Robert Arden

Acting · Production

Born December 11, 1922, London, England, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert Arden (11 December 1922 – 25 March 2004) was an American film, television and radio actor born in London who worked and lived mostly in the United Kingdom. Arden was born from an American father and an English mother. His father had a successful career as a professional boxer after World War I. He attended "a combination of English and American schools." Arden's most famous film appearance was as lead character Guy Van Stratten in Mr. Arkadin (1955), written and directed by Orson Welles. Welles had worked with Arden on the Harry Lime radio series, produced in London, and later cast the little-known actor in Mr. Arkadin, in the central role of the investigator who uncovers Arkadin's past. Reportedly, Arden was shocked that Welles might consider him for the part and initially thought that the director's phone inquiry was a crank call. Arden's performance in Mr. Arkadin was panned by some critics : The New York Times called it "hopelessly inadequate". Film historian Jonathan Rosenbaum has defended Arden's performance, locating the problem not in the actor's work but in "the unsavoriness and obnoxiousness of the character", who was intended by Welles to be unattractive even though he occupied in the film "the space normally reserved for charismatic heroes". The credits of one the film's Spanish versions misspelled Arden's name as "Bob Harden". Another Spanish print actually credited him as "Mark Sharpe". Mr. Arkadin did poorly at the box-office. Afterwards, Arden played a few other lead roles, in films such as The Depraved (1957) or The Child and the Killer (1959), but he worked mostly as a character actor, appearing in film, television and stage productions. he worked mostly as a character actor, appearing in film, television and stage productions.

Filmography

• Silent Witness — Alex Wein
• The Paradise Club — Marzocca
• The Bourne Identity — Stevens
• Inspector Morse — Eddie Poindexter
• 1986Little Shop of Horrors — Network Exec #1
• Strong Medicine — Dr. Potter
• 1985Among Wolves — Général Lee W. Simon
• 1985Reunion at Fairborough
• The Old Men at the Zoo — Albert Hancock
• American Playhouse — John McCloy, Edward Ross
• Nancy Astor — Quincy Shaw
• Q.E.D. — University President
• 1982The Story of Ruth — Ruth's Father
• 1981Condorman — CIA Chief
• 1981Ragtime — Foreman of the Jury
• 1981The Final Conflict — American Ambassador
• Oppenheimer — John McCloy
• 1979Churchill and the Generals — Harry Hopkins
• Tales of the Unexpected — Berners
• 1968A Hatful of Rain — Associate Producer
• 1965The Pistol — Captain Danzinger
• The Wednesday Play — Maj. Max Baker
• 1963Call Me Bwana — 1st C.I.A. Man
• 1963Death Drums Along the River — Jim Hunter
• Man of the World — Carter
• Studio 4 — George Spencer
• The Saint — Detective Williams
• Drama 61-67 — Detective Froelich
• 1960Never Take Sweets from a Stranger — Tom Demarest
• Theatre '70 — Freddy
• International Detective — McNaughton
• Interpol Calling — Marston
• No Hiding Place — James Sandford
• 1959The Child and the Killer — Joe
• 1957A King in New York — Liftboy
• Overseas Press Club - Exclusive! — Hal Lehrman
• 1957The Counterfeit Plan — Bob Fenton
• 1957The Depraved — Dave Dillon
• 1956Bermuda Affair — Bill
• 1956Spin a Dark Web — Buddy
• 1955Mr. Arkadin — Guy Van Stratten
• Mark Saber — Victor Crane, Bob Page
• 1947The Hills of Donegal — Daniel
• 1946A Matter of Life and Death — GI Playing Snout (uncredited)
• 1945The Man from Morocco — American Sergeant
• 1944Two Thousand Women — Dave Kennedy