Walter Grauman
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Walter E. Grauman (March 17, 1922 – March 20, 2015) was an American director of stage shows, films and television shows.


Early life

Grauman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Jacob and Irene Grauman, both children of German immigrants who married after settling in the United States.15th Census of the US; Shorewood Village, Milwaukee County, WI, ED 40-361, Sheet 29A His father, Jacob Grauman, was president of a film distributing company. In his early years, Grauman lived in Shorewood, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and later moved to
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
where he attended the
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
. He served for four years in the
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
flying 56 combat missions over Europe in a B-25 in the
Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to U ...
and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross before moving to
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, where his mother was living at the time.


Entertainment industry

After spending a few years running his own business, Grauman eventually took a job as stage manager at
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's studios in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. During his stint working at the network, he and relative (by marriage) Alan Armer developed a talent-show type program that proved popular, setting the mold for shows like '' Star Search'' and ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' to follow. In 1957, Grauman turned to films, directing "The Disembodied" for the "B film" division of Allied Artists Studios, which was headed by friend
Walter Mirisch Walter Mortimer Mirisch (November 8, 1921 – February 24, 2023) was an American film producer. He was the president and executive head of production of The Mirisch Corporation, an independent film production company which he formed in 1957 wit ...
. Although he directed only six theatrical films, Grauman had one of the most active and long lasting television careers in history which included work on such shows as '' The Untouchables'', '' The Fugitive'', '' Route 66'', ''
The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ow ...
'', ''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'' and ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
''. He also reportedly helped to get
Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the ...
one of his first jobs as a lead on ''The Streets of San Francisco''. Grauman directed '' 633 Squadron'', a World War II film about a fictional squadron in the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
RAF. In interviews,
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
has commented that he patterned the "trench run" sequence in his '' Star Wars: Episode IV'' on a scene from this film. (See the article on ''633 Squadron'' for more information.) Grauman also directed a number of made-for-TV films, including the Aaron Spelling produced
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
'' Crowhaven Farm''. Broadcast as an ''
ABC Movie of the Week The ''ABC Movie of the Week'' is an American weekly television anthology series featuring Television film, made-for-TV movies that aired on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network in various permutations from 1969 in television, 1969 t ...
'' on 24 November 1970 and starring Hope Lange and Paul Burke, the film involves
witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...
,
déjà vu ''Déjà vu'' ( , ; "already seen") is the phenomenon of feeling like one has lived through the present situation in the past.Schnider, Armin. (2008). ''The Confabulating Mind: How the Brain Creates Reality''. Oxford University Press. pp. 167–1 ...
, death, betrayal, revenge, and
reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...
, and it has become a
cult classic A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...
. Grauman was the creator/executive producer of the Los Angeles Spotlight Awards (not to be confused with the
Spotlight Awards (GDC) The Spotlight Awards was hosted annually by the Game Developers Conference (GDC) from 1997 to 1999. Its focus was on the video game, video and computer game industry. GDC now hosts another video game award ceremony called Game Developers Choice A ...
for game developers), which are run through the Los Angeles Music Center. He was among the closest living relatives to
Sid Grauman Sidney Patrick Grauman (March 17, 1879 – March 5, 1950) was an American entrepreneur and showman who established two of Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood's most recognizable and visited landmarks, the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Chinese The ...
, owner and founder of Los Angeles' famous Grauman's Chinese Theater, Egyptian Theater and Million Dollar Theater. At the time of his death in 2015 at the age of 93, he resided in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
with his wife.


Directorial credits, theatrical films

*'' The Disembodied'' (1957) Allied Artists *'' Lady in a Cage'' (1964)
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
*'' 633 Squadron'' (1964) Mirisch/
United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...
*'' A Rage to Live'' (1965) Mirisch/UA *'' I Deal in Danger'' (1966)
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
*'' The Last Escape'' (1970) Mirisch/UA


