Samuel Z. Arkoff

Arkoff is the co-founder (with James H. Nicholson) of American International Pictures and has served as producer or executive on over 200 of the low-budget exploitation films--monster movies, motorcycle films and beach-party pictures geared to the teenage audience--that made the studio famous. Arkoff also gave fresh talent such as Francis Ford Coppola ("Dementia 13" 1963), Martin Scorsese ("Boxcar Bertha" 1972) and Woody Allen ("What's Up, Tiger Lily?" 1966) the opportunity to direct some of their early feature films. In 1980, he sold AIP and formed his own companies, Samuel Z. Arkoff Pictures and Arkoff International Pictures. Arkoff wrote his memoirs, "Flying Through Hollywood by the Seat of My Pants" in 1992. His son, Louis, is also a producer.