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IMDbPro

Joe May(1880-1954)

  • Director
  • Producer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
A businessman and operetta director, Joe May, one of the founders of the German cinema, started directing films in 1911 and started his own production company a few years later. He gave famous German director Fritz Lang his start in films, employing him as a screenwriter in his early films. After the Nazi takeover, May fled to the United States where he directed several excellent action films for Universal, but never could quite break into the ranks of the "A" picture directors. May never bothered to completely learn the English language and was never popular with his casts and crews due to his dictatorial nature. He ended his career by directing his last film for Monogram in 1944 at the age of 64. He later briefly owned a restaurant in Hollywood that failed because, in keeping with his Teutonic roots, told customers what they should order.
BornNovember 7, 1880
DiedApril 29, 1954(73)
BornNovember 7, 1880
DiedApril 29, 1954(73)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • Awards
    • 1 win & 1 nomination

Photos

Basil Rathbone, Kay Francis, and Joe May in Confession (1937)
Kay Francis and Joe May in Confession (1937)
"Music in the Air" Gloria Swanson 1934 Fox **I.V.

Known for:

Asphalt (1929)
Asphalt
7.4
  • Director
  • 1929
Nan Grey and Cedric Hardwicke in The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
The Invisible Man Returns
6.5
  • Director
  • 1940
Mia May in Die Herrin der Welt 8. Teil - Die Rache der Maud Fergusson (1920)
Die Herrin der Welt 8. Teil - Die Rache der Maud Fergusson
6.2
  • Director
  • 1920
Harry Liedtke and Joe May in Die Hochzeit im Excentricclub (1917)
Die Hochzeit im Excentricclub
  • Director
  • 1917

Credits

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IMDbPro

Director

  • James Ellison, Simone Simon, and William Terry in Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1944)
    Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore
    • Director
    • 1944
  • Evelyn Ankers, Gabriel Dell, Gladys George, Huntz Hall, Billy Halop, Charles Lang, Barton MacLane, Bernard Punsly, and Bobs Watson in Hit the Road (1941)
    Hit the Road
    • Director
    • 1941
  • Gabriel Dell, Nan Grey, Huntz Hall, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Bernard Punsly, and The Dead End Kids in You're Not So Tough (1940)
    You're Not So Tough
    • Director
    • 1940
  • Vincent Price, George Sanders, Nan Grey, and Margaret Lindsay in The House of the Seven Gables (1940)
    The House of the Seven Gables
    • Director
    • 1940
  • Nan Grey and Cedric Hardwicke in The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
    The Invisible Man Returns
    • Director
    • 1940
  • Alan Dinehart, William Gargan, and Irene Hervey in The House of Fear (1939)
    The House of Fear
    • Director
    • 1939
  • Preston Foster, Irene Hervey, and Walter Woolf King in Society Smugglers (1939)
    Society Smugglers
    • Director
    • 1939
  • Kay Francis in Confession (1937)
    Confession
    • Director
    • 1937
  • John Boles and Gloria Swanson in Music in the Air (1934)
    Music in the Air
    • Director
    • 1934
  • Dactylo se marie (1934)
    Dactylo se marie
    • Director
    • 1934
  • Carl Brisson in Two Hearts in Waltz Time (1934)
    Two Hearts in Waltz Time
    • Director
    • 1934
  • Tout pour l'amour (1933)
    Tout pour l'amour
    • Director
    • 1933
  • Ein Lied für dich (1933)
    Ein Lied für dich
    • Director
    • 1933
  • Voyage de noces (1933)
    Voyage de noces
    • Director
    • 1933
  • Brigitte Helm in Hochzeitsreise zu dritt (1932)
    Hochzeitsreise zu dritt
    • Director (supervisor)
    • 1932

Producer

  • Zwei in einem Auto (1932)
    Zwei in einem Auto
    • producer
    • 1932
  • Son altesse l'amour (1931)
    Son altesse l'amour
    • co-producer
    • 1931
  • ...und das ist die Hauptsache!? (1931)
    ...und das ist die Hauptsache!?
    • producer
    • 1931
  • Francis Lederer and Käthe von Nagy in Her Majesty Love (1931)
    Her Majesty Love
    • producer
    • 1931
  • Conrad Veidt in Die letzte Kompagnie (1930)
    Die letzte Kompagnie
    • producer
    • 1930
  • Der unsterbliche Lump (1930)
    Der unsterbliche Lump
    • executive producer
    • 1930
  • Jean Dax and Käthe von Nagy in The Runaway Girl (1928)
    The Runaway Girl
    • supervising producer
    • 1928
  • Dagfin (1926)
    Dagfin
    • producer
    • 1926
  • Mary Johnson and Hans Mierendorff in Staatsanwalt Jordan (1926)
    Staatsanwalt Jordan
    • producer
    • 1926
  • Grete Mosheim, Max Reichmann, Henry Stuart, Barbara von Annenkoff, Otto Wallburg, and Franz Lingner in Derby. Ein Ausschnitt aus der Welt des Trabersports (1926)
    Derby. Ein Ausschnitt aus der Welt des Trabersports
    • producer
    • 1926
  • Der Farmer aus Texas
    • producer
    • 1925
  • Liebesbriefe der Baronin von S...
    • producer
    • 1924
  • Lucie Höflich, Eva May, and J. Fenneker in Der geheime Agent (1924)
    Der geheime Agent
    • executive producer
    • 1924
  • The Countess of Paris
    • producer
    • 1923
  • The Tragedy of Love (1923)
    The Tragedy of Love
    • producer
    • 1923

Writer

  • Yvonne De Carlo and Philip Friend in Buccaneer's Girl (1950)
    Buccaneer's Girl
    • story
    • 1950
  • Highway of Cats (1944)
    Highway of Cats
    • story (as José May)
    • 1944
  • Uncertain Glory (1944)
    Uncertain Glory
    • original story
    • 1944
  • Ludwig Donath and Gale Sondergaard in The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler (1943)
    The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler
    • story
    • 1943
  • John Barrymore, Virginia Bruce, Oscar Homolka, John Howard, and Charles Ruggles in The Invisible Woman (1940)
    The Invisible Woman
    • original story
    • 1940
  • Nan Grey and Cedric Hardwicke in The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
    The Invisible Man Returns
    • story
    • 1940
  • No Monkey Business
    • from a story by
    • 1935
  • John Boles and Gloria Swanson in Music in the Air (1934)
    Music in the Air
    • contributor to treatment and dialogue (uncredited)
    • 1934
  • Dactylo se marie (1934)
    Dactylo se marie
    • story
    • 1934
  • Maman Colibri (1929)
    Maman Colibri
    • writer (uncredited)
    • 1929
  • Asphalt (1929)
    Asphalt
    • screenplay (as Fred Majo)
    • 1929
  • Willy Fritsch and Dita Parlo in Ungarische Rhapsodie (1928)
    Ungarische Rhapsodie
    • Writer (as Fred Majo)
    • 1928
  • Homecoming (1928)
    Homecoming
    • scenario (as Fred Majo)
    • 1928
  • Dagfin (1926)
    Dagfin
    • Writer
    • 1926
  • Der Farmer aus Texas
    • Writer
    • 1925

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Fred Majo
  • Height
    • 5′ 6½″ (1.69 m)
  • Born
    • November 7, 1880
    • Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]
  • Died
    • April 29, 1954
    • Hollywood, California, USA(after long illness)
  • Spouse
    • Mia May1902 - April 29, 1954 (his death, 1 child)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 1 Article

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His teenage daughter Eva May (born 1902 in Vienna) tried to build her own career as an actress but committed suicide in 1924 after the end of her third marriage.

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