Edgar G. Ulmer

Austrian-American film director. Born in 1904, Ulmer was a director of low-budget films who worked across genres but is best remembered for the film noir Detour (1945), made in under a week for a poverty-row studio. He began his career as a set designer and art director in Germany before moving to Hollywood. His films were made cheaply but carry a distinctive pessimistic vision. He died in 1972.