- Father of Jon Gries.
- His brother was the famous Chicago blues pianist "Buddy Charles" aka Charles Stephen Gries.
- His stepfather was jazz great Muggsy Spanier.
- Although his original screenplay for Will Penny (1967) attracted much attention, he refused to sell it to any film company unless he was also attached as director; he saw it as his chance to reach the big-time. Charlton Heston thought at first that he could persuade William Wyler or George Stevens )to direct the script but, on being told of Gries' proviso, decided to take a chance on a director whose only previous credits had been on "B" pictures. He always insisted that he never regretted this decision, and worked with Gries twice more.
- His last name has often been erroneously pronounced "Grease", "Greez", "Grice", etc. The correct pronunciation is "Grize".
- Educated at Loyola Academy in Chicago and Georgetown University.
- Directed QB VII (1974), which was the first network miniseries.
- His father's family of German Jewish and English Jewish descent, and his maternal grandparents were German Jewish immigrants. Some of his father's ancestors in England were Sephardi.
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