Started as a cameraman with Essanay in 1908, eventually becoming general manager. After leaving the company he worked for a while as stage manager for the Longacre Theatre in New York, before returning to films as writer-director for L-KO, Fox and Vitagraph. During the 1920s he was scenario writer for Universal and Educational and also had a brief, rather acrimonious spell with
Hal Roach. In 1928 he went to England to direct and co-write the script for
Skirts (1928), starring
Syd Chaplin. Robbins left the industry with the advent of sound pictures.