Alexander Grasshoff (December 10, 1928 – April 5, 2008) was an American documentary filmmaker and director who received three Oscar nominations. Along with fellow producer

Robert Cohn Robert Cohn is a Canadian born entrepreneur and businessman known for founding Octel Communications, the company that commercialized voice mail and was largely responsible for making it ubiquitous on cell phones, in companies and on residential ...

, he is perhaps best known for writing and directing the documentary ''

Young Americans ''Young Americans'' is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 7March 1975 through RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and ...

'', which won an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

for

Best Documentary Feature Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

during the 1969 ceremony. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences soon found out the film had been shown first in October 1967, thus making it ineligible for a 1968 award and the Oscar was revoked. (This marks the only time, as of 2021, where an Academy Award was first awarded and then revoked.) Grasshoff, who reportedly slept with the Oscar on the first night, also directed Academy Award-nominated films ''

The Really Big Family ''The Really Big Family'' is a 1966 American documentary film directed by Alexander Grasshoff about the Dukes family of Seattle, who had 18 children. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. See also *List of America ...

'' (1966) and '' Journey to the Outer Limits'' (1973). He also directed the award-winning '' The Wave'' (1981), based on Ron Jones' The Third Wave experiment, and ''

Future Shock ''Future Shock'' is a 1970 book by American futurist Alvin Toffler, written together with his spouse Adelaide Farrell, in which the authors define the term "future shock" as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies. Th ...

'' (1972), based on

Alvin Toffler Alvin Eugene Toffler (October 4, 1928 – June 27, 2016) was an American writer, futurist, and businessman known for his works discussing modern technologies, including the digital revolution and the communication revolution, with emphasis on t ...

's book and hosted by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

Biography

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Grasshoff earned a bachelor's degree in cinema at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

and began his career in the mail room of Paramount in 1951 working up to assistant editor, then editor. He made his directoral debut in a crime film '' The Jailbreakers'' released by

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fil ...

that Grasshoff also wrote and produced. A home owned by Mr. Grasshoff was rented out to music group the Beastie Boys while they recorded the album '' Paul's Boutique''. Grasshoff died on April 5, 2008, at his home in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

of complications from bypass surgery on a leg. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Madilyn Clark Grasshoff, and two sisters, Yrsa Grasshoff and Edith Rand.

Filmography

Director

* 1960: '' The Jailbreakers'' * 1963: '' Hollywood and the Stars'' (TV series, 1 episode) * 1965: ''National Geographic'' Specials (TV series documentary) * 1966: ''

Love on a Rooftop ''Love on a Rooftop'' is an American sitcom about a newlywed couple, Dave and Julie Willis, and their humorous struggles to survive in San Francisco on Dave's apprentice architect's salary of $85.37 a week. Matters were complicated by the fact ...

'' (TV series, 1 episode) * 1966: ''

'' (Documentary short) * 1966: ''Destination Safety'' (TV movie documentary) * 1967: ''

'' (Documentary) * 1972: ''

'' (Documentary) * 1972: ''Wacky Taxi'' * 1973: '' Journey to the Outer Limits'' (Documentary) * 1973–74: ''

Toma Toma or TOMA may refer to: Places *Toma, Burkina Faso, a town in Nayala province *Toma Department, a department in Nayala province *Toma, Banwa, Burkina Faso, a town * Tōma, Hokkaidō, Japan, a town **Tōma Station, its railway station *Toma, a t ...

'' (TV series, 4 episodes) * 1974: '' Crackle of Death'' (TV movie) * 1974: '' Get Christie Love!'' (TV series) * 1974: ''

The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SC ...

'' (TV series, 1 Episode) * 1974: ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigat ...

'' (TV series, 2 episodes) * 1974: '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'' (TV series, 3 episodes) * 1975: '' Movin' On'' (TV series, 1 episodes) * 1975-76: '' Barbary Coast'' (TV series, 4 episodes) * 1977: ''

The Last Dinosaur is a 1977 Japanese/American tokusatsu co-production, co-directed by Alexander Grasshoff and Tsununobu Kotani (the latter billed as Tom Kotani),Galbraith IV, Stuart (1994). ''Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films''. McFarland, p. 379 ...

'' * 1977: '' CHiPs'' (TV series) * 1978: ''Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws'' * 1981: '' The Wave'' (TV movie) * 1982: ''Counterattack: Crime in America'' (Fernsehdokumentation) * 1982: ''The Unforgivable Secret'' ( ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie) * 1982: ''Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother'' (ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie) * 1984: '' Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia'' (ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie) * 1984: ''Billions for Boris'' * 1985: ''I Want to Go Home'' (ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie)

Producer

* 1960: '' The Jailbreakers'' * 1963–64: '' Hollywood and the Stars'' (TV Series, 3 Episodes) * 1965: ''National Geographic'' Specials (TV Series documentary) * 1966: ''

'' (Documentary short) * 1967: ''

'' (Documentary) * 1972: ''

'' (Documentary) * 1973: '' Journey to the Outer Limits'' (Documentary) * 1978: ''Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws'' (co-producer)

Writer

* 1960: ''The Jailbreakers'' * 1964: ''Hollywood and the Stars'' (TV Series, 2 episodes) * 1967: ''Young Americans'' (Documentary) * 1972: ''Wacky Taxi''

Editor

*1961: ''Magic Spectacles''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grasshoff, Alexander American film directors 1928 births 2008 deaths University of Southern California alumni