Born in Long Island City, NY. A stage actor from the age of 17, following a troubled youth and a criminal record as a juvenile delinquent, he appeared in a number of Broadway productions and in the 1940s wrote and directed several plays. After WW II service as a flight instructor with the Army Air Force, he began acting, directing, and producing for television and during the 1950s turn out numerous TV dramas, according to some estimates as many as 1,000 between 1948 and 1960. He is widely credited with playing a major role in brining innovation and consistent quality to live dramatic programming in the early days of television. After winning an Emmy® for directing Rod Serling's teleplay "Requiem for a Heavyweight," he made his big-screen debut in 1962 with a feature version of the same drama. In his subsequent films he tackled both serious and light themes sensibly but not always convincingly. He had his best success with LILIES OF THE FIELD (1963), a film he also produced, which gained a Best Actor Oscar® for Sidney Poitier and was nominated for several other Academy Awards, including Best Picture. His other film directing credits include REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT (1962), SOLDIER IN THE RAIN (1963), FATE IS THE HUNTER and FATHER GOOSE (both 1964), ONCE A THIEF (1965, also producer), DUEL AT DIABLO (1966, also producer), CHARLY (also producer) and COUNTERPOINT (both 1968), SOLDIER BLUE and ...TICK...TICK...TICK... (also producer) (both 1970), FLIGHT OF THE DOVES (1971, also writer & producer), THE WRATH OF GOD (1972, also writer), THE WILBY CONSPIRACY (1975), EMBRYO (1976), and A HERO AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A SANDWICH (1978). He played minor roles in several of his own films. At one time (1938-39) married to Celeste Holm.  Nominated for Best Picture 1963: LILIES OF THE FIELD - Producer at Rainbow 1 nomination