Pilots and television series

* ''
Columbo ''Columbo'' is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originall ...
'' * '' The Untouchables'' * '' The Fugitive'' (pilot) * ''
The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ow ...
'' (pilot) * ''
Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective fiction, detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law. They run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, Califor ...
'' (pilot) * ''
East Side/West Side ''East Side/West Side'' is an American Dramatic programming, drama series starring George C. Scott, Elizabeth Wilson, Cicely Tyson, and, later on, Linden Chiles. The series aired for one season (1963–1964), and was shown Monday nights on CBS. ...
'' * '' Naked City'' * '' The New Breed'' (pilot) * '' Route 66'' * '' Blue Light'' * '' Honey West'' (pilot) * '' Manhunter'' (pilot) * '' Most Wanted'' (pilot) * ''
Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected ''Quinn Martins Tales of the Unexpected'' is an American Horror film, horror and Science fiction film, science fiction Anthology series#Television, anthology television series produced by Quinn Martin, and hosted and narrated by William Conrad. ...
'' (episode "No Way Out") * '' Bare Essence'' (pilot) * ''Harrigan & Son'' (pilot) * '' Scene of the Crime'' (pilot) * ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'' (53 one-hour episodes) * '' Blacke's Magic'' (episode "Vanishing Act") * ''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'' (episode " Miniature") Plus over 275 30-minute and 1-hour filmed dramatic programs, including: * '' V'' * '' Trapper John, M.D.'' * '' Twelve O'Clock High'' * '' The Eleventh Hour'' * ''
Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
'' * '' Hotel de Paree'' * '' Man Without a Gun'' * '' Colt .45'' * '' Cover Up'' * ''
Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American Action-adventure comics, action-adventure comic strip by cartoonist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'', ''S ...
'' * ''
Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...
'' * '' Blue Light'' * '' Burke's Law'' * '' The June Allyson Show'' * ''
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
''


Live television drama

* 80 '' Matinee Theater'' one-hour programs * '' Alcoa Theatre'' * ''
The Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the ...
''


Director/creator/executive producer

* '' Blue Light'' - series, ABC * '' Felony Squad'' - series, ABC * ''
The Silent Force ''The Silent Force'' is the third studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation, released on 15 November 2004, by GUN Records. On 5 August 2008, ''The Silent Force'' along with ''Mother Earth (Within Temptation album), Mother Eart ...
'' - series, ABC * Six Movies-of-the-Week, ABC * ''World Premiere'', NBC * Eleven two-hour movies, CBS


Movies for television and mini-series

* ''The Forgotten Man'' - Director/Producer/Creator * ''
Daughter of the Mind ''Daughter of the Mind'' is a 1969 American made-for-television horror-thriller film starring Don Murray, Ray Milland and Gene Tierney. It was first broadcast on ABC on December 9, 1969 as the ABC Movie of the Week.TV Guide, December 6–12, 1 ...
'' - Director/Executive Producer * '' Crowhaven Farm'' - Director/Producer * '' The Old Man Who Cried Wolf'' - Director/Producer * '' Dead Men Tell No Tales'' - Director/Executive Producer * '' Paper Man'' - Director/Executive Producer * '' They Call It Murder'' - Director/Executive Producer * '' Nightmare on the 13th Floor'' - Executive Producer/Director


Movies for television and mini-series – director

* '' Are You in the House Alone?'' – 2 hr * '' Crisis in Mid-air'' – 2 hr * '' The Golden Gate Murders'' –
David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer; March 27, 1931 – February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen a ...
/
Susannah York Susannah Yolande Fletcher (9 January 1939 – 15 January 2011), known professionally as Susannah York, was an English actress. Her appearances in various films of the 1960s, including '' Tom Jones'' (1963) and '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' ...
, 2 hr, CBS * ''Irwin Shaw's Top of the Hill'' –
Wayne Rogers William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (April 7, 1933 – December 31, 2015) was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series '' M*A*S*H'' and as Dr. Charley Michaels on '' House Call ...
, 4 hr * '' The Memory of Eva Ryker''-
Natalie Wood Natalie Wood (née Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress. She began acting at age four and co-starred at age eight in ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947). As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Award f ...
, 3 hr, CBS * '' Pleasure Palace'' –
Omar Sharif Omar Sharif (, ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub ; 10 April 1932 – 10 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the 1950s. He is bes ...
,
José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hi ...
, 2 hr, CBS * ''Outrage!'' – 2 hr, CBS * ''Force Five'' – 2 hr, ABC * ''Covenant'' – José Ferrer, 2 hr, NBC


CBS movies and mini-series – director / producer

*'' To Race the Wind'' –
Steve Guttenberg Steven Robert Guttenberg (born August 24, 1958) is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. He is known for playing Carey Mahoney in the '' Police Academy'' films from 1984 to 1987. He also acted in '' Three Men and a Baby ...
– 2 hr, CBS *'' Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls'', 1981 – 5 hr, CBS *'' Bare Essence'' – 2 hr, CBS *''Illusions'' – 2 hr, CBS *'' Who is Julia?'' – 2 hr, CBS *'' Shakedown on Sunset Strip'' – 2 hr, CBS


References


External links

* *
Interview of Walter Grauman
at
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of Film director, film and Television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dir ...
website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grauman, Walter Film directors from Wisconsin American television directors American people of German descent Artists from Milwaukee 1922 births 2015 deaths United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces officers Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery American action film directors