Motion Picture/TV Director and Writer, Singer, Songwriter. Raised in New York City, he studied at Fordham Law School, working a short time as attorney after graduation, abandoning his job when he got the chance to sing with the "George Olsen Trio". In 1928 he became a member of "The Yacht Club Boys", a singing quartet, appearing in supper clubs and eight motion pictures, creating much of their material. In the late 30s he turned to screenwriting, penning scripts for Universal, RKO and Warner Brothers, including "You`ll Find Out" (1940), "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (1943) and "The Horn Blows at Midnight" (1945). At Warners he got finally the chance to direct his first movie, "The Doughgirls" (1944), followed by, among others, "Never Say Goodbye" (1946, with Errol Flynn), "Stallion Road" (1947, with Ronald Reagan) and "Two Tickets to Broadway" (1951). As from 1952 he found his niche in Television, becoming one of the most successful and prolific directors of the 50s and 60s, helming some 500 tv programs, among them "I Love Lucy", "New Orleans Bourbon Street", "The Ann Sothern Show", "The Joey Bishop Show" and, from 1964 on until his death, the Fred MacMurray teleseries "My Three Sons", which halted production for several weeks when he became ill. He died of pneumonia after a short illness.
Motion Picture/TV Director and Writer, Singer, Songwriter. Raised in New York City, he studied at Fordham Law School, working a short time as attorney after graduation, abandoning his job when he got the chance to sing with the "George Olsen Trio". In 1928 he became a member of "The Yacht Club Boys", a singing quartet, appearing in supper clubs and eight motion pictures, creating much of their material. In the late 30s he turned to screenwriting, penning scripts for Universal, RKO and Warner Brothers, including "You`ll Find Out" (1940), "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (1943) and "The Horn Blows at Midnight" (1945). At Warners he got finally the chance to direct his first movie, "The Doughgirls" (1944), followed by, among others, "Never Say Goodbye" (1946, with Errol Flynn), "Stallion Road" (1947, with Ronald Reagan) and "Two Tickets to Broadway" (1951). As from 1952 he found his niche in Television, becoming one of the most successful and prolific directors of the 50s and 60s, helming some 500 tv programs, among them "I Love Lucy", "New Orleans Bourbon Street", "The Ann Sothern Show", "The Joey Bishop Show" and, from 1964 on until his death, the Fred MacMurray teleseries "My Three Sons", which halted production for several weeks when he became ill. He died of pneumonia after a short illness.
Bio by: Fritz Tauber
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