Arnold Moss


Arnold Moss was an American character actor.

Early years

Born in Flatbush, Moss was a third-generation Brooklyn native. He attended Brooklyn's Boys High School. His first involvement with acting came when he was in college, after which he joined the Eva Le Gallienne Apprentice Group.

Career

Radio

Moss was an announcer at two Baltimore, Maryland, radio stations, moving to WCAO in 1931 after having worked at WTAM. In 1932, he was the youngest announcer at CBS.
Moss narrated episodes of American Story in the summer of 1945. He played Dr. Fabian in Cabin B-13 on CBS radio in 1948–49, played in Cafe Istanbul on ABC 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 films, as Hope's Casablanca contact in the espionage spoof My Favorite Spy and as a conniving Venetian doge in Casanova's Big Night. Moss appeared in the feature film The 27th Day as The Alien. In Kim 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, with his first production being Peter Pan. He played Prospero in Margaret Webster's 1945 production of Shakespeare's The Tempest for a combined total of 124 performances, the longest run of the play in Broadway history. He appeared in the original Broadway production of the Hal Prince/Stephen Sondheim musical Follies, 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 June 1, 1949, he starred as the rabbi/exorcist Aesrael in "The Dybbuk", Studio One's adaptation of S. Ansky's like-named Yiddish stage classic. On November 22, 1950, Moss played the title role in Maugham's "Lord Montdrago" on Somerset Maugham TV Theatre. He appeared on television in Star Trek as mysterious actor Anton Karidian, alter-ego of the tyrannical Gov. Kodos of Tarsus IV, in the episode "The Conscience of the King". He also played in The Rifleman 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 Girl from U.N.C.L.E., The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and the anthology series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, General Electric Theater, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Suspense, Tales of Tomorrow, Studio One, and Kraft Television Theatre.

Personal life and death

Moss married Stella Reynolds, an actress who performed with him in the La Gallienne troupe.
Moss died from lung cancer at his home in New York City on December 15, 1989. He was 79.

Partial filmography

  • Temptation - Ahmed Effendi
  • The Loves of Carmen - Colonel
  • Studio One – Rabbi Aesrael
  • Reign of Terror - Fouché
  • Border Incident - Zopilote
  • Kim - Lurgan Sahib
  • Quebec - Jean-Paul Racelle
  • Mask of the Avenger - Colardi
  • My Favorite Spy - Tasso
  • Viva Zapata! - Don Nacio
  • Salome - Micha
  • Casanova's Big Night - the Doge
  • Bengal Brigade - Rajah Karam
  • Jump Into Hell - General Christian De Castries
  • Hell's Island - Paul Armand
  • The 27th Day - the Alien
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Dr. Ganderbay
  • The Rifleman - Stevan Griswald
  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour - Victor Hartman
  • Route 66 - The King in S4:E23, "I'm Here to Kill a King"
  • The Fool Killer as Reverend Spotts
  • Star Trek - Anton Karidian in S1:E13, "The Conscience of the King"
  • Gambit - Abdul
  • The Time Tunnel - Kalech, High Priest of Jericho
  • The Caper of the Golden Bulls - Mr Shanari
  • The Monkees – Vidaru in S2:E3, "Everywhere a Sheik, Sheik"
  • Bonanza - Chief Lonespear
  • Serpico - Tiller