Gary Graver
Encyclopedia
Gary Graver was an American
film director
and cinematographer
. He was a prolific film-maker but is perhaps best known as Orson Welles
' final cinematographer. Under the pseudonym of Robert McCallum he also directed adult films.
Graver was born and raised in Portland
, Oregon
. In high school, he produced and starred in his own radio show, and had built a movie theatre in his parents' basement where he showed his own films.
At age 20, he moved to Hollywood to become an actor, but drifted into production when work as an actor was scarce. He was drafted into the U.S. military and was assigned to the Navy Combat Camera Group. Upon returning to civilian life, Graver made documentaries for a year before starting to work on larger budget features.
In 1970, Graver made an unannounced call on Orson Welles, saying he wanted to work with the director. Welles told Graver that only one other person had ever called him to say they wanted to work with him - and that was Gregg Toland
who worked with Welles on Citizen Kane
.
Soon after, Welles and Graver started work on the film The Other Side of the Wind
, in addition to other projects Welles had in the works including F For Fake
and Filming Othello
.
Graver's work for Welles was unpaid, and during the shooting of one scene in The Other Side of the Wind, Welles used as a prop his 1941 Oscar that he won as the co-writer of Citizen Kane. When shooting was finished, he handed the statuette to Graver saying, "Here, keep this." Graver understood this to be a gift in lieu of payment for his work. Graver held onto the award for several years until he ran into financial trouble in the 1990s, and in 1994 he sold it for $50,000. The purchaser, a company called Bay Holdings, then attempted to sell it at auction through Sotheby's
in London. When Welles' daughter, Beatrice Welles learned of the intended sale, she successfully sued both Graver and the holding company to stop the sale. She eventually took possession of the statuette before then selling it on herself.
Besides his work with Welles, Graver also worked for other notable Hollywood directors including Roger Corman
, Fred Olen Ray
and Ron Howard
. The bulk of his output was B-movies since, as he put it, "I knew how to make a movie without much money."
Graver's work in the adult film industry resulted in more than 135 films including Unthinkable, which won the AVN Award for Best All-Sex Video in 1985. Graver was later inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame
for his work.
Gary Graver died on November 16, 2006 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California
after a lengthy battle with cancer. His widow, the former actress Jillian Kesner
died of leukemia in December 2007. Gary Graver's memoir, Making Movies with Orson Welles, co-written by Andrew J. Rausch, was released by Scarecrow Press in 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. He was a prolific film-maker but is perhaps best known as Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' final cinematographer. Under the pseudonym of Robert McCallum he also directed adult films.
Graver was born and raised in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. In high school, he produced and starred in his own radio show, and had built a movie theatre in his parents' basement where he showed his own films.
At age 20, he moved to Hollywood to become an actor, but drifted into production when work as an actor was scarce. He was drafted into the U.S. military and was assigned to the Navy Combat Camera Group. Upon returning to civilian life, Graver made documentaries for a year before starting to work on larger budget features.
In 1970, Graver made an unannounced call on Orson Welles, saying he wanted to work with the director. Welles told Graver that only one other person had ever called him to say they wanted to work with him - and that was Gregg Toland
Gregg Toland
Gregg Toland, A.S.C. was an American cinematographer noted for his innovative use of lighting and techniques such as deep focus, an example of which can be found in his work on Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.-Career:...
who worked with Welles on Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
.
Soon after, Welles and Graver started work on the film The Other Side of the Wind
The Other Side of the Wind
The Other Side of the Wind is an unfinished film directed by Orson Welles, shot between 1969 and 1976, and starring John Huston, Bob Random, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg and Oja Kodar.-Summary:...
, in addition to other projects Welles had in the works including F For Fake
F for Fake
F for Fake is the last major film completed by Orson Welles, who directed, co-wrote, and starred in the film. Initially released in 1974, it focuses on Elmyr de Hory's recounting of his career as a professional art forger; de Hory's story serves as the backdrop for a fast-paced, meandering...
and Filming Othello
Filming Othello
Filming Othello is a 1978 documentary film directed by and starring Orson Welles about the making of his award-winning 1952 production Othello. The film, which was produced for West German television, was the last completed feature film directed by Welles.-Plot:Filming Othello begins with Welles...
.
Graver's work for Welles was unpaid, and during the shooting of one scene in The Other Side of the Wind, Welles used as a prop his 1941 Oscar that he won as the co-writer of Citizen Kane. When shooting was finished, he handed the statuette to Graver saying, "Here, keep this." Graver understood this to be a gift in lieu of payment for his work. Graver held onto the award for several years until he ran into financial trouble in the 1990s, and in 1994 he sold it for $50,000. The purchaser, a company called Bay Holdings, then attempted to sell it at auction through Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in London. When Welles' daughter, Beatrice Welles learned of the intended sale, she successfully sued both Graver and the holding company to stop the sale. She eventually took possession of the statuette before then selling it on herself.
Besides his work with Welles, Graver also worked for other notable Hollywood directors including Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, Fred Olen Ray
Fred Olen Ray
Fred Olen Ray is an American director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and cinematographer.-Biography:He is the producer, director, and screenwriter of low to medium-budget feature films in many genres, including horror, science fiction, action/adventure, softcore sex films and crime dramas...
and Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
. The bulk of his output was B-movies since, as he put it, "I knew how to make a movie without much money."
Graver's work in the adult film industry resulted in more than 135 films including Unthinkable, which won the AVN Award for Best All-Sex Video in 1985. Graver was later inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame
AVN Hall of Fame
This is a list of members of the AVN Hall of Fame. The AVN Hall of Fame honors the legends of the adult entertainment industry.- AVN Hall of Fame members :[Top]| style="vertical-align:top; width:15px;"|...
for his work.
Gary Graver died on November 16, 2006 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
after a lengthy battle with cancer. His widow, the former actress Jillian Kesner
Jillian Kesner-Graver
Jillian Kesner-Graver was an American actress and historian who worked with her late husband, Gary Graver, to preserve the work and legacy of director Orson Welles. She was best known as an actress for playing Fonzie's girlfriend, Lorraine, on Happy Days.-Early life:Kesner-Graver was born in...
died of leukemia in December 2007. Gary Graver's memoir, Making Movies with Orson Welles, co-written by Andrew J. Rausch, was released by Scarecrow Press in 2008.
External links
- Official homepage
- Los Angeles Times obituary
- Gary Graver Profile
- Gary Graver at Wellesnet
- Unhappy with the way he felt producers sometimes butchered his work, in 2004 Graver made a documentary outlining his grievances. The entire documentary was posted on YouTube in several parts: A Gary Graver Movie.