Producer, director, writer, author, actor and songwriter, educated in public schools. He was an actor, playwright and stage manager with the Dallas Little Theatre, and played Andy Hardy in the Broadway play "Skidding". Coming to Hollywood in 1933, he wrote screenplays and songs for several films (see credits) and eventually became an executive producer for Paramount. Joining ASCAP in 1935, his popular-song compositions include "I Found a Dream", "Love at Last", "Readin', Ritin', Rhythm", "If I Knew You Better", "Okolehao", and "Ting-a-ling-a-ling".