About Alex Grasshoff
Lived 1928 – 2008 (aged 79). Alex Grasshoff was an American film director, screenwriter and director.
Alexander Grasshoff (December 10, 1928 – April 5, 2008) was an American documentary filmmaker and director who received three Oscar nominations.
Along with fellow producer Robert Cohn, he is perhaps best known for writing and directing the documentary Young Americans, which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature during the 1969 ceremony. He made his directoral debut in a crime film The Jailbreakers released by American International Pictures that Grasshoff also wrote and produced. A home owned by Mr. Grasshoff was rented out to music group the Beastie Boys while they recorded the album Paul's Boutique.
Grasshoff died on April 5, 2008, at his home in Los Angeles of complications from bypass surgery on a leg. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Madilyn Clark Grasshoff, and two sisters, Yrsa Grasshoff and Edith Rand.
Filmography
Director 1960: The Jailbreakers 1963: Hollywood and the Stars (TV series, 1 episode) 1965: National Geographic Specials (TV series documentary) 1966: Love on a Rooftop (TV series, 1 episode) 1966: The Really Big Family (Documentary short) 1966: Destination Safety (TV movie documentary) 1967: Young Americans (Documentary) 1972: Future Shock (Documentary) 1972: Wacky Taxi 1973: Journey to the Outer Limits (Documentary) 1973–74: Toma (TV series, 4 episodes) 1974: Crackle of Death (TV movie) 1974: Get Christie Love! (TV series) 1974: The Rookies (TV series, 1 Episode) 1974: The Rockford Files (TV series, 2 episodes) 1974: Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV series, 3 episodes) 1975: Movin' On (TV series, 1 episodes) 1975-76: Barbary Coast (TV series, 4 episodes) 1977: The Last Dinosaur 1977: CHiPs (TV series) 1978: Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws 1981: The Wave (TV movie) 1982: Counterattack: Crime in America (Fernsehdokumentation) 1982: The Unforgivable Secret (ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie) 1982: Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother (ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie) 1984: Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie) 1984: Billions for Boris 1985: I Want to Go Home (ABC Afterschool Special, TV movie)
Producer 1960: The Jailbreakers 1963–64: Hollywood and the Stars (TV Series, 3 Episodes) 1965: National Geographic Specials (TV Series documentary) 1966: The Really Big Family (Documentary short) 1967: Young Americans (Documentary) 1972: Future Shock (Documentary) 1973: Journey to the Outer Limits (Documentary) 1978: Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws (co-producer)
Writer 1960: The Jailbreakers 1964: Hollywood and the Stars (TV Series, 2 episodes) 1967: Young Americans (Documentary) 1972: Wacky Taxi
Editor 1961: Magic Spectacles
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Important facts
People in Alex Grasshoff's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Alex Grasshoff?
American film director (1928-2008)
When was Alex Grasshoff born?
Alex Grasshoff was born on 10 December 1928 in Boston.
When did Alex Grasshoff die?
Alex Grasshoff died on 5 April 2008 in Los Angeles.
What was Alex Grasshoff's occupation?
Alex Grasshoff was a film director, screenwriter and director.
What nationality was Alex Grasshoff?
Alex Grasshoff was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alex Grasshoff. https://biography.guide/alex-grasshoff/
MLA: "Alex Grasshoff." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alex-grasshoff/.
Chicago: "Alex Grasshoff." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alex-grasshoff/.
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