 He was a cousin of actress Laura Hope Crews.He began his career as a stage actor, appearing on Broadway in various plays, such as "Made in America" (1925), and "The Love City" (1926).In 1932, he starred opposite Ruth Gordon in William Cotton's "The Bride the Sun Shines On" at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts, and as Orin Mannon in the original Broadway production of "Mourning Becomes Electra".