Born in Manhattan, New York, to Jewish Russian immigrants, Starr grew up in Brooklyn and worked in his parents' doughnut factory.
[3] After the military, he began writing comedy for radio stars, such as Al Jolson, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and George Burns.
[1][4] Starr co-created the sitcom Silver Spoons, helped develop The Facts of Life, and was a regular screenwriter for the popular series Mister Ed and All in the Family.
[1][4] Starr also co-wrote the screenplays for the 1966 James Bond parody Our Man Flint, the 1966 Western satire Texas Across the River and the animated versions of Treasure Island (1972) and Oliver Twist (1974).
[1][5] The 2012 documentary Lunch featured Starr, along with Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner and other career comedy writers and performers who reflected on the genre and the industry.