David Hess
Encyclopedia
David Alexander Hess was an American actor, singer, and songwriter.
composition "All Shook Up
" under the stage name David Hill. The next year the song became a #1 hit single
for Elvis Presley
.
He began his professional career as a songwriter for Shalimar Music, in 1957. He composed "Start Movin'" for Sal Mineo
and "Rockin' Shoes" for the Ames Brothers
. In 1959 he recorded a cover version of Cliff Richard's "Living Doll" for Kapp Records and it became a mild placed charter for him on the US Billboard charts. He continued to write songs for Elvis Presley
throughout the 1950s and 1960s, which include "Come Along," and "Sand Castles". "Your Hand, Your Heart, Your Love" became a 1960s hit when it was performed by Andy Williams
. In 1962, Hess wrote and recorded "Speedy Gonzales
," (as David Dante) which became a #6 single for Pat Boone
in the US and a #2 in the UK
, selling more than eight million copies worldwide. Hess then recorded two solo albums for Kapp Records
, again topping the charts, this time with a Top Ten folk
hit called "Two Brothers."
In 1969, he became head of A&R at Mercury Records
in New York. There he linked up with Western classical composer John Corigliano
, and together they wrote the Grammy award
-winning rock opera
, The Naked Carmen
, which became a big hit of the Berlin Ballet Week in 1970. His work with Mercury also included And the Children Toll the Passing of the Day, a 1969 album he wrote for Irish
actor Malachy McCourt
.
horror classic The Last House on the Left
(1972), for which he also composed the soundtrack. He went on to score Buck at the Edge of the Heaven, a children's film based on a collection of Jack London
stories. The film won the top prize for film and direction at the Giffoni Film Festival
. He also had roles in Hitchhike
and The House on the Edge of the Park
.
A subsequent job offer from PolyGram
' German affiliate gave Hess the opportunity to move to Munich, Germany, and a multilingual career in film dubbing
from 1972 to 1976 which in turn led him to writing the English language
shooting scripts for such German directors as Rainer Werner Fassbinder
, Reinhard Hauff, and his present collaborator, Peter Schamoni
.
In 1980, he directed his first American feature film, To All a Good Night, for Media Home Entertainment in 1980. He also appeared in two horror films directed by Ruggero Deodato
, La Casa sperduta nel parco (1980) and Camping del terrore
(1987). He appeared as a villain in Wes Craven's Swamp Thing
in 1982.
In 1991, he played the part of the American in Peter Schamoni's Max Ernst—My Wanderings, My Unrest (1991). From 1993 to 1995 he produced Niki de Saint Phalle: Wer ist das Monster - du oder ich? (1996).
In recent years, he released two albums, Caught Up In The Moment and Live & Unplugged in Hollywood, 2002. He lived most recently in Northern California
, just outside of San Francisco, with his wife, with whom he had three children. He recently worked on several tracks for the horror film Cabin Fever (2003), directed by Eli Roth
. His final appearance was on the television series Royal Pains
in 2010.
on October 8, 2011 in Tiburon, California
. He was 75.
Music career
In 1956, Hess recorded the original version of the Otis BlackwellOtis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...
composition "All Shook Up
All Shook Up
"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and composed by Otis Blackwell. Elvis Presley's single topped the U.S. Pop chart on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to...
" under the stage name David Hill. The next year the song became a #1 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
He began his professional career as a songwriter for Shalimar Music, in 1957. He composed "Start Movin'" for Sal Mineo
Sal Mineo
Salvatore "Sal" Mineo, Jr. , was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause...
and "Rockin' Shoes" for the Ames Brothers
Ames Brothers
The Ames Brothers were a singing quartet from Malden, Massachusetts, who were particularly famous in the 1950s for their traditional pop music hits.-Biography:The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, where all four were born...
. In 1959 he recorded a cover version of Cliff Richard's "Living Doll" for Kapp Records and it became a mild placed charter for him on the US Billboard charts. He continued to write songs for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
throughout the 1950s and 1960s, which include "Come Along," and "Sand Castles". "Your Hand, Your Heart, Your Love" became a 1960s hit when it was performed by Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
. In 1962, Hess wrote and recorded "Speedy Gonzales
Speedy Gonzales (song)
"Speedy Gonzales" is a 1961 David Dante song about Speedy Gonzales, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico". It was written by Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee and David Hess...
