An American producer, director, and actor, born in New York, United States. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. He also attended St. John's University and then joined a theater group in New York, where he met producer and theater director Elia Kazan, and then an artistic collaboration arose between them. He joined the US Army Air Forces during World War II, and appeared in the play Winged Victory in 1943, in addition to a film version of the same name in 1944. His films reflected a profound human vision. His credits include Hud, Norma Rae, and Nuts. He died on December 8, 1990, in Santa Monica, California, USA.