Arthur Lubin

 Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 12, 1995)

Lubin was a film director and producer who directed several Abbott & Costello films, Phantom of the Opera (1943), the Francis the Talking Mule series and created the talking-horse TV series Mister Ed. A prominent director for Universal Pictures in the 1940s and 1950s, he is perhaps best known today as the man who gave Clint Eastwood his first contract in film. He worked as a drama coach at Canadian Steel Mills before following one of his college drama teachers, B. Iden Payne, to New York. As an actor, he specialized in heavy melodrama, in sharp contrast with his later work as a film director. He worked for the Ray-Minor Company, a subsidiary of Paramount, which brought him to the attention of that studio's chief, B.P. Schulberg. In June 1932, Lubin returned to Hollywood to work for William Le Baron at Paramount as an associate producer. His contract included the right to return to New York in the first six months to produce and direct a play. Lubin began directing Little Theatre in his spare time, including productions of Lilliom, and got reputation for doing "outstanding work". Lubin's career received a big break when he was assigned to direct the first Abbott and Costello star vehicle, Buck Privates (1941).

The movie was a big hit, earning $4 million – Lubin, who was paid $350 a week, was given a $5,000 bonus. He went on to direct the duo's next four movies, In the Navy (1941), which earned him another $5,000 bonus, Hold That Ghost (1941), shot before In the Navy but released afterwards, Keep 'Em Flying (1942) and Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942), shot before Keep 'Em Flying but released afterwards. Lubin made White Savage (1943) with Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu, then was given his largest ever budget when he replaced Henry Koster on Phantom of the Opera (1943) with Claude Rains. This was a great success commercially, as was Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944) with Montez, Hall and Sabu. His best known work was Mister Ed. Lubin had wanted to make a TV series based on Francis but was not able to secure the rights. Instead he optioned a series of short stories about a talking horse, Mr Ed. He died at the Autumn Hills nursing home in Glendale, California on May 12, 1995 at age 96.