{{Short description|American actor and singer-songwriter (1936–2011)}} {{Other uses|David Hess (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox person | image = David Hess in Hitch-Hike trailer.jpg | image_size = | caption = Hess in ''Hitch-Hike'' (1977) | birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|9|19}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | birth_name = David Alexander Hess | death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|10|7|1936|9|19}} | death_place = Tiburon, California, U.S. | other_names = {{hlist| David Dante|David Hill}} | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|singer|songwriter|composer|director}} | years_active = 1956{{en dash}}2011 | website = | spouse = {{marriage|Regina Mardek|1978}} | children = 4 }}
'''David Alexander Hess''' (September 19, 1936 – October 7, 2011) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and director. He came to prominence for his portrayals of murderous rapists, villains and gruff characters in several films in the 1970s and 1980s.
Hess originally worked as a songwriter in the 1950s, co-writing songs recorded by Elvis Presley and Pat Boone, but garnered international attention for his feature film debut portraying Krug Stillo in Wes Craven's exploitation horror film ''The Last House on the Left'' (1972). He played several hard-edged roles as criminals and rapists in the Italian films ''Hitch-Hike'' (1977) and ''The House on the Edge of the Park'' (1980) as well as a supporting role in Craven's ''Swamp Thing'' (1982). He made his directorial debut with the slasher film ''To All a Goodnight'' (1980).
In his later life, Hess was affiliated with the California Film Institute, where he taught improvisational theater in the institute's youth programs. He died of a heart attack on October 7, 2011, near his home in Tiburon, California after attending a local concert.
==Early life== Hess was born David Alexander Hess on September 19, 1936, in New York City.<ref name="Dead"/> His mother Marjory was an opera singer.<ref name=NewYork/>
==Career== ===1956–1971: Songwriting and music=== In 1956, Hess recorded the original version of the Otis Blackwell composition "All Shook Up" under the stage name '''David Hill'''.<ref name="Dead">{{Cite web|url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2011b.html |title=The Dead Rock Stars Club - 2011 July To December |publisher=thedeadrockstarsclub.com |access-date=October 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818233237/http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2011b.html |archive-date=August 18, 2015 }}</ref> The next year the song became a #1 hit single for Elvis Presley.
He began his professional career as a songwriter for Shalimar Music in 1957. He composed "Start Movin' (In My Direction)" for Sal Mineo and "Rockin' Shoes" for the Ames Brothers. In 1959, he recorded a cover version of Cliff Richard's "Living Doll" for Kapp Records, and it became a mild placed charter for him on the U.S. Billboard charts. He wrote songs for Elvis Presley throughout the 1950s and 1960s, which include "I Got Stung", "Come Along", and "Sand Castles". "Your Hand, Your Heart, Your Love" became a 1960s hit when it was performed by Andy Williams. In 1962, Hess wrote and recorded "Speedy Gonzales", (as David Dante)<ref name="Dead"/><ref name=Fangoria>{{Cite web|author=Staff |date=October 13, 2009 |url=http://www.fangoria.com/eventsmain/weekend-of-horrors/woh-updates/118-las-vegas-2009/4270-trinity-of-terrors-guest-spotlight-the-baddies-of-1972s-the-last-house-on-the-left.html |title=TRINITY OF TERRORS Guest Spotlight: The BADDIES of 1972's THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT! - David Hess |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015222854/http://www.fangoria.com/eventsmain/weekend-of-horrors/woh-updates/118-las-vegas-2009/4270-trinity-of-terrors-guest-spotlight-the-baddies-of-1972s-the-last-house-on-the-left.html |archive-date=2009-10-15 |access-date=2013-01-17 |work=Fangoria}}</ref> which became a #6 single for Pat Boone in the U.S. and a #2 in the UK, selling more than 8 million copies worldwide. Hess then recorded two solo albums for Kapp Records, again topping the charts, this time with a top 10 folk hit titled "Two Brothers."
In 1969, he became head of A&R at Mercury Records in New York. There he linked with Western classical composer John Corigliano, and together they wrote the rock opera ''The Naked Carmen'', which received a Grammy nomination for Best Album Cover.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=13th Annual GRAMMY Awards |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/13th-annual-grammy-awards |website=GRAMMY.com |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=April 6, 2026}}</ref> It became a big hit of the Berlin Ballet Week in 1970. His work with Mercury included ''And the Children Toll the Passing of the Day'', a 1969 album he wrote for Irish actor Malachy McCourt.
