American director, qualified as an engineer. In Hollywood from 1922 as a prop man. With RKO (1933-38), he won an Oscar for the short film
So This Is Harris (1933). On the strength of this, he advanced to full-length feature direction, specializing in musicals. Directing five of the classic
Fred Astaire /
Ginger Rogers vehicles, he was particularly noted for his technical skills, his effective synchronizing of action with pre-recorded soundtrack, weaving the dance routines seamlessly into the plot. From 1939-44 he was under contract to Paramount, where his best film was the perennial Christmas favorite
Holiday Inn (1942).