Walter E. Grauman

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Walter E. Grauman (1922-2015) describes how he began his career in the television industry, as a co-producer (with Alan A. Armer) of the talent-search series Lights, Camera, Action. He recalls how he broke into network television, directing for producer Albert McCleery on the live anthology series Cameo Theatre, and subsequently getting hired to direct Matinee Theater. Grauman looks back on his initial enthusiasm with the first Untouchables script he read (that prompted him to take the job as a producer-director on the series) and discusses several episodes he helmed. He gives his impressions of several stars he worked with in TV, including Charles Bronson (guesting on Colt .45), Robert Stack (The Untouchables), Peter Falk (Columbo), Buddy Ebsen (Barnaby Jones), and Natalie Wood (The Memory of Eva Ryker). Lastly, he recounts his work on the series Murder, She Wrote (and his rapport with star Angela Lansbury), the television movie The Forgotten Man (learning from military advisors how the Viet Cong operated during the Vietnam War), and the series Peter Gunn (including some advice he received from producer-director Blake Edwards on not making artistic compromises). B-roll includes Grauman displaying and commenting on several behind-the-scenes photos from his career. Stephen Bowie conducted the interview on April 17, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA.