He became the head of the Special Effects Department at 20th Century
Fox in 1957.
He bagan his career in the business as a cameraman at the age of
18.
His father, Lenwood Abbott, was a cinematographer on silent films.
He became a Director of Photography in 1943 and was placed in charge of
the Special Effects Camera Department at 20th Century Fox, under the
supervision of Fred Sersen.
He was the director of special effects for all 20th Century Fox
television productions from 1953 until his retirement from the company
in 1970. He was called out of retirement in 1972 to do the series
M*A*S*H (1972).
Four months after graduating from Hollywood High School, he got is
first job in the industry on the special effects crew of What Price Glory (1926) for
Fox Film Corporation.
His book "Special Effects-Wire,Tape and Rubber Band Style" was
published less than a year before his death.
Although he officially "retired" in 1970, for the next decade he was
frequently called out of retirement to work on large scale projects.
Member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).