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David Richard Gruner 1957 - 2009

David Richard Gruner of California was born on November 1, 1957 in Fort Leonard Wood, Pulaski County, Missouri United States, and died at age 52 years old on December 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.

David Richard Gruner

David John Gruner, Daver

California

November 1, 1957

Fort Leonard Wood, Pulaski County, Missouri, United States

December 22, 2009

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States

Male

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David Richard Gruner David Gruner (1957 - 2009)

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David Richard Gruner's History: 1957 - 2009

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Introduction

Actor David Richard Gruner was born to John David Gruner (1933 - 2013) and Patricia Jameson Houser (1927 - 2005) in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He had one sibling Mark, who would also become an actor, and one half-sister. David Gruner and his brother Mark were raised in Los Angeles where they studied to become actors. On Tuesday July 15, 1969 the Los Angeles Evening Citizen News in Hollywood California reported that "David Gruner and Buddy Foster (were) signed by producer-director Jack Webb for featured roles in the "Juvenile Genius" segment of Dragnet.". David's acting career flourished in the 1970s on a number of television shows. He is likely best remembered for playing a boy, Tommy Tapscott, in the television show "Alias Smith and Jones" (1971), and playing Paul Harris in the television show "The Streets of San Francisco" (1972-1974). See The Streets of San Francisco - David Gruner, acting as Will Harper in Buddy Ebsen's tv show "Barnaby Jones" (1973), Shazam! (1974), Charles Hanover in "The Waltons ", "The Spoilers" (1974), and in "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case" (1976) as a newsboy. In 1973, David attended Hollywood Professional High School in Los Angeles where he excelled. In fact, the Los Angeles Times, published on Sunday June 10th 1974, said that David Gruner was in the "Southern California 'A' Students" at the Hollywood Professional School. His brother Mark Gruner was born a year after David, on Dec 19th 1958. Mark played Robert Mueller in A Little Game (1971) by Paul Wendkos, and Perron in The Tribe (1974) by Richard A. Colla. His most notable role was Mike in Jaws 2 (1978), although he also had television roles in: The Tribe (movie), A Little Game (movie), Dan August (tv series), and The Brady Bunch (tv series). In the early 2000s David lived in Valley Village, North Hollywood, and Canoga Park California. According to his IMDb biography, David Gruner died of accidental asphyxiation at home. See David Richard Gruner: Obituary for additional details.
11/1

1957

Birthday

November 1, 1957

Birthdate

Fort Leonard Wood, Pulaski County, Missouri United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

David was Caucasian. His father was born in Michigan and his mother was born in Pennsylvania.
Nationality & Locations

David lived in a number of places in the United States. He was born in Missouri and lived in New York for a time, but spent most of his life in southern California including Northridge, North Hollywood, Valley Village, Canoga Park, and Los Angeles. From 2004 - 2006 he lived at 11927 Magnolia Blvd Apartment 25 in Valley Village California 91607, until he moved to 5040 Tujunga Ave Apt. 17 in North Hollywood 91601. When he passed in 2009 he was living at 8368 Denise Lane in Canoga Park California 91304.
Early Life & Education

David attended Hollywood Professional High School in the 1970s where he excelled with straight A's. He was in the Honor Society for semesters ending 1/1973 and 6/1972, and he was also the President of his Sophomore class.
Professional Career

