Born in Australia. A marine research specialist, he began writing short stories and plays during a four-year naval career. He arrived in Hollywood in the late 20s as a technical advisor on the filming of sea sequences and stayed as a screenwriter, working on the scripts of such films as SAILOR'S SWEETHEART (1927), THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS (1927), LADIES OF THE MOB (1928), THE FIRST KISS (1928), WOMAN FROM MOSCOW (1928), WOLF SONG (1929), A DANGEROUS WOMAN (1929), WHEEL OF LIFE (1929), SHADOW OF THE LAW (1930), SEVEN DAYS' LEAVE (1930), WOMAN OF EXPERIENCE (1931), LAST OF THE PAGANS (1935), and TARZAN ESCAPES (1936). He made his debut as a director in 1937 and gradually worked his way up from B features to full-budget productions. On occasion he proved himself a capable director of solid entertainment fare with such varied films as the realistic war-action WAKE ISLAND (1942), the thriller melodrama THE BIG CLOCK (1948), the dark political allegory ALIAS NICK BEAL (1949), and the psychological Western HONDO (1953). He was also skilled in eliciting good performances from actors. Farrow, who was injured during his early WW II stint as a lieutenant commander with the Royal Navy and invalided out of the service, became a convert to Catholicism and wrote a biography of Thomas More and a study of the Papacy, in addition to several novels. He collaborated on the scripts of a couple of his own films and shared in the Academy Award for the screenplay of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (1956). He was the husband of actress Maureen O'Sullivan and father of actress Mia Farrow.

Nominated for Directing 1942: WAKE ISLAND  Writing (Best Screenplay Adapted) 1956: AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (w. James Poe & S. J. Perelman). (Writer Michael Wilson ineligible under Academy by-laws. Wilson was blacklisted since pleading the Fifth before the House Un-American Activities Commitee in 1951.) 2 nominations, 1 Award