Walter Grauman Biography

Fast Facts

• Served in the United States Army Air Forces during WWII for four years and received a Distinguished Flying Cross
• Was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award for the TV movie "The Old Man Who Cried Wolf" in 1971
• Attended the University of Wisconsin and the University of Arizona
• His father was the first cousin of Sid Grauman, creator of Hollywood's famous Chinese theater
• Began his career as a stage manager for NBC before directing his first film, "The Disembodied," in 1957
• Best known as a television director who worked on "Murder, She Wrote" and "Barnaby Jones․"
• Was the creator and executive producer of the Los Angeles Spotlight Awards
• In addition to his extensive career in television, he also directed several films, including the 1964 thriller "Lady in a Cage" and the 1970 WWII film "The Last Escape․"
• Directed the 1964 WWII film "633 Squadron," a scene from which inspired George Lucas's "trench run" sequence in "Star Wars: Episode IV․"