Born in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He began his professional career at 19 as a reporter in Buffalo, NY, and after WW I service as an officer with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, he became an assistant editor of Canada's MacLean's Magazine. He later wrote numerous short stories for The Saturday Evening Post and other leading magazines, notably the "Tugboat Annie" serialization, which was adapted to the screen in 1931 and in 1940. His play Hangman's Whip was adapted to the screen as WHITE WOMAN in 1933 and as ISLAND OF LOST MEN in 1939, and his novel Sea of Lost Ships was made into a film in 1953. In Hollywood from the mid-30s, he wrote many screenplays for Warner Bros. and other studios, mostly in collaboration. Some of the more notable of those include CHINA CLIPPER (1936, add'l dialog - uncredited), THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA and THE PERFECT SPECIMEN (both 1937), THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD and MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS (both 1938), THE OKLAHOMA KID, EACH DAWN I DIE and THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (all 1939), THE FIGHTING 69TH (1940), CAPTAINS OF THE CLOUDS and EAGLE SQUADRON (both 1942), NOB HILL, A BELL FOR ADANO and CAPTAIN KIDD (all 1945), M (1951, scenario revisions) and WOMEN OF THE NORTH COUNTRY (1952).  Writing (Screenplay) 1937: THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (w. Heinz Herald & Geza Herczeg) 1 nomination, 1 Award