Tom Gries (December 20, 1922 – January 3, 1977) was an American TV and film director, writer, and film producer.

Life and career

Gries was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

. His mother, Ruth, later remarried to jazz musician Muggsy Spanier, who became stepfather to Ruth's sons. Educated at the

Loyola Academy Loyola Academy is a private, Catholic, co-educational college preparatory high school run by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, and in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicag ...

and

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 as Georgetown College, the university has grown to comprise eleven undergraduate and graduate ...

. Gries began working in TV in the 1950s as a writer and director. His work can be seen on such popular programs as ''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

'', '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'', '' The Westerner'', ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The sho ...

'', ''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

,'' ''

Cain's Hundred ''Cain's Hundred'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from 1961 to 1962. The series was produced by Vanadas Productions, Inc. in association with MGM Television. Synopsis ''Cain's Hundred'' follows the life of Nicholas Cain (Pet ...

,'' '' East Side/West Side'', '' Route 66'', '' Stoney Burke,'' '' Combat!,'' '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', ''

Honey West Honey West is a fictional character created by the husband and wife writing team Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in eleven mystery novels by the duo. The character is notable as being one of the firs ...

'', ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', and ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'' among many others. Gries won

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s for his direction on ''East Side/West Side'' in 1964 and ''The Glass House'' in 1972. In the cinema, Gries both wrote and directed the adventure film '' Serpent Island'' (1954) starring Sonny Tufts, and the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

film '' Hell's Horizon'' (1955) starring

John Ireland John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomin ...

. Between television directing gigs, Gries helmed ''The Girl in the Woods'', a 1958 drama starring

Forrest Tucker Forrest Meredith Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was an American actor in both movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker worked as a vaudeville straight man at the age of fifteen. A mentor provided fund ...

and Barton MacLane. Gries both wrote the screenplay and directed the 1959 Jack Buetel western '' Mustang!'' before concentrating his efforts exclusively on television for almost a decade. In a triumphant return to cinema, Gries wrote and directed what is generally acknowledged to be his

masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

in either medium, the 1968 western '' Will Penny'', which starred

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...

in the title role. It was based on an episode of the TV series ''The Westerner'' that Gries wrote and directed in 1960, entitled "Line Camp". In 1966, Gries created the popular action-adventure series '' The Rat Patrol.'' Gries wrote and directed the pilot episode, "The Chase of Fire Raid." The 1966–68 series boasts 56 thirty-minute, color episodes produced over the span of its two-season run on ABC. The series focused on the oft-overlooked North African Campaign and episodes invariably pit the ragtag Rat Patrol — a four-man Allied force led by

Christopher George Christopher John George ( Greek: Χριστόφορος Γεωργίου; February 25, 1931 – November 28, 1983) was an American television and film actor who starred in the 1960s television series '' The Rat Patrol''. He was nominated for a G ...

as Sgt. Sam Troy — against the German

Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...

led by Captain Hans Dietrich, played by

Eric Braeden Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast; April 3, 1941) is a German-born film and television actor, known for his roles as Victor Newman on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', as Hans Dietrich in the 1960s TV series ''The Rat Patro ...

(then still using his original name Hans Gudegast). Gries subsequently made two other films with Heston: the 1969 gridiron drama '' Number One'' and the 1970 drama ''

The Hawaiians Hawaiians are the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiians or The Hawaiians may also refer to: * The Hawaiians (WFL) The Hawaiians were a professional American football team based in Honolulu that played in the World Football Lea ...

'', which was based on James Michener's sprawling 1959 novel, ''

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

'' (not to be confused with the 1966 film based on a section of the same book). In 1969, Gries co-wrote and directed

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

, and

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in '' Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hamm ...

in the controversial western ''

100 Rifles ''100 Rifles'' is a 1969 American Western film directed by Tom Gries and starring Jim Brown, Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds. It is based on Robert MacLeod's 1966 novel ''The Californio''. The film was shot in Spain. The original music score w ...

.'' In the early 1970s Gries directed a variety of films, from the 1970

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...

and

Katharine Ross Katharine Juliet Ross (born January 29, 1940) is an American film, stage, and television actress. Her accolades include one Academy Award nomination, one BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. A native of Los Angeles, Ross spent most of her ...

