Biography
Kurt Neumann (5 April 1908, Nuremberg, Germany - 21 August 1958, Los Angeles) was a german Hollywood film director who specialized in science fiction movies in his later career. Neumann came to the US in the early talkie era, hired to direct German language 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 (1932), Secret of the Blue Room (1933) with Paul Lukas and Gloria Stuart, Hold 'Em Navy (1936), It Happened in New Orleans (1936) with child star Bobby Breen, Wide Open Faces (1937) with Joe E. Brown, and Ellery Queen: Master Detective (1939). Neumann was signed by producer Hal Roach 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). In 1945, he joined the company of producer Sol Lesser, who engaged Neumann as coproducer and principal director of the Tarzan series produced by Lesser 1945-1954. The Tarzan films were produced for RKO and starred Johnny Weissmuller and later Gordon Scott. Neumann became known as a specialist in science fiction movies due to his producing and directing such productions as Rocketship X-M (1950) and The Fly (1958). 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, Carnival Story (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, shortly after a preview screening of The Fly but before the official premiere. Thus, Neumann never knew what a boxoffice hit The Fly was. He was entombed at Utter McKinley Cemetery in Los Angeles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Kurt Neumann (director), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Directed 67
1970s
- 1974
99 and 44/100% Dead
Assistant Director
- 1970
The Brotherhood of the Bell
Assistant Director
1960s
- 1967
The President's Analyst
Assistant Director
Enter Laughing
Assistant Director
1950s
- 1959
Counterplot
Director
Watusi
Director
- 1958
Machete
Director
- 1957
The Deerslayer
Director
She Devil
Director
Kronos
Director
- 1956
The Desperados Are in Town
Director
- 1955
Adventure in Rio
Director
- 1954
Three from Variety
Director
They Were So Young
Director
Circus of Love
Director
Carnival Story
Director
Regina Amstetten
Director
- 1953
- 1952
Hiawatha
Director
The Ring
Director
Son of Ali Baba
Director
- 1951
Reunion in Reno
Director
Cattle Drive
Director
- 1950
Rocketship X-M
Director
1940s
- 1949
Bad Boy
Director
Bad Men of Tombstone
Director
- 1948
The Dude Goes West
Director
- 1947
- 1946
- 1945
- 1943
The Unknown Guest
Director
Yanks Ahoy
Director
Taxi, Mister
Director
- 1942
The McGuerins from Brooklyn
Director
Fall In
Director
About Face
Director
Brooklyn Orchid
Director
- 1940
A Night at Earl Carroll's
Director
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
Director
1930s
- 1939
All Women Have Secrets
Director
Island of Lost Men
Director
Unmarried
Director
Ambush
Director
- 1938
Touchdown, Army
Director
Wide Open Faces
Director
- 1937
Hold 'Em Navy
Director
Espionage
Director
- 1936
Rainbow on the River
Director
Let's Sing Again
Director
- 1935
The Affair of Susan
Director
Alias Mary Dow
Director
- 1934
Wake Up and Dream
Director
Half a Sinner
Director
Let's Talk It Over
Director
- 1933
King for a Night
Director
Secret of the Blue Room
Director
The Big Cage
Director
- 1932
Fast Companions
Director
My Pal, the King
Director
The Red Shadow
Director
- 1931
House of Mystery
Director
Sealed Lips
Director
Trapped
Director
Produced 14
1970s
- 1975
Fear on Trial
Production Manager
- 1974
The Stranger Who Looks Like Me
Production Manager
1950s
- 1958
Machete
Producer
- 1957
The Deerslayer
Producer
She Devil
Producer
Kronos
Producer
- 1956
The Desperados Are in Town
Producer
- 1954
They Were So Young
Producer
- 1950
Rocketship X-M
Producer
Wrote 12
1950s
- 1958
Machete
Screenplay
- 1957
The Deerslayer
Screenplay
Apache Warrior
Story, Screenplay
She Devil
Screenplay
- 1956
The Desperados Are in Town
Screenplay
- 1954
They Were So Young
Screenplay
Circus of Love
Writer
Carnival Story
Screenplay
- 1950
Rocketship X-M
Writer
1940s
- 1946
Susie Steps Out
Story
- 1943
The Return of the Vampire
Story
1930s
- 1931
Trapped
Writer
Acted in 2
1940s
- 1943
Action in the North Atlantic
German (uncredited)
Above Suspicion
Gestapo Man (Uncredited)
Other crew 1
1930s
- 1936
Dracula's Daughter
treatment