Talk:Edgar G. Ulmer
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A few problems with the Wikipedia Ulmer bio that I wanted to point out. 1. There are two different birth dates given for him. In doing research on Ulmer a while ago, I found that different sources give different info on this. Since Ulmer isn't totally reliable himself, I'm not sure if this can be resolved. 2. The Wikipedia bio states that Ulmer came to the US in the 30s. According to the Bogdanovich interview, he was actually in Hollywood in the 20s making two-reel westerns. And it's known that he was in Hollywood with Murnau during the making of Sunrise (1927). He did go back to Europe, but returned to the US by 1931. 3. The Wikipedia bio seems to say that The Black Cat was Ulmer's directing debut. According to the IMDB, Ulmer directed Mr. Broadway and Damaged Lives before this. I'd like to spend some time on Ulmer's Wikipedia bio myself, but I don't know when I'll get to it. Any other Ulmer fans out there?
- There is a documentary by Austrian director Michael Palm "The Man Off-screen" from 2004 which brings up similar issues. For example, Ulmer always stated Vienna as his place of birth, because it sounded more glorious than the Czech province. He also used name dropping and stretched the truth in order to draw attention in Hollywood. In defense he was always candid and very critical about his work, frankly admitting his flaws. Some irregularities were not to count on him, actors from "Detour" recalled 6 to 7 days of filming, but the studio's record lists 14 days. Obviously they used Ulmer's picture to bury some costs of another production. Rather cynical considering the fact that he had to shoot on a 2 : 1 ratio, meaning only 2 takes for one scene, additional material was charged to Ulmer. Even this handicap only tickled his ingenuity, he did all the head shots on the last day in front of a blank wall, telling the actors where to look at and what expression to show. This method required Ulmer already having done the edit in his mind. It leaves you wondering why somebody with his capabilities has not received more appreciation in terms of assignments, instead he was tricked on various occasions. He did tremendous work on lowest budgets and often without a proper set, instead delivering true gems, unfortunately unknown to the majority of the audience.
