Ross Massbaum
- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Ross studied with the greats: acting with Sanford Meisner, Shakespeare with Phillip Burton and dramatic/creative writing with Laszlo
Egri. He worked years in New York with the late great director Joe Sarno fixing documentaries for upcoming filmmakers for public television consumption. He moved to L.A. and created the Lake Street Theatre where he wrote and staged dozens of one and two act plays. Never seeking fame, he returned to New York and took a dozen plays "on the road" with friends from the San Francisco troupe Comedia del Arte.
One of his early endeavors became a picture called "Motorpsycho" when his director friend Russ Meyer needed micro-funding. He discovered a 22 year old actor, Steve Oliver, and had Steve demonstrate his tough guy fighting skills. Russ knew he had his star and Ross agreed to fund the picture. Steve went on to star as Lee Webber on Peyton Place and Steve McQueen cast him as Gentleman Jim Corbett in "Tom Horn."
in 1988, upon returning from movie work in Turkey, the opportunity came his way through infamous mortician/producer W. Schroeder to work as producer/writer on a sequel to "Grizzly." He cast two newcomers, George Clooney and Charlie Sheen in the movie "GRIZZLY II- THE PREDATOR." The movie was shot in Hungary for $7Mil with Deborah Raffin, Steve Inwood, Laura Dern and John Rhys-Davies who went on to work with Steven Spielberg in the first Raiders' picture.. The animatronics on the 18' Grizzly sunk a nail in the picture. His vision for large monster characters movement was ahead of his time. Ross actually had to save the day and to climb on a VW wagon holding the 35mm camera movements to mimic the bear's attack on the concert.
Through his relationships, Ross executive-produced and sold several movies including Andy Garcia's $22 Mil "Unsaid" $22Mil which he sold to Universal. In 2008 under his Guild Entertainment banner, Florina Massbaum and Ross partnered with Q Black Media to buy Image Entertainment, Inc. for $100 Million. The company has been restructured under a new management. Houlihan Lokey Investment company completed the transaction.
In 2010 when MGM Studios (owners of James Bond 007 and the Hobbit franchises) was in need of a new Management Team, Florina cand Ross co-led a team of insurance company professionals that offered to buy the studio at $3.7 billion and inject management. Some of the partners were former head of 20th Century Fox Bill Mechanic, Moelis Investment Bank, Law Firm O'Melveny & Meyers. Ross has 20 pictures in development, including Pretty Woman 2 and Ocean's X1V.
One of his early endeavors became a picture called "Motorpsycho" when his director friend Russ Meyer needed micro-funding. He discovered a 22 year old actor, Steve Oliver, and had Steve demonstrate his tough guy fighting skills. Russ knew he had his star and Ross agreed to fund the picture. Steve went on to star as Lee Webber on Peyton Place and Steve McQueen cast him as Gentleman Jim Corbett in "Tom Horn."
in 1988, upon returning from movie work in Turkey, the opportunity came his way through infamous mortician/producer W. Schroeder to work as producer/writer on a sequel to "Grizzly." He cast two newcomers, George Clooney and Charlie Sheen in the movie "GRIZZLY II- THE PREDATOR." The movie was shot in Hungary for $7Mil with Deborah Raffin, Steve Inwood, Laura Dern and John Rhys-Davies who went on to work with Steven Spielberg in the first Raiders' picture.. The animatronics on the 18' Grizzly sunk a nail in the picture. His vision for large monster characters movement was ahead of his time. Ross actually had to save the day and to climb on a VW wagon holding the 35mm camera movements to mimic the bear's attack on the concert.
Through his relationships, Ross executive-produced and sold several movies including Andy Garcia's $22 Mil "Unsaid" $22Mil which he sold to Universal. In 2008 under his Guild Entertainment banner, Florina Massbaum and Ross partnered with Q Black Media to buy Image Entertainment, Inc. for $100 Million. The company has been restructured under a new management. Houlihan Lokey Investment company completed the transaction.
In 2010 when MGM Studios (owners of James Bond 007 and the Hobbit franchises) was in need of a new Management Team, Florina cand Ross co-led a team of insurance company professionals that offered to buy the studio at $3.7 billion and inject management. Some of the partners were former head of 20th Century Fox Bill Mechanic, Moelis Investment Bank, Law Firm O'Melveny & Meyers. Ross has 20 pictures in development, including Pretty Woman 2 and Ocean's X1V.
