Paul May
Paul May (8 May 1909 – 25 February 1976) was a German film director and editor. He directed 40 films between 1935 and 1972.
Also recorded as Paul Ostermayr
Paul May
- Name
- Paul May
- Born
- 8 May 1909
- Birthplace
- Munich, German Empire
- Died
- 25 February 1976
- Place of death
- Taufkirchen, West Germany
- Occupation
- Film director, film editor
- Nationality
- Germany
- Languages
- German
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Paul May (8 May 1909 – 25 February 1976) was a German film director and editor. He directed 40 films between 1935 and 1972.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q76381 · wikipedia · Paul May
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Paul May • Born — 8 May 1909 • Birthplace — Munich, German Empire • Died — 25 February 1976 • Place of death — Taufkirchen, West Germany • Occupation — Film director, film editor • Years Active — 1935-1972
Biography
Biography
He was the son of Peter Ostermayr, a film producer with Universum Film AG, and his wife Olga, née Wernhard. After secondary school in Feldkirch, he entered to film industry and trained in film laboratory work. He became a film editor in 1930 and assistant director in 1935. His first film as director was Edelweißkönig, in 1938. After the Second World War, he adopted the pseudonym Paul May. His greatest successes were 08/15 (1954), The Forests Sing Forever (1959), Via Mala (1961) from the book by John Knittel, and Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse (1963) with Peter van Eyck. He also directed for television. He directed more than forty films between 1935 and 1972.
Editor
Editor
• Cadets (1931) • Panic in Chicago (1931) • Shooting Festival in Schilda (1931) • The Spanish Fly (1931) • The Champion Shot (1932) • The Tsar's Diamond (1932) • Secret of the Blue Room (1932) • The Peak Scaler (1933) • When the Village Music Plays on Sunday Nights (1933) • William Tell (1934) • Holiday From Myself (1934) • The Four Musketeers (1934) • Peter, Paul and Nanette (1935) • Miracle of Flight (1935) • Home Guardsman Bruggler (1936) • The Hunter of Fall (1936) • His Best Friend (1937) • Triad (1938) • Frau Sixta (1938) • Storms in May (1938)
Television
Television
• 1964: Die Truhe — (based on a play by James Liggat and Alan Reeve-Jones) • 1965: Die Schlüssel (miniseries) (TV miniseries) — (remake of Francis Durbridge's The Desperate People, 1963) • 1965: Glück in Frankreich — (based on a story by Ernst von Salomon) • 1965: Acht Stunden Zeit — (based on a play by Charles Maître) • 1966: Melissa (German miniseries) (TV miniseries) — (remake of Francis Durbridge's Melissa, 1964) • 1967: In Sachen Erzberger gegen Helfferich — (screenplay by Axel Eggebrecht) • 1967–1968: Sherlock Holmes (TV series) — (remake of Sherlock Holmes, 1965) • 1968: Eine Gefangene bei Stalin und Hitler — (based on Under Two Dictators by Margarete Buber-Neumann) • 1969–1972: Königlich Bayerisches Amtsgericht (TV series, 7 episodes) • 1969: Nennen Sie mich Alex — (film about Oleg Penkovsky) • 1970: Theatergarderobe (TV series) • 1971: Die Schrott-Story • 1971–1972: Fünf Tage hat die Woche (TV series) • 1972: Nicht Lob – noch Furcht. Graf Galen, Bischof von Münster — (screenplay by Luise Rinser) • 1972–1975: Im Auftrag von Madame (TV series, 32 episodes)
Identity
Identity
Paul May is recorded with the occupation film producer. Recorded with the occupation screenwriter. Recorded with the occupation director. Recorded with the occupation writer. Recorded as film editor, screenwriter, film producer, director and writer.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1909
Paul May was born on 8 May 1909.
1976
Paul May died on 25 February 1976.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Munich.
Birth place
Taufkirchen.
Death place
Screenwriter
• Night of the Twelve (1949)
Film
• 1939: Der Edelweißkönig • 1939: Waldrausch • 1940: Beates Flitterwoche / Sonderbare Flitterwochen • 1940: Left of the Isar, Right of the Spree • 1942: Violanta (also co-script) • 1943: Die unheimliche Wandlung des Alex Roscher • 1949: Duel with Death (also script); Prod. G. W. Pabst • 1950: King for One Night (also producer) • 1952: Two People • 1953: Young Heart Full of Love • 1954: 08/15 • 1954: The Phantom of the Big Tent • 1955: Doctor Solm • 1955: 08/15 – Part 2 • 1955: 08/15 at Home • 1956: Weil du arm bist, mußt du früher sterben • 1957: Weißer Holunder • 1957: Flucht in die Tropennacht • 1957: The Fox of Paris • 1958: Die Landärztin (film) • 1959: The Forests Sing Forever • 1959: Heimat, deine Lieder • 1960: Der Schleier fiel • 1960: Headquarters State Secret • 1961: Via Mala • 1961: Freddy and the Millionaire • 1962: Waldrausch • 1963: Barras heute • 1963: Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse • 1967: Midsummer Night (film)
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q76381: Paul May
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Paul May”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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