F. was born on 27 January 1919 in Chicago, America.

His father was a prompter and playwright in the Yiddish theatre.

When he was four years old he participated in Gertner's Independent Theatre in Chicago in the prologue of the silent film "Yizkor". At age six he performed in children's roles with Max Rosenthal in Philadelphia's Garden Theatre, later in Cleveland at the Duchess Theatre, at the Liberty Theatre, Rolland Theatre, and at the Hopkinson Theatre. In 1929 he acted at the Prospect Theatre while at the same time acting at the Public Theatre in the prologue of "Farlangt a khtn" at the Prospect Theatre, and in the final act of "Kraft fun der natur (Power of Nature)" with Leon Blank at the Public Theatre. Afterwards he acted at the Public Theatre with Ludwig Satz, at the Folks Theatre with Molly Picon in Kalmanovitz's "Dos meydl fun amol", and a season later at the Bronx's Art Theatre with the Germans in Kalmanovitz's "Shtif mames".

In the 1935-36 season F. switched over to adolescent, youthful roles at the 49th Street Theatre, at the Yiddish Art Theatre in the play "The Frontier", afterwards in Chicago's Douglas Park Theatre with Dina Halpern in "The Three Little Foxes".

In 1941 he was in the American army and became a first lieutenant. During the Holidays he married the young actress Annie Siegel.