===1972–2011: Acting and film=== In 1972, his career split into several new directions with his starring role in the Wes Craven horror classic ''The Last House on the Left'', for which he also composed the soundtrack. In this movie, he was noted to have been a reckless, merciless character.<ref name="Dead"/><ref>{{Cite AV media |people=Hess, David (Guest); Morrison, John (Host) |url=http://blip.tv/aspect-ratio-cfi/aspect-ratio-september-2011-5591714 |title=Aspect Ratio - September 2011 |date=September 25, 2011 |access-date=2013-01-17 |medium=Television Production |location=San Rafael, CA |publisher=Community Media Center of Marin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131222170618/http://blip.tv/aspect-ratio-cfi/aspect-ratio-september-2011-5591714 |archive-date=December 22, 2013 }} <!-- David Hess's last interview on the public access show ''Aspect Ratio'' on Blip TV --></ref> In a 2008 ''Vanity Fair'' article, Hess admitted threatening co-star Sandra Peabody, telling writer Jason Zinoman: "I was very mean to the girls, so when it came to the rape scene, [Peabody] didn't have to act. I told her, 'I'm really going to fuck you if you don't behave yourself. They'll just let the camera run. I'm going to devastate you.' I don't think she was too happy about that."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zinoman |first1=Jason |title=Killer Instincts |journal=Vanity Fair |date=March 2008 |page=308 |url=https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2008/3/killer-instincts |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref>
He scored ''{{Interlanguage link|Buck ai confini del cielo|it|3=Buck ai confini del cielo|lt=Buck at the Edge of Heaven}}'', a children's film based on a collection of Jack London stories. The film won the top prize for film and direction at the Giffoni Film Festival. He also had roles in ''Hitchhike'' and ''The House on the Edge of the Park''.
A subsequent job offer from PolyGram's German affiliate gave Hess the opportunity to move to Munich, Germany, and a multilingual career in film dubbing from 1972 to 1976 which in turn led him to writing the English language shooting scripts for German directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Reinhard Hauff, and Peter Schamoni.<ref name=Fangoria/>
In 1980, he directed ''To All a Good Night'', his first American feature film, for Media Home Entertainment in 1980. He also appeared in two horror films directed by Ruggero Deodato: ''La Casa sperduta nel parco'' (1980) and ''Camping del terrore'' (1987). He appeared as a villain in Wes Craven's ''Swamp Thing'' in 1982.
In 1991, he played the part of the American in Peter Schamoni's ''Max Ernst—My Wanderings, My Unrest'' (1991). From 1993 to 1995, he produced ''Niki de Saint Phalle: Wer ist das Monster - du oder ich?'' (1996).
In later years, he released two albums: ''Caught Up in the Moment'' and ''Live & Unplugged in Hollywood, 2002''. He worked on several tracks for the horror film ''Cabin Fever'' (2002), directed by Eli Roth, and worked as an improv acting teacher at the California Film Institute's Young Critics' Jury Training program.<ref name=mill/>
In 2013, One Way Static Records released the soundtrack to ''The Last House on the Left'' on vinyl, compact disc, cassette and digital download. This was intended as a posthumous tribute and the liner notes on the release include extensive writings by Hess' family, colleagues and friends. This edition was repressed on a limited, hand numbered picture disc for Record Store Day in 2014.
==Personal life== Hess married Regina Mardek in 1978 and had four children.<ref name=mill/> He was a longtime resident of Corte Madera, California.<ref name=mill/><ref name=mij>{{cite web|work=Marin Independent Journal|url=https://www.marinij.com/article/zz/20111014/NEWS/111018936|title=David Hess, Corte Madera songwriter and actor, dies at 75|author=Jason, Will|date=October 14, 2011|access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref>
==Death== On October 7, 2011, Hess suffered a fatal heart attack near his home in Tiburon, California, and died on his way to his car after dinner with friends.<ref name=mill>{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/california/millvalley/horror-film-actor-and-songwriter-david-hess-dies-in-t70f2a58f57|work=Mill Valley Patch|title=Actor and Songwriter David Hess Dies at 75|author=Welte, Jim|date=October 13, 2011|access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> He was 75 years old.<ref name=NewYork>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/arts/music/david-hess-songwriter-and-actor-dies-at-75.html?_r=1&ref=deathsobituaries |title=David Hess, Songwriter and Actor, Dies at 75 |first=Daniel E. |last=Slotnik |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180627025650/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/arts/music/david-hess-songwriter-and-actor-dies-at-75.html?