Other television appearances include ''

The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series and ...

'', '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'', ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

'', and the anthology series ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...

'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', '' Suspense'', ''

Tales of Tomorrow ''Tales of Tomorrow'' is an American anthology science fiction series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953. The series covered such stories as ''Frankenstein'' starring Lon Chaney Jr., '' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' ...

'', '' Studio One'', and '' Kraft Television Theatre''.

Personal life

Moss married Stella Reynolds, an actress who performed with him in the La Gallienne troupe.

Death

Arnold Moss died from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

at his home in New York City on December 15, 1989. He was 79.

Partial filmography

* ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'' (1946) - Ahmed Effendi * '' The Loves of Carmen'' (1948) - Colonel * '' Reign of Terror'' (a.k.a. ''The Black Book'') (1949) - Fouché * ''

Border Incident ''Border Incident'' is a 1949 film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, George Murphy, Howard Da Silva. Directed by Anthony Mann, the MGM production was written by John C. Higgins and George Zuckerman. The film was shot by cinematographer John ...

'' (1949) - Zopilote * ''

'' (1950) - Lurgan Sahib * ''

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

'' (1951) - Jean-Paul Racelle * ''

Mask of the Avenger ''Mask of the Avenger'' is a 1951 American historical adventure film directed by Phil Karlson starring John Derek, Anthony Quinn and Jody Lawrance. Derek portrays Renatu Dimorna, the son of an Italian aristocrat, who vows revenge after his fathe ...

'' (1951) - Colardi * '' My Favorite Spy'' (1951) - Tasso * ''

Viva Zapata! ''Viva Zapata!'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using Edgcomb Pinchon's 1941 book ''Zapata the Unconquerable'' as a guide. The cast includes Jean ...

'' (1952) - Don Nacio * '' Salome'' (1953) - Micha * ''

'' (1954) - the Doge * ''

Bengal Brigade ''Bengal Brigade'' is a 1954 American adventure war film directed by Laslo Benedek and starring Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl and Ursula Thiess. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the 1952 novel ''Bengal Tigers'' by ...

'' (1954) - Rajah Karam * ''

Jump Into Hell ''Jump into Hell'' is a 1955 war film directed by David Butler. The film stars Jacques Sernas and Kurt Kasznar. As the first Hollywood film based on the war in French Indochina, the story is a fictionalized account of the Battle of Dien Bien Ph ...

'' (1955) - General Christian De Castries * ''

Hell's Island ''Hell's Island'' is a 1955 American film noir directed by Phil Karlson starring John Payne and Mary Murphy. The film was shot in the VistaVision wide-screen format. ''Hell's Island'' was re-released in 1962 under the title ''South Sea Fury''. ...

'' (1955) - Paul Armand * ''

'' (1957) - the Alien * ''

'' (1960, TV Series) - Stevan Griswald * '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1958, TV Series) - Dr. Ganderbay * '' The Fool Killer'' (1965) as Reverend Spotts * '' Star Trek'' (1966, TV Series) - Anton Karidian (''

'') * ''

Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe sim ...

'' (1966) - Abdul * ''

'' (1967, TV Series) - Kalech, High Priest of Jericho (''Walls of Jericho'') * ''

The Caper of the Golden Bulls ''The Caper of the Golden Bulls'', also known as ''Carnival of Thieves'', is a 1967 American action comedy film directed by Russell Rouse and starring Stephen Boyd, Yvette Mimieux and Giovanna Ralli. Plot During a bombing mission to Germany, war ...

'' (1967) - Mr Shanari * '' Bonanza'' (1968, TV Series) - Chief Lonespear (''In Defense of Honor'') * ''

Serpico ''Serpico'' is a 1973 American neo-noir biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino in the title role. The screenplay was adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from the book of the same name written by ...

'' (1976, TV Series) - Tiller

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moss, Arnold 1910 births 1989 deaths Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male television actors People from Flatbush, Brooklyn Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in New York (state) 20th-century American male actors Boys High School (Brooklyn) alumni