Elwood Ullman was an American film comedy writer most famous for his credits on The Three Stooges shorts and many other low-budget comedies.

Career

A native of Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

, Ullman chose a writing career, supplying humorous articles for magazines in the 1930s. He submitted script ideas to Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...

, and the studio assigned him to the short-subject department. Producer Jules White

Jules White

Jules White born Julius Weiss was a film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring the Three Stooges.-Early years:...

 teamed Ullman with Al Giebler, a former sight-gag writer for Mack Sennett

Mack Sennett

Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...

 in the silent-film days. Ullman was soon completing scripts by himself, and wrote for most of Columbia's short subject stars, including The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton

Buster Keaton

Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...

, Charley Chase

Charley Chase

Charley Chase was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his work in Hal Roach short film comedies...

, Harry Langdon

Harry Langdon

Harry Philmore Langdon was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films , and talkies. He was briefly partnered with Oliver Hardy.-Life and career:...

, and Hugh Herbert

Hugh Herbert

Hugh Herbert was a motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville, and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches.-Career:...

.

Ullman worked closely with Columbia producer Hugh McCollum

Hugh McCollum

Hugh McCollum was an American film producer best known for his credits on Three Stooges short subject comedies.-Career:...

 and writer-director Edward Bernds

Edward Bernds

Edward Bernds was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois.-Career:While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur licenses...

 until McCollum and Bernds left the studio in 1952. Bernds then became a writer-director for The Bowery Boys

The Bowery Boys

The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....

, and hired Ullman to write for the popular feature-length comedies.

Ullman and Bernds were nominated for an Oscar in 1955 for the film High Society

High Society (1955 film)

High Society is a 1955 comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. The film was released on April 17, 1955 by Allied Artists and is the thirty-seventh film in the series...

. Unfortunately the Academy had confused the high-budget Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....

-Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly

Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...

 feature with Ullman's work on a Bowery Boys

The Bowery Boys

The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....

 movie of the same name. Ullman and Bernds declined the nomination but were permitted to keep the certificates of recognition.

Ullman continued to work with Bernds into the 1960s, contributiung to several Three Stooges feature films including The Three Stooges Meet Hercules

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules was the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita . Released by Columbia Pictures, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules was directed by long-time...

and The Three Stooges in Orbit

The Three Stooges in Orbit

The Three Stooges In Orbit was the fourth feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita . Released by Columbia Pictures, The Three Stooges In Orbit was directed by long-time Stooge...

.

Death

Ullman died of natural causes

Death by natural causes

A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...

 in Hollywood, California on October 11, 1985.

External links