Kurt Neumann

 Kurt Neumann (April 5, 1908 - August 21, 1958)

Neumann came to the U.S. 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 film making, 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, Island of Lost Men and Ellery Queen: Master Detective in 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). Two Knights from Brooklyn (1949) is actually compiled from two of those streamliners, "The McGuerins from Brooklyn" and "Taxi, Mister". Neumann became known as a specialist in science fiction movies owing to his producing and directing such productions as Rocketship X-M (1950) and The Fly (1958) about a scientist's transportation experiment that transforms him into a fly creature. He died from Natural Causes on August 21, 1958, at age 60, and is interred at Home of Peace Cemetery in East Los Angeles.