Shirley Kassler Ulmer (June 12, 1914 – July 6, 2000) was an American screenwriter.

Early life

Shirley Beatrice Kassler was born in New York in 1914. After her banker father lost his saving in the Wall Street crash of 1929, the family moved to California.

Career

While living in California, Kassler "met picture people" and began working as a script supervisor in Hollywood. She married Max Alexander, nephew of Universal Studios' founder

Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle ; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a German-American film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the ...

, in 1933. While working on '' The Black Cat'' (1934) as a script supervisor, Kassler met Edgar G. Ulmer. The two began a relationship after work on the film finished, and Kassler started divorce proceedings while living with Ulmer in the Hotel Christie on

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...

. The relationship angered Kassler's uncle-in-law, Laemmie. He

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

Kassler and Ulmer, preventing either from getting jobs in Hollywood. Kassler's final work on a Hollywood film was '' Thunder Over Texas'' (1934), which she wrote, Ulmer directed, and her then-husband, Alexander, produced. After leaving Hollywood, Kassler and Ulmer married in early 1935, a few months before Kassler's 21st birthday, and moved to New York, where Shirley modeled hats and Edgar worked as a cameraman for

Pathé News Pathé News was a producer of newsreels and documentaries from 1910 to 1970 in the United Kingdom. Its founder, Charles Pathé, was a pioneer of moving pictures in the silent era. The Pathé News archive is known today as "British Pathé". I ...

. The couple went to Canada in 1936, when they were hired by producer William Steiner to film a thriller called ''From Nine To Nine.'' The two were paid poorly, making essentially no money after Shirley developed

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the Appendix (anatomy), appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and anorexia (symptom), decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these t ...

and required medical care. Their next project, ''Natalka Poltavka'', was more successful, and Shirley played a small role in the film after an actress no-showed. While living in New York, the couple were encouraged to make films for the large

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

-speaking population there. Their first film, ''Green Fields'' (1937), was a success, leading to subsequent films. Shirley Ulmer continue to worked on scripts for her husband's films, including ''The Light Ahead'' (1939), ''

American Matchmaker ''American Matchmaker'', or ''אמעריקאנער שדכן (Americaner Shadchen)'' is a 1940 Yiddish-language American comedy film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starring Leo Fuchs (known as "the Yiddish Fred Astaire"), Judith Abarbanel, Judel ...

'' (1940), ''

Girls in Chains ''Girls in Chains'' is a 1943 American women in prison film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starring Arline Judge. Plot Johnny Moon is a mob boss who controls everything from politicians to a profitable women's reformatory he secretly runs. He ...

'' (1943), ''

Jive Junction ''Jive Junction'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and written by Irving Wallace, Walter Doniger and Malvin Wald. The film stars Dickie Moore, Tina Thayer, Gerra Young, John Michaels, Jack Wagner and Jan Wiley. The film ...

'' (1943), ''

Strange Illusion ''Strange Illusion'' is a 1945 film noir. Loosely inspired by Hamlet, it was envisioned as a modern crime film. It was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starred Jimmy Lydon, Warren William and Sally Eilers. According to noir historian Spencer Sel ...

'' (1945), and ''

Detour __NOTOC__ A detour or (British English: diversion) is a (normally temporary) route taking traffic around an area of prohibited or reduced access, such as a construction site. Standard operating procedure for many roads departments is to route an ...

'' (1945). Ulmer also worked as a script supervisor under the name Shirley Castle for directors such as

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage ( né Borzaga; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Awards, Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director for his film ''7th Heaven ...

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a Scottish-American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president from ...

Douglas Sirk Douglas Sirk (born Hans Detlef Sierck; 26 April 1897 – 14 January 1987) was a German film director best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s. However, he also directed comedies, westerns, and war f ...

, and

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Aca ...

.'''' She also worked as a script supervisor for the TV series ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

CHIPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...

,'' ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

,'' and '' S.W.A.T''. Ulmer co-wrote novels under the name Shirle Castle, and a 1986 book titled ''The Role of Script Supervision in Film And Television''. Following Edgar Ulmer's death in 1972, Shirley Ulmer became director of the Edgar G Ulmer Preservation Corporation.

Filmography

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I Can't Escape ''I Can't Escape'' is a 1934 American film directed by Otto Brower. The film is also known as ''The Magic Vault'' (American alternative title). Plot Steve Nichols, attired in full evening dress, asks where he can get an alcoholic drink. The surp ...

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The Amazing Transparent Man ''The Amazing Transparent Man'' is a 1960 American science fiction thriller B-movie directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starring Marguerite Chapman (in her final feature film) and Douglas Kennedy. The plot follows an insane ex–U.S. Army major w ...

'' , - , ''

Beyond the Time Barrier ''Beyond the Time Barrier'' is a 1960 American science fiction film. It was released in September 1960 on a double bill with ''The Angry Red Planet''.Warren, Bill (1986). "Keep Watching The Skies Volume 2". McFarland & Co., Inc. . Page 730 It star ...

'' , - , 1973 , ''

Little Cigars ''Little Cigars'' is a film released in 1973 by American International Pictures and was directed by Chris Christenberry. The film was also released in the United States as ''The Little Cigars Mob''. Plot A gang of dwarves team up with a gan ...

'' , - , 1975 , '' Return to Macon County''

Personal life

Ulmer had a daughter with her second husband, Edgar Ulmer.'''' Ulmer died of natural causes in July 2000 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

References

1914 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American women writers American script supervisors American women screenwriters Screenwriters from Los Angeles Screenwriters from New York City