- As a boy in New York in the Depression era he was a hell-raiser and the despair of his parents. Judge Ferdinand Pecora described him as "potentially the most juvenile criminal in New York". A teacher at Bryant High School got him interested in drama as an outlet for his energy; he later said, "That teacher saved my life".
- Directed three actors to Oscar nominations: Sidney Poitier (Best Actor, Lilies of the Field (1963)), Lilia Skala (Best Supporting Actress, Lilies of the Field (1963)), and Cliff Robertson (Best Actor, Charly (1968)). Poitier and Robertson won Oscars for their performances.
- He has directed one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Lilies of the Field (1963).
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