Jerry Gross on AllMovie

Well-noted for his outrageous film promotions on the drive-in/exploitation circuit of the late '60s and early '70s, former director-turned-promotion legend Jerry Gross was the man who saw to it that Melvin Van Peebles' 1971 classic Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song found its way to filmgoers during a time when African-American films were considered unprofitable by major studios. Born in New York City in 1940, Gross distributed 56 films during his 25 years in the business, including Juliet of the Spirits (1965), Fritz the Cat (1972), and Turkish Delight (1973). As a director, Gross took the helm of Girl on a Chain Gang (1965), Teenage Mother (1968), and Female Animal (1970). Despite the success of such features as Day of the Woman (aka I Spit on Your Grave, 1977) and The Boogey Man (1980) released by his own Jerry Gross Organization, the major studios would soon put this organization and Gross' subsequent endeavor, Ambassador Pictures, out of business. Remaining in relative obscurity throughout the '80s and '90s, Jerry Gross was found dead in Los Angeles, CA, on November 20, 2002. He was 62.