Born in Indianapolis, IN. Trained as a dancer and an actor from early childhood, he was a seasoned performer by the age of 10. At 13 he quit grade school to study painting and music and at 17 he sang with the Boston Opera Company. At 19 he turned to dancing in earnest and soon became a leading ballroom dancer in New York night spots, often partnering with Bonnie Glass. From 1917 he appeared in musical comedies and in the 1920s he began playing straight dramatic parts on the London stage, on Broadway, and in occasional silent films. He returned to the screen in 1944, after some 20 years of absence, as the fastidious and elegant villain, Waldo Lydecker, in LAURA. He was cast in the picture by Otto Preminger over the objections of producer Darryl Zanuck and was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. He was nominated again for an Oscar® as best supporting player for THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946). He was subsequently typecast as a waspish, acidulous, pedantic bachelor and gained great popularity as the pompous babysitter Mr. Belvedere in the hilarious comedy SITTING PRETTY (1948) and its several sequels. Visit the Internet Movie Database for a listing of his film credits.  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1944: LAURA  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1946: THE RAZOR'S EDGE  Nominated for Actor 1948: SITTING PRETTY 3 nominations