David was an actor. He was in the play "West Side Story" at Studio Playhouse of Chatsworth, playing the role of Tony. He was also in "Incident at Vichy" by Arthur Miller, California State University Northridge Theatre Department, playing the role of the Major. He was in "Hamlet" as well at California State University Northridge Theatre Department, playing Hamlet for a month. This was all in addition to his 1970s television roles in the Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, and Shazam! His credits, as listed on IMDb include: - Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973) Barnaby Jones Will Harper TV Series 1977 1 episode - Shazam! (1974) Shazam! Yale Michaels TV Series 1976 1 episode - The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976) The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case Newsboy TV Movie 1976 - The Streets of San Francisco (1972) The Streets of San Francisco Paul Harris TV Series 1972–1974 2 episodes - The Waltons (1972) The Waltons Charles Hanover TV Series 1974 1 episode - Alias Smith and Jones (1971) Alias Smith and Jones BoyTommy Tapscott TV Series 1972 2 episodes - My World and Welcome to It (1969) My World and Welcome to It 3rd Boy TV Series 1969 1 episode - Harry Morgan and Jack Webb in Dragnet 1967 (1967) Dragnet 1967 Timothy Michaels TV Series 1969 1 episode
Personal Life & Family

Born in Missouri, David moved to New York for a brief time and spent the majority of his life in Los Angeles acting, as did his brother Mark. Both brothers were members of 'ANTA' - the American National Theater and Academy.
12/22

2009

Death

December 22, 2009

Death date

According to the LA coroner's report, he died at home of accidental asphyxiation

Cause of death

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States
Death location

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Obituary

He was an actor, known for Alias Smith and Jones (1971) as Boy/ Tommy Tapscott, The Streets of San Francisco (1972-1974) as Paul Harris, Barnaby Jones (1973) as Will Harper, Shazam! (1974), and The Waltons "The Spoilers" (1974) as Charles Hanover, The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976) as Newsboy. Older brother of actor Mark Gruner. Both David and Mark were members of ANTA (American National Theater and Academy) with several stage roles to their credit as well as their extensive work in television, movies, voice-overs, and commercials. He is a former boxer and Golden Gloves champion at welterweight. - No known published obituary is available. The prcedomg is from Find A Grave: American TV Actor

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4 Memories, Stories & Photos about David

Daniel Pinna

9.25k+ favorites

08/23/2022

David Gruner Acting Credits

David was an active actor from 1969 through 1977. His first credits in 1969 were on 'Dragnet' as "Timothy Michaels" in the episode 'Burglary Auto: Juvenile Genius' which aired on December 4th 1969, and as the "3rd Boy" on the television series 'My World and Welcome to It' in episode 'Rally Round the Flag' which aired eleven days later on December 15th 1969.

He then appeared in 1972 on the tv series 'Alias Smith and Jones' as 'Tommy Tapscott" on episode 'The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg' which appeared on January 27th 1972, and as a boy in episode 'What Happened at the XST?' which aired on October 28th 1972.

David had one appearance in the popular 'The Waltons' television series as "Charles Hanover" on the October 31st 1974 episode called 'The Spoilers'. However, it was on the television show 'The Streets of San Francisco' which ran from 1972-1977 where he played "Paul Harris" in both the Pilot and 'Cry Help' which aired on November 7th 1974 that he really gained noticed.

In 1976, he played a newsboy in the made for tv movie 'The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case', and then as "Yale Michaels" in an episode called 'Bitter Herbs' which aired on September 18th 1976 on the tv series 'Shazam!'.

His final credit was in 1977 playing "Will Harper" in an episode of 'Barnaby Jones' called 'Shadow of Fear' which aired on November 24th 1977.

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Kathy Pinna

31.2k+ favorites

11/25/2020

David Richard Gruner

A 1973 high school yearbook photo of David Gruner from Hollywood Professional High School, Los Angeles CA

Date & Place: 1973 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States

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The Streets of San Francisco - David Gruner

Daniel Pinna

9.25k+ favorites

08/05/2022

The Streets of San Francisco - David Gruner

This advertisement for the 1970's television show 'The Streets of San Francisco" which ran from 1972–1977 appeared in The Modesto Bee in Modesto California on Sunday November 10th 1974.

The headline reads 'Streets of SF' Climbs in rankings, and this photo shows:

Michael Douglas, left, and Karl Malden, right, star as a detective team in "Streets of San Francisco." In center, Douglas as Detective Keller, examines a beaten boy (David Gruner) in an episode entitled "Cry Help."

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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