," (as David Dante) which became a #6 single for Pat Boone
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
in the US and a #2 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, selling more than eight million copies worldwide. Hess then recorded two solo albums for Kapp Records
Kapp Records
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca Records and RCA Victor Records. Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA Inc...
, again topping the charts, this time with a Top Ten folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
hit called "Two Brothers."
In 1969, he became head of A&R at Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
in New York. There he linked up with Western classical composer John Corigliano
John Corigliano
John Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
, and together they wrote the Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, The Naked Carmen
The Naked Carmen
The Naked Carmen is a 1970 recording by David Hess and John Corigliano. It is described as an "electric rock opera" by the creators.-External links:*...
, which became a big hit of the Berlin Ballet Week in 1970. His work with Mercury also included And the Children Toll the Passing of the Day, a 1969 album he wrote for Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
actor Malachy McCourt
Malachy McCourt
Malachy Gerard McCourt is an Irish-American actor, writer and politician. He was the 2006 Green Party candidate for governor in New York State, losing to the Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. He is the younger brother of Frank McCourt.-Personal life:Born in Brooklyn, New York, McCourt was raised...
.
Acting career
In 1972, his career split off into several new directions with his starring role in the Wes CravenWes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
horror classic The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (1972 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...
(1972), for which he also composed the soundtrack. He went on to score Buck at the Edge of the Heaven, a children's film based on a collection of Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
stories. The film won the top prize for film and direction at the Giffoni Film Festival
Giffoni Film Festival
The Giffoni International Film Festival is the largest children’s film festival in Europe, and possibly the World. It takes place in the little Italian town of Giffoni Valle Piana in Southern Italy, close to Salerno. Over 2,000 children attend the festival from 39 countries around the world...
. He also had roles in Hitchhike
Hitch-Hike (film)
Hitch-Hike , also known as Death Drive and The Naked Prey, is a 1977 Italian crime film directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile. The film stars Franco Nero and Corinne Clery as a couple in a troubled marriage, and David Hess as a fugitive who takes them hostage. The musical score was written by Ennio...
and The House on the Edge of the Park
The House on the Edge of the Park
The House on the Edge of the Park is a 1980 crime/horror/thriller film from the Italian director Ruggero Deodato. It stars David Hess from Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left , and Giovanni Lombardo Radice....
.
A subsequent job offer from PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
' German affiliate gave Hess the opportunity to move to Munich, Germany, and a multilingual career in film dubbing
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
from 1972 to 1976 which in turn led him to writing the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
shooting scripts for such German directors as Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
, Reinhard Hauff, and his present collaborator, Peter Schamoni
Peter Schamoni
Peter Schamoni was a German film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed 35 films between 1957 and 2011. His 1966 film No Shooting Time for Foxes was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize...
.
In 1980, he directed his first American feature film, To All a Good Night, for Media Home Entertainment in 1980. He also appeared in two horror films directed by Ruggero Deodato
Ruggero Deodato
Ruggero Deodato is an Italian film director and screen writer, best known for directing violent and gory horror films. Deodato is infamous for his 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust.- Biography :...
, La Casa sperduta nel parco (1980) and Camping del terrore
Camping del terrore
Camping del Terrore is a 1987 slasher/horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato and filmed in Italy....
(1987). He appeared as a villain in Wes Craven's Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing (film)
Swamp Thing is a 1982 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. It tells the story of scientist Alec Holland who becomes transformed into the monster Swamp Thing through laboratory sabotage orchestrated by the evil Anton Arcane...
in 1982.
In 1991, he played the part of the American in Peter Schamoni's Max Ernst—My Wanderings, My Unrest (1991). From 1993 to 1995 he produced Niki de Saint Phalle: Wer ist das Monster - du oder ich? (1996).
In recent years, he released two albums, Caught Up In The Moment and Live & Unplugged in Hollywood, 2002. He lived most recently in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, just outside of San Francisco, with his wife, with whom he had three children. He recently worked on several tracks for the horror film Cabin Fever (2003), directed by Eli Roth
Eli Roth
Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
. His final appearance was on the television series Royal Pains
Royal Pains
Royal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...
in 2010.
Death
Hess died from a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on October 8, 2011 in Tiburon, California
Tiburon, California
Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon...
. He was 75.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Cold Sweat Cold Sweat (1970 film) Cold Sweat is a 1970 film starring Charles Bronson, directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1959 novel Ride the Nightmare by Richard Matheson.-Plot:Joe Martin, an American, rents boats in the South of France... |
Michel Constantin | Voice; uncredited |
| 1972 | The Last House on the Left The Last House on the Left (1972 film) The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"... |
Krug Stillo | |
| 1976 | Potato Fritz | Sleeve | |
| 1976 | The Swiss Conspiracy The Swiss Conspiracy The Swiss Conspiracy is a 1976 action film starring David Janssen, Senta Berger and Elke Sommer, directed by Jack Arnold. It was co-produced between Germany and the United States.-Plot summary:... |
Sando | |
| 1977 | Yung chun ta hsiung | Voice | |
| 1977 | Autostop rosso sangue | Adam Konitz | |
| 1979 | Avalanche Express Avalanche Express Avalanche Express is a cold war adventure thriller about a defecting Russian general, released in 1979. It starred Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw , Maximilian Schell, and Linda Evans, and was directed by Mark Robson and Monte Hellman... |
Geiger | |
| 1980 | The House on the Edge of the Park The House on the Edge of the Park The House on the Edge of the Park is a 1980 crime/horror/thriller film from the Italian director Ruggero Deodato. It stars David Hess from Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left , and Giovanni Lombardo Radice.... |
Alex | |
| 1982 | Swamp Thing Swamp Thing (film) Swamp Thing is a 1982 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. It tells the story of scientist Alec Holland who becomes transformed into the monster Swamp Thing through laboratory sabotage orchestrated by the evil Anton Arcane... |
Ferret | |
| 1983 | White Star | Frank | |
| 1986 | Armed and Dangerous | Gunman #4 | |
| 1986 | Let's Get Harry Let's Get Harry Let's Get Harry is a 1986 action film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. It stars Michael Schoeffling, Thomas F. Wilson, Glenn Frey, Rick Rossovich, Gary Busey, Mark Harmon and Robert Duvall... |
Mercenary | |
| 1987 | Camping del Terrore Camping del terrore Camping del Terrore is a 1987 slasher/horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato and filmed in Italy.... |
Robert Ritchie | also known as Body Count |
| 1989 | Sindrome veneziana | ||
| 1991 | Omicidio a luci blu | Sergeant Flanagan | |
| 1991 | Buck ai confini del cielo | Dan | |
| 1995 | Jonathan degli orsi | Maddock | |
| 2001 | Nutcracker | John Gard/Clyde Fairfax | |
| 2004 | Zombie Nation Zombie Nation (film) Zombie Nation is a 2004 independent horror film directed by Ulli Lommel.- Plot outline :Police officer Joe Singer lives a secret night life in which he kidnaps women, and takes them bound to his warehouse loft, injects them with a mysterious liquid, and then murders them. During his day shift as a... |
Aaron Singer III | |
| 2005 | Zodiac Killer | Mel Navokov | |
| 2006 | The Absence of Light | Whiplash | |
| 2006 | Fallen Angels | Kajal | |
| 2007 | Go Together | Aldo Modisco | |
| 2007 | Used | Aldo Modisco | |
| 2009 | Smash Cut Smash Cut Smash Cut is a 2009 Canadian slasher film released by Odessa Filmworks and Zed Filmworks, distributed by Imagination Worldwide LLC. Lee Demarbre directs this film, which is produced by Robert Menzies.-Plot:... |
Able Whitman | |
| 2011 | The Beautiful Outsiders | Mancini | In-production |
| 2012 | The House That Wept Blood | Detective Marsh | |
| 2012 | The House on the Edge of the Park Part II | Alex | Pre-production |
