John Grissmer, with a history in theater, books and movies, has for years found another outlet for his creative energies: helping the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra continue to raise its curtain.
“I”™ve always written,” said Indianapolis-born Grissmer. “I was one of these guys who liked English and liked playing with words. I started out the way a lot of people do, writing short stories.”
Grissmer, 75, attended Xavier University where he met his recently departed wife Patty.
“My father, Earl Grissmer, got into the household chemical business. He wound up selling carpet shampoo and that was the family business,” said Grissmer. Â
After working for the family business, Grissmer became part of the University of Connecticut theater department.
“I like to brag that I”™m a former faculty member,” said Grissmer.
Grissmer began teaching the history of motion pictures at American University in Washington, D.C., which began his interest in movies.
“I then went to New York to be in the professional theater.”
Grissmer”™s career in New York was met with failures and successes. He also continued to hold a stake in the family business until he was 35.
“Ultimately at his death in 1969, he was in negotiations to sell to Liggett & Myers; I had to complete that deal,” said Grissmer of his father. “After the company was sold, I got into an area of drama I”™d always been interested in, filmmaking. Grissmer began work with a former classmate, Laurence Luckinbill, a career actor and husband of Lucie Arnaz.
In the 1970s, Grissmer wrote, directed and produced two films. The first was “The House That Cried Murder” and the second and more popular was “False Face,” also known as “Scalpel” a classic thriller.
“”˜The House That Cried Murder”™ got played around and in some foreign dates,” said Grissmer. “”˜Scalpel”™ is a movie that still gets played today. We”™re doing a deal now to get it out on DVD.”
Grissmer”™s family had a home in Weston and he moved to Ridgefield in 1974. He still has an apartment in New York City.
Through his career in writing Grissmer has written two novels, one that has been published in the ”™90s titled the “Ghosts of Antietam,” a historical novel about George McClellan available on Amazon.com.
In the December of last year, Grissmer”™s most recent project was presented at the Harke Theater at Catholic University of Washington.Â
Grissmers son and daughter-in-law own Deborah Ann”™s Homemade Chocolates in Ridgefield.
Grissmer now serves on the Xavier University”™s board as well as spends a great deal of time devoting his life to the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra.
 “I was never one to walk around with the buds in my ears,” said Grissmer. “I look at music as if it is a puzzle and I think that puzzle is very important.”
Grissmer, once a Ridgefield Symphony board member, continues to help the musical organization with his dedication to fundraising, sponsorship of concerts and production of children”™s musical programs for the orchestra.
