Kurt Neumann (director)

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Kurt Neumann (born April 5, 1908 in Nuremberg , † August 21, 1958 in Hollywood , California ) was a German-American film director .

Life

Born in Nuremberg in 1908, Kurt Neumann first studied music in various German cities in the 1920s, including Berlin , before moving from Germany to Hollywood at the beginning of the sound film era to direct German language versions of their films for the major film studios.

When he was able to speak English, Neumann was allowed to make short films from 1931 , which were shown as supporting films in the cinemas. He made his first feature-length film in 1933. In the 1930s, he made some B-movies .

In 1941, the producer Hal Roach hired him to direct 45-minute feature films as a program filler for the so-called double features . These were usually comedies. In 1945 he worked with producer Sol Lesser and directed the late films in the Tarzan series with Johnny Weissmüller in the title role and Tarzan breaks the chains with Lex Barker .

In the 1950s, he became known for his science fiction films, most of which are now classics. However, he did not experience his greatest box-office success, as he died of bleeding from the esophagus in Hollywood on August 21, 1958 , before the film Die Fliege with Vincent Price in the leading role had its premiere. His work includes 68 productions.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Heiko R. Blum : My second home Hollywood: German-speaking film artists in the USA , Henschel, 2001, p. 244, here online at books.google.
  2. ↑ Kurt Neumann in factual, Wilhelm Fink Verlag, 2003, pp 187, online here at books.google.de.
  3. ↑ Jan-Christopher Horak: Fluchtpunkt Hollywood: a documentary on film emigration after 1933 , MAkS, 1984, page 116, here online at books.google.de.
personal data
SURNAME Neumann, Kurt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-American film director
DATE OF BIRTH April 5, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Nuremberg
DATE OF DEATH August 21, 1958
Place of death Hollywood , California , United States