Walter Grauman
| Walter Grauman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Walter E. Grauman March 17, 1922 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
| Died | March 20, 2015 (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Theatre director, film director, television director |
| Spouse(s) | Joan Taylor (m. 1976-1980; divorced) |
Walter E. Grauman (March 17, 1922 – March 20, 2015) was an American director of stage shows, films and television shows.
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, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and later moved to Arizona where he attended the University of Arizona. He served for four years in the United States Army Air Forces flying 56 combat missions over Europe in a B-25 in the Twelfth Air Force and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross before moving to California, where his mother was living at the time.
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 Untouchables (1959 TV series), 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.
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