Starting out his entertainment career in vaudeville and on the stage, Carter DeHaven entered films while still a teenager and soon achieved fame appearing in productions with his wife, Flora Parker DeHaven. During his long film career he also produced and directed several movies, and Charles Chaplin chose him to be his assistant during the filming of Modern Times (1936). DeHaven began somewhat of a show-business dynasty: in addition to his wife, his daughter Gloria DeHaven is also an actress, and his sister, his son, his grandson and his great-grandson were or still are in the film industry.