Walter Grauman

Walter E. Grauman (born March 17, 1922) is 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. His father, Jacob Grauman, was president of a film distributing company.

In his early years, Grauman lived in Shorewood Village, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and later moved Arizona where he attended the University of Arizona. He served for four years in the United States Army Air Force flying 56 combat missions over Europe in a B-25 in the Twelfth Air Force and was awarded the Distinquished Flying Cross before moving to California, 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's studios in 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 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. 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 Fugitive, Route 66, The Streets of San Francisco and The Twilight Zone. He also reportedly helped to get Michael Douglas one of his first jobs as a lead on The Streets of San Francisco.

Mr. Grauman directed 633 Squadron, a World War II film about a fictional sqaudron in the British RAF. In interviews, George Lucas 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.)

Mr. Grauman is the creator/executive producer of the Los Angeles Spotlight Awards (not to be confused with the Spotlight Awards (GDC) for game developers), which are run through the Los Angeles Music Center. He is also among the closest living relatives to Sid Grauman, owner and founder of Los Angeles' famous Grauman's Chinese Theater, Egyptian Theater and Million Dollar Theater. He now resides in Los Angeles with his wife.

Directorial Credits, theatrical films

• Lady in a Cage, Paramount
• 633 Squadron, Mirisch/UA
• A Rage to Live, Mirisch/UA
• The Last Escape, Mirisch/UA
• I Deal in Danger, 20th Century Fox
• The Disembodied, Allied Artists

Pilots and television Series

• Columbo
• The Untouchables
• The Fugitive (pilot)
• The Streets of San Francisco (pilot)
• Barnaby Jones (pilot)
• East Side/West Side
• Naked City
• The New Breed (pilot)
• Route 66
• Honey West (pilot)
• Manhunter (pilot)
• Most Wanted (pilot)
• Bare Essence (pilot)
• Harrigan & Son (pilot)
• The Silent Force (pilot)
• Scene of the Crime (pilot)
• Murder, She Wrote (53 one-hour episodes)

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
• Hotel de Paree
• Man Without a Gun
• Colt .45
• Cover Up
• Steve Canyon
• Peter Gunn
• Blue Light
• Burke's Law
• The June Allyson Show
• Empire

Live Television Drama

• 80 Matinee Theater one-hour programs
• Alcoa Theatre
• The Philco Television Playhouse

Director/Creator/Executive Producer

• Blue Light - series, ABC
• Felony Squad - 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 - 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/Susannah York, 2 hr, CBS
• Irwin Shaw's Top of the Hill - Wayne Rogers, 4 hr
• The Memory of Eva Ryker- Natalie Wood, 3 hr, CBS
• Pleasure Palace - Omar Sharif, José Ferrer, 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 - 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

External links

• Walter Grauman at the Internet Movie Database
• Archive of American Television