Born Jack Arnold Waks in New Haven, CT. As a director, he said he liked to think of the movie screen as a traditional proscenium-arch stage into which people and objects could abruptly enter as if coming in from the wings. He often used this technique for shock effect, as in IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) when Russell Johnson's hand suddenly reaches in from the side of the screen to touch a startled Barbara Rush on the shoulder. Other directing credits include THE GLASS WEB (also 1953), CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), TARANTULA (1955), THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957), HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL! and MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS (both 1958), THE MOUSE THAT ROARED (1959) and BACHELOR IN PARADISE (1961). He worked extensively in television, directing episodes of such series as "Science Fiction Theater," "Peter Gunn," "Rawhide," "Mr. Lucky," "Dr. Kildare," "Gilligan's Island" (also series producer), "It Takes a Thief" (also series producer), "The Brady Bunch," "McCloud," "Ellery Queen," "The Bionic Woman," "Wonder Woman" and "The Love Boat."  Nominated for Documentary (Features) 1950: WITH THESE HANDS - Producer (w. Lee Goodman) 1 nomination