Kurt Neumann (5 April 1908 – 21 August 1958) was a German
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
film director who specialized in
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
movies in his later career.
Biography
Born in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
, the son of a manufacturer of tin stamps studied music in several German cities, including
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. In 1926 he directed his first short movie.
Neumann came to the U.S. in the early
talkie
A sound film is a motion picture
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, percep ...
era, hired to direct
German language
German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...
versions of Hollywood films. Once he mastered English and established himself as technically proficient in filmmaking, Neumann directed such low-budget programmers as ''
The Big Cage
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1932), ''
Secret of the Blue Room
''The Secret of the Blue Room'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Lionel Atwill, Gloria Stuart, Paul Lukas and Edward Arnold. The film's plot concerns a group of wealthy people who stay at a Europe ...
'' (1933) with
Paul Lukas
Paul Lukas (born Pál Lukács; 26 May 1894 – 15 August 1971) was a Hungarian actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance in the film ''Watc ...
and
Gloria Stuart
Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in Pre-Code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Rose ...
, ''Hold 'Em Navy'' (1936), ''
It Happened in New Orleans'' (1936) with child star
Bobby Breen
Isadore Borsuk (November 4, 1927 – September 19, 2016), better known as Bobby Breen, was a Canadian-born American actor and singer. He was a popular male child singer during the 1930s and reached major popularity with film and radio appearanc ...
, ''Wide Open Faces'' (1937) with
Joe E. Brown
Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...
, ''
Island of Lost Men
''Island of Lost Men'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Anna May Wong and J. Carrol Naish. It tells the story of the daughter of a general who goes to look for her father after he disappears. The film received ...
'' and ''Ellery Queen: Master Detective'' in 1939.
Neumann was signed by producer
Hal Roach
Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...
in 1941 to direct a series of "
streamliners", 45-minute features designed to fill out short double bills. Among these 4-reel comedies were ''About Face'' (1942), ''Brooklyn Orchid'' (1942), ''Taxi, Mister?'' (1943) and ''Yanks Ahoy'' (1943). ''
Two Knights from Brooklyn
''Two Knights from Brooklyn'' is a 1949 film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring William Bendix, Joe Sawyer, and Grace Bradley. It chronicles the adventures of two average "Joes" that form a taxi company in Brooklyn, foil the notorious gangster, ...
'' (1949) is actually compiled from two of those streamliners, "The McGuerins from Brooklyn" and "Taxi, Mister"
In 1945, he joined the company of producer
Sol Lesser
Sol Lesser (February 17, 1890 – September 19, 1980) was an American film producer. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1961.
Biography
In 1913, while living in San F ...
, who engaged Neumann as coproducer and principal director of the
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
series produced by Lesser 1945–1954. The Tarzan films were produced for
RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
and starred
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...
and later
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
.
Neumann became known as a specialist in science fiction movies owing to his producing and directing such productions as ''
Rocketship X-M
''Rocketship X-M'' (a.k.a. ''Expedition Moon'' and originally ''Rocketship Expedition Moon'') is a 1950 American black-and-white science fiction film from Robert L. Lippert, Lippert Pictures, the first outer space adventure of the post-World War ...
'' (1950) and ''
The Fly'' (1958) about a scientist's transportation experiment that transforms him into a fly creature. Neumann directed other sci-fi and horror films such as ''
Kronos'' (1957) and ''She-Devil'' (1957), and directed non-scifi films such as ''The Ring'' (1952) an independent feature co-starring
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...
, ''
Carnival Story
''Carnival Story'' is a 1954 drama film directed by Kurt Neumann, produced by Frank King and Maurice King, starring Anne Baxter and Steve Cochran, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It was made as a co-production between West Germany and th ...
'' (1954), ''Mohawk'' (1956), and ''The Deerslayer'' (1957).
Contrary to some published reports, Neumann did not die as a result of suicide, but, rather, from natural causes in Los Angeles on 21 August 1958, five weeks after filming of ''The Fly'' concluded. He was entombed at Utter McKinley Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Partial filmography
(Neumann credited as director unless otherwise noted)
* ''
The Big Cage
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1933)
* ''
Secret of the Blue Room
''The Secret of the Blue Room'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Lionel Atwill, Gloria Stuart, Paul Lukas and Edward Arnold. The film's plot concerns a group of wealthy people who stay at a Europe ...
'' (1933)
* ''
Let's Sing Again
''Let's Sing Again'' is a 1936 American film directed by Kurt Neumann.
Plot
An orphan (eight-year-old boy soprano Bobby Breen) gets a chance to sing opera in New York.
Cast
*Bobby Breen as Billy Gordon
*Henry Armetta as Joe Pasquale
* Ge ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Espionage
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
'' (1937)
* ''
Make a Wish'' (1937)
* ''
That Navy Spirit
''That Navy Spirit'' is a 1937 American sports film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Lew Ayres, Mary Carlisle and John Howard.Quinlan p.274 It is also known by the alternative title ''Hold 'Em Navy''. It follows two members of the American ...
'' (1937)
* ''
Touchdown, Army
''Touchdown, Army'' retitled ''Generals of Tomorrow'' in the UK is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Kurt Neumann, written by Lloyd Corrigan and Erwin S. Gelsey, and starring John Howard, Mary Carlisle, Robert Cummings, William Frawley, O ...