| 2012 | Manson Rising | Alvin Karpis | Pre-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 21 Hours in Munich | Berger | Television film |
| 1977 | Baretta Baretta Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma... |
Bosco | Episode: "All That Shatters" |
| 1981 | Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls is a 1981 television miniseries based on Jacqueline Susann's novel of the same title.... |
Robaire | Television film |
| 1983 | Knight Rider | Donny | Episode: "Short Notice" |
| 1983 | Manimal Manimal Manimal is an American action–adventure series that ran from September 30 to December 17, 1983 on NBC. The show centers on the character Dr Jonathan Chase , a shape-shifting man who possessed the ability to turn himself into any animal he chose... |
William | Episode: "Illusion" |
| 1985 | Sadat Sadat (film) Sadat is a 1983 two-part miniseries film based on the life and death of the late 3rd President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat starring Louis Gossett, Jr. as Sadat and Madolyn Smith as Sadat's wife, Jehan. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures Television through Operation Prime Time... |
Israeli Soldier | Television film |
| 1985 | The Fall Guy The Fall Guy The Fall Guy is an American action/adventure television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series... |
Episode: "Reel Trouble" | |
| 1986 | The A-Team The A-Team The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by... |
Episode: "Dishpan Man" | |
| 1989 | Oceano | Kruger | Television mini-series |
| 1991 | Die Kaltenbach-Papiere | Television mini-series | |
| 1997 | Noi siamo angeli Noi siamo angeli Noi siamo angeli is an Italian television series.... |
Manuel Delgado | Episodes: "Due facce da galera", "La fortuna piove dal cielo" |
| 2010 | Royal Pains Royal Pains Royal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies... |
Bob Ambrose | Episode: "In Vino Veritas" |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | To All a Good Night To All a Good Night To All a Goodnight is a slasher film created in 1980 and directed by horror film veteran David Hess, it was written by Alex Rebar and stars Jennifer Runyon and Jennifer Howard.-Plot:... |
Director |
| 1996 | Niki de Saint Phalle: Wer ist das Monster - du oder ich? | Producer; documentary |
| 1999 | The Green Monster | Producer; television documentary |
| 2004 | Zombie Nation Zombie Nation (film) Zombie Nation is a 2004 independent horror film directed by Ulli Lommel.- Plot outline :Police officer Joe Singer lives a secret night life in which he kidnaps women, and takes them bound to his warehouse loft, injects them with a mysterious liquid, and then murders them. During his day shift as a... |
Production executive |
| 2010 | Steel Drums, No Guns | Director, producer; short documentary |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The Ed Sullivan Show The Ed Sullivan Show The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan.... |
Soundtrack writer: "Speedy Gonzalez"; episode: season 17, episode 21; uncredited |
| 1966 | Frankie and Johnny Frankie and Johnny (1966 film) Frankie and Johnny is a 1966 musical film starring Elvis Presley as a riverboat gambler. The role of "Frankie" was played by Donna Douglas from The Beverly Hillbillies TV series. The film reached #40 on the Variety weekly national box office list for 1966. The budget of the film was estimated at... |
Soundtrack writer: "Come Along"; uncredited |
| 1966 | Paradise, Hawaiian Style Paradise, Hawaiian Style Paradise, Hawaiian Style is a 1966 musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was the third and final motion picture that Presley filmed in Hawaii. The film reached #40 on the Variety weekly box office chart, earning $2.5 million in theaters.... |
Soundtrack writer: "Sand Castles" |
| 1972 | The Last House on the Left | Soundtrack writer, performer, lyrics, music composer |
| 1989 | Cold Justice | Composer |
| 1989 | Roger & Me Roger & Me Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically... |
Composer |
| 1993 | Lo Kolel Sherut | Soundtrack writer; episode: season 3, episode 8 |
| 2002 | Cabin Fever | Soundtrack writer, performer: various |
| 2003 | Celluloid Crime of the Century | video documentary short |
| 2008 | Manhunt | Siundtrack writer, performer |
| 2009 | Melancholie der Engel |