He portrayed bratty kids in several films,[1] and often had only small roles, such as "Robin Figg" in 1934's Strictly Dynamite.

[3] As a child actor, he began performing on a local Los Angeles radio station at the age of three.

Searl served four years in the U.S. Army, primarily as a radio instructor, during World War II.

[3] His first movie role was in Daughters of Desire (1929),[2] followed by Tom Sawyer (1930) with Jackie Coogan and Mitzi Green, and Huckleberry Finn in 1931. Notable films in which he appeared include Skippy, High Gear, Peck's Bad Boy, Great Expectations, and Little Lord Fauntleroy.

[1] For example, he appeared in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Traveling Treasure," first aired on CBS on November 4, 1961.