'' (1938)
* ''
Island of Lost Men
''Island of Lost Men'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Anna May Wong and J. Carrol Naish. It tells the story of the daughter of a general who goes to look for her father after he disappears. The film received ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Unmarried
Civil status, or marital status, are the distinct options that describe a person's relationship with a significant other. ''Married'', '' single'', '' divorced'', and ''widowed'' are examples of civil status.
''Civil status'' and ''marital stat ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Brooklyn Orchid
''Brooklyn Orchid'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Kurt Neumann and written by Earle Snell and Clarence Marks that was one of Hal Roach's Streamliners. The film stars William Bendix, Joe Sawyer, Marjorie Woodworth, Grace Bradley, Ri ...
'' (1942)
* ''
Tarzan and the Amazons
''Tarzan and the Amazons'' (1945) is an adventure film starring Johnny Weissmuller in his ninth outing as Tarzan. Brenda Joyce plays Jane, in the first of her five appearances in the role, and Johnny Sheffield makes his sixth appearance as Boy. ...
'' (1945)
* ''
Tarzan and the Leopard Woman'' (1946)
* ''
Tarzan and the Huntress
''Tarzan and the Huntress'' is a 1947 American adventure film starring Johnny Weissmuller in his eleventh outing as Tarzan. Brenda Joyce makes the third of five appearances as Jane and Johnny Sheffield marks his eighth and final appearance as B ...
'' (1947)
* ''
The Dude Goes West
''The Dude Goes West'' is a 1948 American comedy western film starring Eddie Albert and Gale Storm. It was directed by Kurt Neumann and released by Monogram Pictures. The film was originally known as ''Tombstone''.
Plot
Gunsmith and marksman ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Bad Men of Tombstone
''Bad Men of Tombstone'' is a 1949 American Western film from King Brothers Productions. It was co-written by Philip Yordan and stars Barry Sullivan and Broderick Crawford. King Brothers announced plans for a sequel, ''The Marshall of Tombsto ...
'' (1949)
* ''
Bad Boy'' (1949)
* ''
Two Knights from Brooklyn
''Two Knights from Brooklyn'' is a 1949 film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring William Bendix, Joe Sawyer, and Grace Bradley. It chronicles the adventures of two average "Joes" that form a taxi company in Brooklyn, foil the notorious gangster, ...
'' (1949)
* ''
Rocketship X-M
''Rocketship X-M'' (a.k.a. ''Expedition Moon'' and originally ''Rocketship Expedition Moon'') is a 1950 American black-and-white science fiction film from Robert L. Lippert, Lippert Pictures, the first outer space adventure of the post-World War ...
'' (1950)
* ''
Cattle Drive
A cattle drive is the process of moving a herd of cattle from one place to another, usually moved and herded by cowboys on horses.
Europe
In medieval central Europe, annual cattle drives brought Hungarian Grey cattle across the Danube River ...
'' (1951)
* ''
The Ring'' (1952)
* ''
Son of Ali Baba
''Son of Ali Baba'' is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie. According to the film's trailer, it was made in response to thousands of letters in response to '' The Prince Who Was a ...
'' (1952)
* ''
Hiawatha
Hiawatha ( , also : ), also known as Ayenwathaaa or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some account ...
'' (1952)
* ''
Tarzan and the She-Devil
''Tarzan and the She-Devil'' is a 1953 American film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Joyce MacKenzie as Jane. It also features Raymond Burr, Tom Conway and Monique van Vooren, who plays the "She-Devil."
Tarzan is h ...
'' (1953)
* ''
Regina Amstetten'' (West Germany, 1954)
* ''
Three from Variety'' (West Germany, 1954)
* ''
Carnival Story
''Carnival Story'' is a 1954 drama film directed by Kurt Neumann, produced by Frank King and Maurice King, starring Anne Baxter and Steve Cochran, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It was made as a co-production between West Germany and th ...
'' (1954)
* ''
Circus of Love
''Circus of Love'' (german: link=no, Rummelplatz der Liebe) is a 1954 drama film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Eva Bartok, Curd Jürgens and Bernhard Wicki.Hayes p.152 It was made as a co-production between West Germany and the United St ...
'' (West Germany, 1954)
* ''
They Were So Young
''They Were So Young'' (german: link=no, Mannequins für Rio) is a 1954 German-American drama film directed by Kurt Neumann (director), Kurt Neumann and written by Felix Lützkendorf, Kurt Neumann and the Hollywood blacklist, blacklisted screenwr ...
'' (USA/West Germany, 1954)
* ''
The Star of Rio'' (West Germany, 1955)
* ''
Mohawk Mohawk may refer to:
Related to Native Americans
*Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York)
*Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people
*Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
'' (1956)
* ''
Kronos'' (1957)
* ''
She Devil'' (1957)
* ''
The Fly'' (1958)
* ''
Machete
Older machete from Latin America
Gerber machete/saw combo
Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca">San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San ...
'' (1958)
* ''
Watusi'' (1959)
* ''
Counterplot'' (1959)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neumann, Kurt
1908 births
1958 deaths
American film directors
Science fiction film directors
Film people from Nuremberg
German emigrants to the United States