At age 7, he began dance lessons at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis,
Missouri. It was at the Fox that he met entertainer Jack Haley. Haley
took him to Hollywood, where one of his first jobs was as "Mickey" in
approximately seven of the Spanky and Our Gang series. At 17 he was one
of six bellhops in the 'Call for Phillip Morris' live radio ads, and at
18 was appearing in shows with Mae West. While under contract to MGM,
he went to school with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. It was Judy
Garland who offered him a part in
Das zauberhafte Land (1939). He
stayed with her during its filming. Soon after, he left show business,
realizing that his height would prevent him from having any long-term
success as an actor.
