He was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a board member of the Screen Actors Guild, and also served on the Santa Monica City Council.

Corey took the role and stayed with the theater group for a year, working in the department store during the day and acting at night.

[4] While appearing as the cynical newspaperman in Elmer Rice's comedy Dream Girl (1945), he was seen by producer Hal Wallis, who persuaded him to sign a contract with Paramount and pursue a motion picture career in Hollywood.

[5] Corey's feature film debut came as a gangster in Wallis's Desert Fury (1947) starring Burt Lancaster, John Hodiak, Lizabeth Scott, and Mary Astor.

[8] Corey had one of his most memorable roles when he played Lt. Thomas Doyle in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly.

[10] Corey was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963 and was a member of the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild.