College-educated Arthur Hornblow Jr. was the son of a successful novelist, turned playwright. After graduating from New York Law School, he worked for some time as a practising lawyer and was posted in counter-intelligence during the First World War. After the war, his literary inclinations took over and he changed his career by producing plays on Broadway. One of his biggest hits was "The Cardboard Lover", starring Tallulah Bankhead. His penultimate play, "The Captive" (1926), was translated from an original French version written by 'Edouard Bourdet', entitled 'La Prisonniere'. Due to its lesbian content, it caused a massive controversy with less liberally-minded elements of the community, who prompted its closure by police after a run of 160 performances. All the leading actors in the cast were arrested (though later released on bail), including the venerable Basil Rathbone. Following this experience, Hornblow left the theatre and went to Hollywood.

In 1927, he was hired as a production supervisor by Samuel Goldwyn. He learned the tricks of his trade for the next six years. By the time he joined Paramount, it was as producer of popular entertainments, such as Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) and the Bing Crosby-W.C. Fields vehicle Mississippi (1935). He also helped elevate Bob Hope from comedic support to romantic lead in three films opposite Paulette Goddard, beginning with The Cat and the Canary (1939). In 1944, he switched to MGM, producing the classic Victorian thriller Gaslight (1944) with Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman; the all-star musical Week-End at the Waldorf (1945) and the superior Clark Gable drama The Hucksters (1947), based on a best-selling novel. The Asphalt Jungle (1950), one of the most imitated crime films of the decade, brought a young Marilyn Monroe to the attention of the movie-going public. Hornblow's last three films were independently produced and included the exuberant musical Oklahoma! (1955) and the edgy courtroom drama Witness for the Prosecution (1957). After his retirement from the industry in 1962, Hornblow co-authored six children's books with his wife, the former actress Leonora Hornblow (nee Schinasi), which were published by Random House.