Tom Gries

Overview

Georgetown University-educated Thomas Stephen Gries was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruth Marie (Gluck), an advertising copywriter and actress, and Joseph Charles Gries. He returned from service with the US Marines in WW II and worked as a reporter for a Chicago newspaper. Traveling to Hollywood in 1947, he took a job as a talent agent, and eventually went to work for producer/director Stanley Kramer as a publicist and story aide. He entered the production end of the business as an associate producer, then graduated to writing and producing documentaries. He switched to television, where he received an Emmy in 1963 for directing the series East Side/West Side (1963). He alternated between features and made-for-TV movies, turning out some real gems (Will Penny (1967), Helter Skelter (1976)) and some real duds (Number One (1969)). His later output in both genres was routine. He died of a heart attack while playing tennis.
- IMDb mini biography by: frankfob2@yahoo.com

Father of Jon Gries.
His brother was the famous Chicago blues pianist "Buddy Charles" aka Charles Stephen Gries.
His stepfather was jazz great Muggsy Spanier.
Although his original screenplay for Will Penny (1967) attracted much attention, he refused to sell it to any film company unless he was also attached as director; he saw it as his chance to reach the big-time. Charlton Heston thought at first that he could persuade William Wyler or George Stevens )to direct the script but, on being told of Gries' proviso, decided to take a chance on a director whose only previous credits had been on "B" pictures. He always insisted that he never regretted this decision, and worked with Gries twice more.
His last name has often been erroneously pronounced "Grease", "Greez", "Grice", etc. The correct pronunciation is "Grize".

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