Samuel Liff was born on April 14, 1919, in
Boston,
Massachusetts. His father, Morris Liff, was a restaurateur. His mother was Rose Liff. He was nicknamed 'Biff' as a child, and kept the nickname throughout his life. Liff graduated from
Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor's degree in Theater in 1939. During
World War II, he served as a captain in the
United States Army in
Chicago. ==Career==