Arthur Marks(1927-2019)
- Producer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Writer/director/producer Arthur Marks was born on August 2, 1927 in Los Angeles, California. His grandparents acted in silent pictures
and his father,Dave Marks,was an assistant director and production
manager at MGM whose credits includeThe Wizard of Oz (1939)andEaster Parade (1948).
Arthur began his film career as a young boy working as both an extra and bit actor in movies in the 1930s. He attended the University of Southern California and got a job working in the production department at MGM. However, it was in the 1950s that his career really took off: He was an assistant director for the TV shows Broken Arrow (1956),The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955)andTreasury Men in Action (1950)and worked on the immensely popularPerry Mason (1957)TV series as both a producer and director. He eventually began directing enjoyably trashy low-budget drive-in exploitation features in the 1970s; he made his theatrical film debut with the 1970 movie Togetherness (1970).He truly hit his stride, though, with several hugely entertaining blaxploitation outings: The rousing crime thriller Detroit 9000 (1973)(this particular picture was re-released in theaters in 1998 byQuentin Tarantino), the delightfully breezyPam Griervehicle Friday Foster (1975),the bang-upFred Williamsonaction flickBucktown (1975),the atmospheric horror winnerJ.D.'s Revenge (1976),and the amusingly goofy comedyThe Monkey Hu$tle (1976).His other films as director include the gritty film noirBonnie's Kids (1972),the sleazy serial killer opusThe Roommates (1973),and the silly soft-core rompClass of '74 (1972).In addition, he served as production manager onThe Centerfold Girls (1974)and Wonder Women (1973).He often produced the films he directed.
Marks ran the independent outfit General Film Corp. in the 1970s, which picked up pictures likeWilliam Girdler'sThe Zebra Killer (1974)and the notorious cult exploitation gemThe Candy Snatchers (1973)for theatrical distribution. Outside of his movie work, he has directed episodes of such TV shows asThe Dukes of Hazzard (1979),Starsky and Hutch (1975)andI Spy (1965)
He and his wife Phyllis Marie Lehman had four children; his sonsBeau MarksandPaul Marksare both successful film and television producers. Marks died at age 92 at his home in Woodland Hills, California on November 13, 2019.
Arthur began his film career as a young boy working as both an extra and bit actor in movies in the 1930s. He attended the University of Southern California and got a job working in the production department at MGM. However, it was in the 1950s that his career really took off: He was an assistant director for the TV shows Broken Arrow (1956),The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955)andTreasury Men in Action (1950)and worked on the immensely popularPerry Mason (1957)TV series as both a producer and director. He eventually began directing enjoyably trashy low-budget drive-in exploitation features in the 1970s; he made his theatrical film debut with the 1970 movie Togetherness (1970).He truly hit his stride, though, with several hugely entertaining blaxploitation outings: The rousing crime thriller Detroit 9000 (1973)(this particular picture was re-released in theaters in 1998 byQuentin Tarantino), the delightfully breezyPam Griervehicle Friday Foster (1975),the bang-upFred Williamsonaction flickBucktown (1975),the atmospheric horror winnerJ.D.'s Revenge (1976),and the amusingly goofy comedyThe Monkey Hu$tle (1976).His other films as director include the gritty film noirBonnie's Kids (1972),the sleazy serial killer opusThe Roommates (1973),and the silly soft-core rompClass of '74 (1972).In addition, he served as production manager onThe Centerfold Girls (1974)and Wonder Women (1973).He often produced the films he directed.
Marks ran the independent outfit General Film Corp. in the 1970s, which picked up pictures likeWilliam Girdler'sThe Zebra Killer (1974)and the notorious cult exploitation gemThe Candy Snatchers (1973)for theatrical distribution. Outside of his movie work, he has directed episodes of such TV shows asThe Dukes of Hazzard (1979),Starsky and Hutch (1975)andI Spy (1965)
He and his wife Phyllis Marie Lehman had four children; his sonsBeau MarksandPaul Marksare both successful film and television producers. Marks died at age 92 at his home in Woodland Hills, California on November 13, 2019.
