Person Biography:
Arne Sultan was born on June 7, 1925, in New York, and grew up in Brooklyn. Prior to becoming a writer, he was a night club performer. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he worked as a television writer for various Steve Allen shows and also wrote for The Judy Garland Show in 1963.
As a writer, Sultan co-wrote the story of the comedy film Boys' Night Out in 1962, starring Kim Novak, James Garner, and Tony Randall. He also co-wrote the original story of the romantic comedy film Promise Her Anything in 1966, starring Warren Beatty and Leslie Caron, and co-wrote the story of the comedy film Three on a Couch in 1966.
Sultan's writing partner on these films was Marvin Worth. He was also a story editor and writer on the TV show Get Smart in 1965 and eventually became an executive producer. During this time, he also produced and wrote for the short-lived romantic comedy series He & She in 1967.
Sultan created the TV show The Governor & J.J. in 1969 with Leonard Stern, an executive producer of Get Smart and creator of He & She. After the show ended, he executive produced and wrote many episodes of the TV show The Partners in 1971, which was created by and starred Don Adams, the star of Get Smart.
Sultan then created another comedy TV show, The Sandy Duncan Show, in 1972, which starred Tom Bosley before his role in Happy Days in 1974. His writing partner was Earl Barret on most episodes of these shows.
In 1975, Sultan returned to writing on a TV show, writing nine episodes of Barney Miller, and also served as a producer. His writing partners on Barney Miller were Danny Arnold and Chris Hayward. He also co-wrote a few episodes of the TV show Holmes and Yoyo in 1976 with Earl Barret.
Sultan co-wrote the Get Smart movie, The Nude Bomb, in 1980 with Leonard Stern and Bill Dana. That year, he also co-developed the TV show Too Close for Comfort, which was an American adaptation of the British sitcom Keep It in the Family. The show ended in 1986, when Sultan and the show's star, Ted Knight, had both died.
