Strange Illusions - by David Luhrssen & Paul McComas (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Edgar G. Ulmer was a prolific filmmaker whose career from the 1920s through the 1960s spanned genres from horror to science fiction and film noir. Working both within and outside the Hollywood studio system, Ulmer developed a reputation for making stylistically distinctive films under considerable budgetary constraints, an achievement that has long made his work influential among independent filmmakers. Ulmer is most often associated with the classic horror film The Black Cat (1933), which paired Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and with the noir Detour (1945). He made films specifically for Black and Jewish audiences in addition to historical fiction, adventure films, psychological mysteries, romances, educational productions, and science fiction such as Man from Planet X (1949) and Beyond the Time Barrier (1959).

This book examines Ulmer's filmography, his personal life, and the cultural climate in which he worked. It offers detailed analyses of key productions and includes interviews with, and a foreword by, his daughter, actress Arianne Ulmer Cipes. Intended for both general and academic audiences, the study examines Ulmer's works within the broader contexts of film history, genre cinema, and the socio-cultural and industrial conditions that shaped mid-twentieth-century filmmaking.

Review Quotes

"Luhrssen and McComas have written a fantastic book about infamous director Edgar G. Ulmer. But it's much more than a biography or an extended study of Ulmer's many movies. Instead of just a filmography, this book relates the content of Ulmer's films to a wider, decades spanning, international context. So, we get the German diaspora, Expressionism, the Cold War, UFO scares, and more. The book is full of critical observations, often about the pressure of being independent in the time of corporate consolidation. Readers will obtain a richer understanding of film noir and other elements of movie-land. And best of all, the book is very well-written, full of wit and more. In other words, get this book."--Kevin Mattson, author of We're Not Here to Entertain and What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President?

"The co-authors have studied my father's work with keen interest, attention, creativity and obvious sincerity. Then, in the writing, they've been true to themselves--just as my father always tried to be. And their work, like his, has turned out to be quite enjoyable. In the process, they've also managed to cover brand-new ground."--Arianne Ulmer Cipes, actor (as "Arianne Arden"), producer, founder of the Edgar G. Ulmer Preservation Corp.; from her foreword

"The interesting and thorough Strange Illusions makes clear how--in films such as Beyond the Time Barrier and The Amazing Transparent Man--Edgar G. Ulmer gives voice to women who are not 'picture perfect, ' as are so many heroines in 1950s science-fiction films, but who nonetheless deserve to be heard. I can remember watching Beyond more than once--each time wishing the accomplished Soviet Captain Markova would be able to fulfill her own desire to simply return home. Likewise, in The Amazing Transparent Man I appreciated accomplice Laura Matson's daring to finally end her allegiance to the man who had imprisoned the daughter of the invisibility machine's inventor (to force his compliance). Ulmer's women may not win out in the end, but they see clearly."--Bonnie Noonan, PhD, author of Women Scientists in 1950s Science Fiction Films and Gender in Science-Fiction Films, 1964-1979

"When Edgar G. Ulmer passed away in 1972, he was all but certain his life and career would soon drift into oblivion, forever lost in the churn of film history. More than half a century later, thanks to the tireless efforts of David Luhrssen and Paul McComas, Ulmer's legacy continues to grow, reaching new audiences and sparking a robust new wave of interest."--Noah Isenberg, author of Edgar G. Ulmer: A Filmmaker at the Margins

"This new book about Ulmer's life and films, written with the cooperation of his daughter, Arianne Ulmer Cipes, is a detailed look at his very interesting filmography and an insightful, compassionate examination of his personal life. Luhrssen and coauthor McComas clearly have a great deal of affection for the now largely forgotten Ulmer, and they would very much like us to get to know the man and appreciate his contributions to the history of film.... Part biography, part film history, and part 'making-of, ' Strange Illusions is the best kind of book about moviemaking: enthusiastic, surprising, and endlessly fascinating."--Booklist

"Luhrssen and McComas explain how Ulmer's background in 1920s Vienna and Berlin imbued his low-budget movies with visuals informed by German Expressionism and characters influenced by Freudian psychology. The book focuses on the films, pairing lengthy plot summaries with cultural context and production information. This approach shines when examining his early Yiddish-language films. The amount of space dedicated to The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll is especially indulgent, with each co-author providing their own write-up. ...generous quotes from Noah Isenberg's Edgar G. Ulmer: A Filmmaker at the Margins and an interview with his daughter are well appreciated.... Dual authors provide a discordant approach to Ulmer's filmography, yet students of film will appreciate this less glamorous take on the Golden Age of Hollywood."--Library Journal

About the Author

David Luhrssen cofounded the Milwaukee International Film Festival and is the film critic for ShepherdExpress.com. He has authored numerous books on film, music and cultural history and has lectured at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Paul McComas, a short-form filmmaker since age 11, and an American Film Institute award winner, is co-directing his first feature: an adaptation of his prize-winning 2002 novel Unplugged, starring Christina Ricci, Ed Asner and Louis Gossett, Jr. This is his eighth book and his first nonfiction.