An American actor and director, born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on July 7, 1913, as Frederick Francis Sears. He graduated from Boston College and began his career in the regional theater as an actor, director, and producer. He was a drama teacher at Southwestern University before Columbia Pictures hired him as a dialogue director in 1946. He played small roles in low-budget films. He then soon worked as a director. He was previously married to actress Mary Ann Hawkins (1955-1956). Among his notable works are Bandits of El Dorado (1949), The Giant Claw (1957) and Target Hong Kong (1953). He died in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, on November 30, 1957, of a heart attack.