Composer, songwriter, actor, author and director, educated at City College of New York. He appeared in vaudeville, Broadway musicals and films and wrote special material for films, as well as serving as dialogue director. One of his jobs was as publicity director for Yonkers Raceway. Joining ASCAP in 1923, his chief musical collaborators included Walter Donaldson, James Hanley, Al Bryan, Harry Tierney, Harry Akst, and Milton Ager. His popular-song compositions included "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I", "Round on the End, High in the Middle", "Far Far Away in Rockaway", "I'd Love to Be a Monkey in the Zoo", "Four Little Walls and Me", "Omaha", and "Vamping Rose".