May–December romance drama '' Fools'' to the 1971 science-fiction telefilm '' Earth II'' starring John Saxon and Anthony Franciosa. In 1973, Gries directed the crime-thriller ''

Lady Ice ''Lady Ice'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Tom Gries, and stars Donald Sutherland, Jennifer O'Neill, and Robert Duvall. The story concerns an insurance investigator who becomes involved with a wealthy young woman he suspects of fenc ...

'', which starred Donald Sutherland,

Jennifer O'Neill Jennifer O'Neill (born February 20, 1948) is a Brazilian-born American actress, model, author, and activist. She is known for her modeling and spokesperson work for CoverGirl cosmetics starting in 1963, and her starring role in the Oscar-winn ...

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...

and

. Gries, who had directed

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and wa ...

in a 1961 episode of ''Cain's Hundred'' ("Dead Weight: Dave Braddock"), helmed two back-to-back Bronson films in 1975: '' Breakout'' and '' Breakheart Pass''. Gries' 1970s work failed, however, to earn the critical acclaim that welcomed ''Will Penny''. The most successful of his later projects was '' Helter Skelter'', a 1976 TV movie based on Vincent Bugliosi's 1974 true-crime book detailing the crimes and trials of the notorious

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loca ...

Family. During post-production on his final film '' The Greatest'' (1977), a biography of boxer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

(in which Ali also played himself), Gries collapsed and died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

while playing tennis. He was 54 years old. He is the father of actor and director Jon Gries (who appeared under the name Jon Francis in the film ''Will Penny'' as a child actor) and the brother of Buddy Charles a/k/a Charles Joseph Gries, who was a pop and jazz vocalist and pianist in Chicago.''Chicago Tribune'', February 15, 1967 and December 21, 2008

Filmography

*'' The Bushwhackers'' (1952) - writer *'' The Lusty Men'' (1952) - associate producer *'' The Unexpected'' (1952) (TV series) - writer *''

Donovan's Brain ''Donovan's Brain'' is a 1942 science fiction novel by American writer Curt Siodmak. The novel was an instant success and has been adapted to film three times. Since then the book has become something of a cult classic, with fans including Ste ...

'' (1953) - producer *''

Boston Blackie Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him ...

'' (1953) (TV series) - writer, production supervisor *'' Your Favorite Story'' (1953) (TV series) - production supervisor *'' The Cisco Kid'' (1953) (TV series) - production supervisor *'' Hunters of the Deep'' (1954) (documentary) writer, producer *'' Serpent Island'' (1954) - director, writer *''

King Dinosaur ''King Dinosaur'' is a 1955 science fiction film starring William Bryant and Wanda Curtis with narration by Marvin Miller. It was co-written, produced, and directed by Bert I. Gordon, in his directorial debut. The film was featured on season 2 ...

'' (1955) - writer * '' Hell's Horizon'' (1955) - director, writer *'' TV Reader's Digest'' (1955–56) (TV series) - director, writer *'' Science Fiction Theatre'' (1955–56) (TV series) - director *''

Chevron Hall of Stars ''Chevron Hall of Stars'' is an American television anthology series which aired in 1956 in first-run syndication. It was produced by Four Star Productions, and was a half-hour series. Gene Roddenberry’s script ''The Secret Weapon of 117'' ...

'' (1956) (TV series) - director *'' Sky King'' (1956) (TV series) - writer *'' Science Fiction Theatre'' (1956) (TV series) - writer *'' Cavalcade of America'' (1956) (TV series) - director *'' Wire Service'' (1956–57) (TV series) - director *'' The Adventures of McGraw'' (1957) (TV series) - director *''

Alcoa Theatre ''Alcoa Theatre'' is a half-hour American anthology series telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960. The program also aired under the title ''Turn of Fate''. ''Alcoa Theatre'' was syndicated together ...

'' (1957) (TV series) - director *'' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' (1957–58) (TV series) - director, writer *'' The Court of Last Resort'' (1957–58) (TV series) - director *''

State Trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdicti ...

'' (1958) (TV series) - director * ''

Girl in the Woods ''Girl in the Woods'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Tom Gries. It stars Forrest Tucker and Margaret Hayes. Plot Steve and Bell Cory arrive in timber country, where Bell is eager to begin a new life, tired of moving from place to plac ...

'' (1958) - director *''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second s ...

'' (1958) (TV series) - director, writer *''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

'' (1958) (TV series) - director *''

'' (1959) (TV series) - writer *''

Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County ...

