# David Arkin > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/David_Arkin > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/David_Arkin.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Arkin > Source revision: 1325660926 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{About||the songwriter of the same name|David I. Arkin|the athlete|David Arkin (American football)}} {{short description|American actor}} {{more citations needed|date=November 2010}} {{infobox person | name = David Arkin | image = File:David Arkin 1970.JPG | caption = Arkin in 1970. | alt = | birth_name = David George Arkin | birth_date = {{birth date|1941|12|24}} | birth_place = [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [California](/source/California), United States | death_date = {{death date and age|1991|01|14|1941|12|24}} | death_place = [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [California](/source/California), United States | alma_mater = | occupation = Actor | spouse = Anne E. Curry }} '''David George Arkin''' (December 24, 1941 – January 14, 1991) was an American actor, known for his numerous supporting appearances in the films of [Robert Altman](/source/Robert_Altman). These roles were part of Altman's frequent ensemble and included Staff Sergeant Vollmer in ''[M*A*S*H](/source/M*A*S*H_(film))'' (where he also wrote and voiced the PA announcements), Harry in ''[The Long Goodbye](/source/The_Long_Goodbye_(film))'' (1973), Norman in ''[Nashville](/source/Nashville_(film))'' (1975), and The Mailman/The Police Officer in ''[Popeye](/source/Popeye_(film))'' (1980). ==Early life and education== {{expand section|parentage and education|date=October 2013}} Arkin was born in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [California](/source/California) to George Morris Arkin & Mary Eileen Collins. He graduated from [University High School](/source/University_High_School_(Los_Angeles)) and later [UCLA](/source/UCLA) with a major in Theater Arts. ==Career== Arkin had an "introducing" credit in ''[I Love You, Alice B. Toklas](/source/I_Love_You%2C_Alice_B._Toklas)'' (1968) and brief appearances in ''[Valley of the Dolls](/source/Valley_of_the_Dolls_(film))'' (1967), ''[All the President's Men](/source/All_the_President's_Men_(film))'' (1976), and ''[Cannonball](/source/Cannonball_(film))'' (1976). His television credits include ''[Hawaii Five-O](/source/Hawaii_Five-O_(1968_TV_series))'', ''Whitney and the Robot'', and a season-long appearance as the character Gabriel Kaye in the CBS television series ''[Storefront Lawyers](/source/Storefront_Lawyers)'', co-starring [Robert Foxworth](/source/Robert_Foxworth) and [Sheila Larken](/source/Sheila_Larken). He also appeared on ''[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson](/source/The_Tonight_Show_Starring_Johnny_Carson)'' and on the ''[Joey Bishop](/source/The_Joey_Bishop_Show_(talk_show))'' and the ''[Steve Allen](/source/The_Steve_Allen_Show)'' late night shows with the Hollywood Sunset Strip improvisational comedy troupe The Session (which included [Richard Dreyfuss](/source/Richard_Dreyfuss), [Rob Reiner](/source/Rob_Reiner), [Larry Bishop](/source/Larry_Bishop), Bobbie Shaw-Chance, [Marj Dusay](/source/Marj_Dusay), and Phil Mishkin); he later performed with [The Second City](/source/The_Second_City) touring troupe. Arkin wrote ''Human Cargo: Great Escapes'',{{clarify|date=October 2013|reason=book? no writing credit (screenplay or based on) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143236/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm}} which his wife Anne E. Curry later produced with their company Old Dime Box Productions for the [Showtime](/source/Showtime_(TV_network)) television network as ''[Escape: Human Cargo](/source/Escape%3A_Human_Cargo)''; it starred [Treat Williams](/source/Treat_Williams) and was filmed in [Israel](/source/Israel). She also produced and directed ''One Man's Opinion'', a politically incorrect take on newly released films; it starred Arkin and Professor Tyrone Shaw, now on the faculty of journalism at [Johnson State College](/source/Johnson_State_College) in [Vermont](/source/Vermont). ==Personal life and death== Arkin was married three times, the last time to actress Anne E. Curry at the time of his death in 1991. David Arkin was not related either to the actor [Alan Arkin](/source/Alan_Arkin) or Alan's son [Adam Arkin](/source/Adam_Arkin) (also an actor). Alan's father was [David I. Arkin](/source/David_I._Arkin). Arkin was known among his friends and colleagues for having introduced his friend [Arnold Schwarzenegger](/source/Arnold_Schwarzenegger) (then Arnold Strong) to Altman, at the time ''The Long Goodbye'' was being cast. This began Schwarzenegger's career in film.[Zuckoff, Mitchell](/source/Mitchell_Zuckoff). ''Robert Altman: An Oral Biography'', Random House, 2009, p.254. On January 14, 1991, he died by suicide in [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California) at the age of 49. ==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1965|| ''Summer Children'' || Cord || |- |1967|| ''[Valley of the Dolls](/source/Valley_of_the_Dolls_(film))'' || Western Union Boy || Uncredited |- |1968|| ''[I Love You, Alice B. Toklas](/source/I_Love_You%2C_Alice_B._Toklas)'' || Herbie Fine || |- |1970|| ''[M*A*S*H](/source/M*A*S*H_(film))'' || Staff Sergeant Vollmer / PA Announcer || |- |1970|| ''[Up in the Cellar](/source/Up_in_the_Cellar)'' || Hugo Caine || |- |1973|| ''[The Long Goodbye](/source/The_Long_Goodbye_(film))'' || Harry || |- |1975|| ''[Nashville](/source/Nashville_(film))'' || Norman || |- |1976|| ''[All the President's Men](/source/All_the_President's_Men_(film))'' || Eugene Bachinski || |- |1976|| ''[Cannonball!](/source/Cannonball_(film))'' || TV Producer / Anchorman || |- |1980|| ''[Popeye](/source/Popeye_(film))'' || The Mailman / Police Officer || (final film role) |- |- ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1970|| ''[Hawaii Five-O](/source/Hawaii_Five-O_(1968_TV_series))'' || George Loomis || 1 episode |- |1970|| ''[Storefront Lawyers](/source/Storefront_Lawyers)'' || Gabriel Kaye || 3 episodes |- |1975|| ''[Medical Story](/source/Medical_Story)'' || || 1 episode |- |1979|| ''Whitney and the Robot'' || David || |} ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} *{{IMDb name|35069}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Arkin, David}} Category:1941 births Category:20th-century American Jews Category:20th-century American male actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Jewish American male actors Category:Male actors from Los Angeles Category:People from Silver Lake, Los Angeles Category:Suicides in California Category:1991 suicides Category:1991 deaths --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [David Arkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Arkin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Arkin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.