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The son of bandleader-musician Arthur Pryor, he first acted onstage in stock at age 18, then went on to work with several repertory companies; in 1925 he debuted on Broadway. He began appearing in films in the early '30s, playing slick, dapper leads in many B-movies, typically crime melodramas. He did less film work in the early '40s, when he became successful on radio as a producer, director, narrator, and host; he also played trombone and led his own dance band. In 1947 he retired from show business. From 1936-42 he was married to actress Ann Sothern, with whom he costarred in The Girl Friend (1935).