A graduate of Carnegie Tech, Arthur Lubin entered films as an actor in the 1920s, and after appearing in many films turned to directing in 1934, mainly for Universal. His forte was light comedy, but he helmed many different types of pictures for the studio. Lubin was the director Universal entrusted with its new comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou ...
[on directing Bud Abbott and Lou Costello] Because Lou never did a scene the same way twice, I shot all their scenes simultaneously: a close-up of Lou, because he had such a dollface, and a close two-shot. I usually tried to have a camera on a dolly so I could move with them. You couldn't keep them in one position; Lou was all over the place. This actually saved time and money, because they always knew what they were going to do when they walked on a set.
2
[on directing Bud Abbott and Lou Costello] I found that if we rehearsed too much with them, their material got stale and they'd start adding things that didn't mean anything. All I needed a rehearsal for was to place my cameras. There was nothing I could tell them because no one could direct their routines as well as they.
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Fact
1
Although Lubin was a contract director at Universal, on a set weekly salary, his first film with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Buck Privates (1941), was such a huge hit ($4 million gross on a $180,000 budget) that the studio gave him a $5,000 bonus.
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
ABC Weekend Specials
1978-1981
TV Series 3 episodes
Rain for a Dusty Summer
1971
Mr. Terrific
1967
TV Series 3 episodes
The Phyllis Diller Show
1967
TV Series 4 episodes
Hold On!
1966
The Double Life of Henry Phyfe
1966
TV Series 3 episodes
Mister Ed
1958-1966
TV Series 131 episodes
The World of Abbott and Costello
1965
archive footage, uncredited
The Addams Family
1965
TV Series 1 episode
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
1964
The Thief of Baghdad
1961
Bonanza
1960
TV Series 3 episodes
New Comedy Showcase
1960
TV Series 1 episode
Lawman
1960
TV Series 1 episode
Maverick
1959-1960
TV Series 11 episodes
Cheyenne
1960
TV Series 1 episode
The Deputy
1959-1960
TV Series 3 episodes
77 Sunset Strip
1959
TV Series 3 episodes
Bronco
1959
TV Series 1 episode
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1959
TV Series 1 episode
The Loretta Young Show
1958
TV Series 1 episode
The Ed Wynn Show
1958
TV Series 2 episodes
Escapade in Japan
1957
The First Traveling Saleslady
1956
Lady Godiva of Coventry
1955
Francis in the Navy
1955
Footsteps in the Fog
1955
Francis Joins the WACS
1954
Star of India
1954
Francis Covers the Big Town
1953
South Sea Woman
1953
Gobs in a Mess
1953
Short
It Grows on Trees
1952
Francis Goes to West Point
1952
Rhubarb
1951
Queen for a Day
1951
Francis Goes to the Races
1951
Francis
1950
Impact
1949
New Orleans
1947
Night in Paradise
1946
The Spider Woman Strikes Back
1946
Delightfully Dangerous
1945
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
1944
To the People of the United States
1943
Documentary short
Phantom of the Opera
1943
White Savage
1943
Keeping Fit
1942
Short
Eagle Squadron
1942
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1942
Keep 'Em Flying
1941
Hold That Ghost
1941
In the Navy
1941
Buck Privates
1941
Where Did You Get That Girl?
1941
San Francisco Docks
1940
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
1940
Meet the Wildcat
1940
I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now
1940
Gangs of Chicago
1940
Black Friday
1940
The Big Guy
1939
Call a Messenger
1939
Mickey the Kid
1939
Big Town Czar
1939
Risky Business
1939
Newsboys' Home
1938
retakes, uncredited
Secrets of a Nurse
1938
Prison Break
1938
The Beloved Brat
1938
Midnight Intruder
1938
Adventure's End
1937
Idol of the Crowds
1937
I Cover the War!
1937
California Straight Ahead!
1937
Mysterious Crossing
1936
Yellowstone
1936
The House of a Thousand Candles
1936
Frisco Waterfront
1935
Two Sinners
1935
Honeymoon Limited
1935
Great God Gold
1935
A Successful Failure
1934
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mister Ed
1958-1966
TV Series producer - 145 episodes
Escapade in Japan
1957
producer
The First Traveling Saleslady
1956
producer
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Times Square
1929
Russ Glover / Benjamin Lederwitski
Eyes of the Underworld
1929
Gang Leader
The Bushranger
1928
Arthur
The Wedding March
1928
Mountain Guide (uncredited)
Afraid to Love
1927
Rafael
Millionaires
1926
Lew
Bardelys the Magnificent
1926
King Louis XIII
His People
1925
Morris Cominsky
The Woman on the Jury
1924
Juror
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Western Melodies
1949
Short director: archive footage
She Done Him Wrong
1933
assistant to producer - uncredited
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1964
Boxoffice Blue Ribbon Award
Boxoffice Magazine Awards
Best Picture of the Month for the Whole Family (April)