Born in the Bronx, New York City. He started his career with hopes of acting but quickly moved into directing commercials and making business films. He moved into television in the late 1950s, directing some episodes of the Steve McQueen western serial Wanted: Dead or Alive. He has worked on over twenty-five other television series including The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, Get Smart, Wild, Wild West , The Six Million Dollar Man and Tales from the Crypt. His first film was the cheap military drama X-15 (1962) starring Charles Bronson, it was not a great success and he returned to television work.
His break-through film was in 1976 with The Omen, produced in the 'horror boom' following The Exorcist. he followed it with the hit Superman in 1980 and has mixed commercial flops (Inside Moves, Radio Flyer) and successes (The Goonies, Lethal Weapon) since then. He has received little critical appreciation.