Jack Grossberg, 74; Director, Producer With 40-Year Career

Jack Grossberg, 74, the Hollywood director and producer for more than four decades whose projects included Dino DeLaurentiis’ “King Kong” and Woody Allen’s “Sleeper,” died Friday in Santa Monica of undisclosed causes.

Grossberg also served as production director of “Brainstorm,” the film Natalie Wood was working on when she drowned off Catalina in 1981. Shooting was suspended, and MGM considered shelving the film. But Grossberg soon announced that production would resume, and the film was released in 1983.

Among Grossberg’s other credits are such motion pictures as “On the Waterfront,” “The Harder They Fall,” “The Eddy Duchin Story,” “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” “The Producers,” “Fast Break,” “Back to the Future” and “The Experts.”