David Graham(1924-2015)

A native New Yorker, Graham, following his discharge from the Army Air Force, got his first acting job in a summer stock production of "The Male Animal." His first job on Broadway came when he was hired to be both an office boy and an understudy for a play produced by the renowned David Merrick, "Bright Boy, " Merrick"s first production (in association with Arthur J. Beckhard) and only failure. Following this fiasco, Graham became assistant stage manager for the premiere Broadway engagement of modern dance legend Martha Graham (no relation, ) and impressed her to such an extent that she asked him to join her company as manager of her studio where he remained for six months. An assignment with a concert management and public relations firm also brought him his first association with a talent agency as New York representative for the Sue Carol Agency of Beverly Hills. A two year stint as editor of the weekly Theatrical Calendar, published by Celebrity Service followed, leading in turn to a position as Studio Supervisor for NBC Television. He also edited a publication of Ross Reports on Television for two years. During that time Graham also produced a Carlo Goldoni play, "La Locandiera" ("The Mistress of the Inn") for Equity Library Theatre and three one-act plays by Paul Green under the collective title "Supper for the Dead" at the Theatre De Lys in Greenwich Village. After serving as casting director for two Broadway musicals, "The Liar, " and "Seventh Heaven, " the latter starring Gloria De Haven, Ricardo Montalban, Beatrice Arthur, Robert Clary, and Chita Rivera, Graham became an agent with Lyons & Lyons, Inc., where he worked with Jayne Mansfield during her Broadway engagement in "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" Following a move to California where he joined the Sacramento Music Circus as general manager for the 1957 summer season, our hero headed south and joined the Willliam Shiffrin Agency where he once again represented Miss Mansfield, as well as such other stalwarts as Clint Eastwood, Robert Stack, Dennis Hopper, Elsa Lanchester and George Sanders among others. Graham was soon recruited by the Ashley-Steiner Agency (forerunner of ICM, ) where he remained six years both in Los Angeles and New York representing actors, writers and directors. When the agency failed to transfer him back to California he resigned, returning to the southland where a three month assignment as Director of Casting for Twentieth Century Fox Television on the staff of its president, William Self stretched to almost two years. At Fox his area of responsiblity included casting such TV pilots as "Batman, " "The Monroes, " "Felony Squad, " "The Green Hornet, " "Custer" and "Judd for the Defense." While there, Graham spotted a young Tom Selleck who the studio signed to their contract program at his urging. As his Fox assignment came to a close Peter Witt, a top New York agent, was in need of someone to head his Beverly Hills office. Graham was his man, and for seven years represented such major talent as Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn, Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach, Joan Van Ark, Rene Auberjonois, Glynis Johns, Maggie Smith, Rutger Hauer, Michael Learned, Marsha Mason, James Whitmore and Clarence Williams III. When Peter Witt produced the hit musical "Billy" in London and decided to close the office, Graham opted in lieu of opening his own agency, to go into free lance casting. Among feature films he has cast are "The Turning Point, " "The Magic of Lassie, " "First Monday in October" and "Purple Rain." Movies for television include "Eleanor and Franklin, The White House Years, " "Haywire, " "The Gathering, " "Mazes and Monsters, " Edward and Mrs. Simpson" for Thames Television, " Remembrance of Love, " and "Little Girl Lost " on which he was also a co-producer on what was to become the highest rated Movie of the Week of the 1986-87 ABC-TV television season. Graham is a recent past Governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the Association of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles