Danny Arnold

A native New Yorker, Danny Arnold was born Arnold Rothmann, but changed his name when he went into show business. Arnold primarily performed in theater productions during his youth and excelled at comedic roles, a talent that led to him collaborating with the duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, both onscreen (in the movie "Jumping Jacks") and behind the scenes as a writer during the 1950s. This led to further writing work in both film and television, with Arnold penning episodes of "McHale's Navy" and "Bewitched," the latter a TV show that also found him working as a producer.

During the '60s, Arnold added directing to his writing and producing credits, most notably with the Marlo Thomas-starring comedy "That Girl." Arnold's biggest contribution to television, though, proved to be the beloved '70s cop comedy "Barney Miller," which he co-created with Theodore J. Flicker. Working again as a writer, director and producer on "Barney Miller," Arnold developed some of TV's most cherished characters, and that iconic series stands as his legacy.