His mother relied on the young boy's acting salary to provide for the family
At age 9, became the first child actor ever to be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Skippy (1931)
Managed to have a second career as a director and producer after serving with the Navy during World War II
Played the crusty newspaper editor Perry White in all four of the Superman films with Christopher Reeve
Released his autobiography, Please Don't Shoot My Dog, in 1981
The title was inspired by a threat from the Skippy director, who happened to be his uncle, that he would shoot the boy's dog if he couldn't cry during his scenes in the film
Awards
1962Emmy-Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Series:nominated
1961Emmy-Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead):nominated