Buchanan visited Hollywood and landed a job in the props department at 20th Century Fox. It was while working here where his film career got off the ground. He played some bit parts in movies around this time, and the studio gave him the stage name "Larry Buchanan", which he used for his entire career. He enlisted in the United States Army Signal Corps in order to learn how to direct. He was based in New York, which allowed him to act on stage in the evenings.