'' (1959–60) (TV series) - director, writer * '' Mustang!'' (1959) - director, writer *'' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1959–60) (TV series) - writer *''

The Man and the Challenge ''The Man and the Challenge'' is an American adventure fiction television series about a scientist who tests problems of human survival. It stars George Nader and aired on NBC during the 1959–1960 television season. Synopsis Dr. Glenn Barton ...

'' (1960) (TV series) - writer, director *'' The Westerner'' (1960) (TV series) - director, writer *'' Lock Up'' (1960) (TV series) - writer *''

The DuPont Show with June Allyson ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (also known as ''The June Allyson Show'') is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959, to April 3, 1961, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961. The series wa ...

'' (1960) (TV series) - writer *''

Zane Grey Theatre ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...

'' (1960) (TV series) - director *''

Bourbon Street Beat ''Bourbon Street Beat'' is a private detective television series that aired on the ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960, starring Richard Long as Rex Randolph and Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, with Arlene Howell as detective agen ...

'' (1960) (TV series) - writer *''

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...

'' (1961) (TV series) - writer *''

'' (1961) (TV series) - writer *'' The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' (1961) (TV series) - writer *'' The Law and Mr Jones'' (1961) (TV series) - director *'' Adventures in Paradise'' (1961) (TV series) - director *''

'' (1961–62) (TV series) - director *''

'' (1961–62) (TV series) - director *'' The Detectives'' (1961–62) (TV series) - director *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'' (1962) (TV series) - writer *''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...

'' (1962) (TV series) - writer *'' Route 66'' (1962-63) (TV series) - director *'' Stoney Burke'' (1962–63) (TV series) - director *'' The Travels of Jamie McPheeters'' (1963) (TV series) - director *'' East Side/West Side'' (1963–64) (TV series) - director *'' Combat!'' (1963–65) (TV series) - director *'' The Reporter'' (1964) (TV series) - writer, director, producer *'' The Defenders'' (1964) (TV series) - director *'' The Doctors and the Nurses'' (1964) (TV series) - director *''

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic ...

'' (1965) (TV series) - director *'' For the People'' (1965) (TV series) - director *'' Kraft Suspense Theatre'' (1965) (TV series) - director *'' The Man from UNCLE'' (1965) (TV series) - director *'' The Trials of O'Brien'' (1965) (TV series) - director *''

'' (1965) (TV series) - director *'' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1966) (TV series) - director *'' A Man Called Shenandoah'' (1966) (TV series) - director *''

'' (1966) (TV series) - director *'' The Rat Patrol'' (1966–68) (TV series) - director, writer, creator, producer *'' The Monroes'' (1966) (TV series) - director *'' Mission: Impossible'' (1966) (TV series) - director *'' The Felony Squad'' (1966) (TV series) - director *'' The Rounders'' (1966) (TV series) - director *''

'' (1967) (TV series) - director *'' Garrison's Gorillas'' (1967) (TV series) - director * '' Will Penny'' (1968) - director, writer * ''

'' (1969) - director, writer * '' Number One'' (1969) - director * ''

'' (1970) - director * '' ''Fools'''' (1970) - director * '' Earth II'' (1971) (TV movie) - director * '' The Glass House'' (1972) - director * '' Journey Through Rosebud'' (1972) - director *''

Michael O'Hara the Fourth Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

'' (1972) (TV movie) - writer, producer * '' The Connection'' (1973) - director * '' Call to Danger'' (1973) - director * ''

'' (1973) - director, producer * ''

The Migrants ''The Migrants'' is a 1974 American drama television film directed and produced by Tom Gries and written by Lanford Wilson, based on a story by Tennessee Williams. The film stars Cloris Leachman, Ron Howard, and Sissy Spacek. It received for six ...

'' (1974) - director, producer * ''

QB VII ''QB VII'' by Leon Uris is a dramatic courtroom novel published in 1970. The four-part novel highlights the events leading to a libel trial in the United Kingdom. The novel was Uris's second consecutive #1 ''New York Times'' Best Seller and thi ...

'' (1974) - director * '' The Healers'' (1974) - director * '' Breakout'' (1975) - director * '' Breakheart Pass'' (1975) - director * '' Helter Skelter'' (1976) - director, producer * ''

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

'' (unaired 1976 pilot for 1977 series) - director, producer * '' The Greatest'' (1977) - director

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gries, Tom 1921 births 1977 deaths American film directors American television directors Businesspeople from Chicago Artists from Chicago 20th-century American businesspeople Georgetown University alumni