Martin, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, got his start writing scenarios and titles for silent films, first at Mascot and then at Republic.^[1]

In the 1940s, he started working for Hal Roach, Monogram, Columbia, and Paramount. By the 1950s, he was working on various television shows, in addition to writing sci-fi films for Roger Corman. His final feature was 1958's In the Money, a Bowery Boys film.

He had a son, Harvey Martin, with his first wife, Mildred Seib. After Mildred's death, he married Helen Abrams, who he co-wrote Invisible Ghost with.

He once held a party for his dog at the Knickerbocker Hotel, and invited notable A-listers like Joan Crawford and their dogs.^[2]

• Tarzan (TV series) (1967)
• My Favorite Martian (TV series) (1964–1965)
• My Living Doll (TV series) (1964)
• Laramie (TV series) (1960)
• Troubleshooters (TV series) (1959–1960)
• 77 Sunset Strip (TV series) (1959)
• The Restless Gun (TV series) (1958)
• Cavalcade of America (TV show) (1957)
• The Roy Rogers Show (TV series) (1956–1957)
• Damon Runyon Theater (TV series) (1955)
• Ford Theatre (TV series) (1955)
• Mayor of the Town (TV series) (1954)
• Ramar of the Jungle (TV series) (1954)
• The Stu Erwin Show (TV series) (1951–1953)

• In the Money (1958)
• Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)
• Army Bound (1952)
• Amazon Quest (1949)
• Racing Luck (1948)
• The Strange Mrs. Crane (1948)
• Rusty Leads the Way (1948)
• My Dog Rusty (1948)
• The Son of Rusty (1947)
• Blondie Knows Best (1946)
• A Guy Could Change (1946)
• Carolina Blues (1944)
• Nine Girls (1944)
• A Gentle Gangster (1943)
• The Devil with Hitler (1942)
• Mississippi Gambler (1942)
• Gang Buster (1942)
• The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942)
• Stagecoach Buckaroo (1942)
• Invisible Ghost (1941)
• Flying Wild (1941)
• Caught in the Act (1941)
• The Last Alarm (1940)
• Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus (1938)
• The Shadow Strikes (1937)
• Island Captives (1937)
• Trail Dust (1936)
• Kelly of the Secret Service (1936)
• Prison Shadows (1936)
• The Law Rides (1936)
• Framed (1936)
• The Rogues' Tavern (1936)
• Taming the Wild (1936)
• A Face in the Fog (1936)
• The Fighting Coward (1935)
• Bars of Hate (1935)
• Danger Ahead (1935)
• What Price Crime (1935)
• The Devil on Wheels (1934)
• The Lost Jungle (1934)
• The Wolf Dog (1933)
• The Bachelor's Club (1929)
• Riley of the Rainbow Division (1928)
• The Speed Classic (1928)
• Dugan of the Dugouts (1928)
• The Albany Night Boat (1928)