_r=1&ref=deathsobituaries&mtrref=en.wikipedia.org&gwh=DFD5FE777B76FD505D683AB9D0C2C39C&gwt=pay |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=October 13, 2011 |access-date=June 27, 2018 }} {{closed access}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2011/music/news/david-hess-dies-at-75-1118044419/|title=David Hess dies at 75|date=October 13, 2011|access-date=June 28, 2018|author=''Variety'' Staff}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1970 | ''Cold Sweat'' | Vermont aka Whitey | Voice, Uncredited |- | 1972 | ''The Last House on the Left'' | Krug Stillo | |- | 1976 | ''The Swiss Conspiracy'' | Sando | |- | 1976 | ''Potato Fritz'' | Sleeve | |- | 1977 | ''Hitch-Hike'' | Adam Konitz | |- | 1977 | ''Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game of Death'' | | Voice |- | 1979 | ''Avalanche Express'' | Geiger | |- | 1980 | ''The House on the Edge of the Park'' | Alex | |- | 1982 | ''Swamp Thing'' | Ferret | |- | 1983 | ''{{ill|White Star (film)|de|3=White Star (Film)|lt=White Star}}'' | Frank | |- | 1986 | ''Armed and Dangerous'' | Gunman #4 | |- | 1986 | ''Body Count'' | Robert Ritchie | also known as ''Camping del Terrore'' |- | 1986 | ''Let's Get Harry'' | Mercenary | |- | 1989 | ''Sindrome veneziana'' | Walter | |- | 1991 | ''Buck ai confini del cielo'' | Dan | |- | 1992 | ''Omicidio a luci blu'' | Sergeant Flanagan | |- | 1994 | ''Jonathan of the Bears'' | Maddock | |- | 2001 | ''Nutcracker'' | John Gard / Clyde Fairfax | |- | 2004 | ''Zombie Nation'' | Aaron Singer III | |- | 2005 | ''Zodiac Killer'' | Mel Navokov | |- | 2006 | ''The Absence of Light'' | Whiplash | |- | 2006 | ''Fallen Angels'' | Kajal | |- | 2007 | ''Used'' | rowspan="2"|Aldo Modisco | |- | 2007 | ''Go Together'' | |- | 2009 | ''Smash Cut'' | Able Whitman | |- | 2011 | ''The Steppes'' | Oleg | |- | 2012 | ''Debris documentar'' | Himself | |- | 2016 | ''The House That Wept Blood'' | Detective Marsh | (final film role) |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1976 | ''21 Hours at Munich'' | Berger | Television film |- | 1977 | ''Baretta'' | Bosco | Episode: "All That Shatters" |- | 1981 | ''Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls'' | Robaire | Television film |- | 1983 | ''Knight Rider'' | Donny | Episode: "Short Notice" |- | 1983 | ''Manimal'' | William | Episode: "Illusion" |- | 1985 | ''Sadat'' | Israeli Soldier | Television film |- | 1985 | ''The Fall Guy'' | | Episode: "Reel Trouble" |- | 1986 | ''The A-Team'' | | Episode: "Dishpan Man" |- | 1989 | ''Oceano'' | Kruger | Television mini-series |- | 1991 | ''{{Ill|The Kaltenbach Papers|de|Die Kaltenbach-Papiere}}'' | Ibi | Television mini-series |- | 1997 | ''Noi siamo angeli'' | Manuel Delgado | Episodes: "Due facce da galera", "La fortuna piove dal cielo" |- | 2010 | ''Royal Pains'' | Bob Ambrose | Episode: "In Vino Veritas" |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Crew |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1980 | ''To All a Goodnight'' | Director | |- | 1996 | ''Niki de Saint Phalle: Wer ist das Monster - du oder ich?'' | Producer | Documentary |- | 1999 | ''The Green Monster'' | Producer | Television documentary |- | 2004 | ''Zombie Nation'' | Production executive | |- | 2010 | ''Steel Drums, No Guns'' | Director, producer | Short documentary |- | 2011 | ''Sketchy House'' | Executive Producer | |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Soundtrack/music |- ! Year ! Title ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1964 | ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' | Soundtrack writer: "Speedy Gonzalez"; episode: season 17, episode 21; uncredited |- | 1966 | ''Frankie and Johnny'' | Soundtrack writer: "Come Along"; uncredited |- | 1966 | ''Paradise, Hawaiian Style'' | Soundtrack writer: "Sand Castles" |- | 1972 | ''The Last House on the Left'' | Soundtrack writer, performer, lyrics, music composer |- | 1989 | ''Cold Justice'' | Composer |- | 1989 | ''Roger & Me'' | Composer: "Speedy Gonzales" |- | 1993 | ''Lo Kolel Sherut'' | Soundtrack writer; episode: season 3, episode 8 |- | 2002 | ''Cabin Fever'' | Soundtrack writer, performer: various |- | 2003 | ''Celluloid Crime of the Century'' | video documentary short |- | 2008 | ''Manhunt'' | Soundtrack writer, performer |- | 2009 | ''Melancholie der Engel'' |Composer |- | 2011 | ''Sketchy House'' | Composer, performer |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|David Hess (actor)|David Hess}} *{{IMDb name|381450}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111029175758/http://www.davidhess.com/ David Hess - Official Site] (archived) *[http://www.terrortrap.com/interviews/davidhess/ Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: An Interview with David Hess - The Terror Trap - February 2011] * [http://www.onewaystatic.com One Way Static Records] (David's Record Label) * David Hess recordings listed on [http://www.discogs.com/artist/David+Alexander+Hess?anv=David+Hess Discogs]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hess, David}} Category:1936 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Male actors from New York City Category:American male film actors Category:Film producers from New York (state) Category:American male television actors Category:Method actors Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:Songwriters from New York (state) Category:Film directors from New York City