Christie was born in Orinda, California and graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1929.
[2] He had planned to study medicine, but became interested in Hollywood after playing a small part in a 1935 anti-Communist comedy movie called Fighting Youth.
After his initial exposure to Hollywood and the film making industry, Christie developed a preference for the production side of the business.
[4] In the late 50s, as Universal reduced its production of western and comedy films, Christie moved into television.
He was responsible for the production of several popular Western-themed TV series, notably Wagon Train for the entirety of its 8-year, 280-episode life (1957-1965).