Arthur Dreifuss, 85; Producer, Director for Movies, Television

Arthur Dreifuss, film, television and stage director and producer who created about 40 movies over three decades, has died. He was 85.

Dreifuss, who lived in Studio City, died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of complications of the flu, his daughter, Nancy Hess, said Thursday.

Born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Dreifuss was a child prodigy pianist and conductor. He later became a choreographer and producer of stage musicals.

Immigrating to New York in 1928, Dreifuss became a theatrical producer.

He moved to Hollywood in 1935 as a dance director, and in 1940 began directing low budget films. He co-wrote and produced many of the films.

His film career began with the 1936 film “Hats Off,” which he choreographed and ended with “The Young Runaways” which he directed in 1968.

In between, he handled such films as “Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion” and “Boston Blackie’s Rendezvous” in 1945, “There’s a Girl in My Heart” in 1950, “Life Begins at 17” in 1958, “The Quare Fellow” in 1962 and “Riot on Sunset Strip” in 1967.

For television, Dreifuss produced the nature series “Wildlife in Crisis” in Africa.

In the 1970s, he became a talent agent.

In addition to his daughter, of Burbank, Dreifuss is survived by a son, David, of Hollywood, and two grandchildren.