Born in New York City; graduate of Yale University. Reporter for the Atlanta Constitution and Life magazine and a partner in a public relations firm who served in the U.S. Army in Europe in World War II before beginning his screenwriting career. Writer-director who entered American film with THE BOLD AND THE BRAVE (1956). Other notable writing credits are mostly for television: "Gunsmoke," "The Rifleman," "Rawhide," THIRD OF A MAN (1962, also producer & director), "The Fugitive," "Twelve O'Clock High," "I Spy," "The Loner," "The F.B.I.," "Mission: Impossible," "Mannix," "Hawaii Five-O," "Cannon," "Kung Fu," "The Man from Atlantis," "The Paper Chase" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (also producer). He produced or co-produced several made-for-TV movies and TV series.  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay Original) 1956: THE BOLD AND THE BRAVE 1 nomination