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Joe May

Joe May

Director and writer · Died April 29, 1954, aged 73 · Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]

Joe May, born Julius Otto Mandl, was a film director, screenwriter and producer. He was one of the pioneers of German cinema. In 1902 he married the actress Mia May, born Hermine Pfleger, and adapted her stage name as his. The same year their daughter Eva (1902-24) was born. In 1933 the family emigrated to USA.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 7, 1880
Died
April 29, 1954 (aged 73)
From
Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]
Works as
Director and writer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 86 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 28% in 30 days

What are Joe May's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
48%
Morality
28%
Self
17%
Power
4%
Society
4%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Romantic
5
Joyful
4
Tense
3
Absurd
3
Melancholic
3
Other
3

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Joe May's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joe May's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

86 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.

  • Buccaneer's Girl(1950)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • El camino de los gatos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Story

  • Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Uncertain Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Story

  • The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Story

  • Hit the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • The Invisible Woman(1940)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • You're Not So Tough (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • The House of the Seven Gables(1940)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Man Returns(1940)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The House of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • Society Smugglers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Play! Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Band Leader Joe May

  • No Monkey Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Story

  • Music in the Air(1934)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • La dactylo se marie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • Two Hearts in Waltz Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director

  • All for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • A Song for You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • Her Majesty Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director · Producer

  • Hochzeitsreise zu dritt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • Honeymoon Trip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • Two in a Car (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director · Producer · Production Manager

  • Companion Wanted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • His Highness Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • That's All That Matters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • The Last Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Producer

  • Mother Hummingbird(1929)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Asphalt(1929)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Homecoming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director · Editor · Scenario Writer · Writer

  • Hungarian Rhapsody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Writer

  • Souls Aflame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director · Writer

  • Staatsanwalt Jordan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Producer

  • Derby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director

  • Der Farmer aus Texas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director · Writer

  • Love Letters of Baroness S (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Producer

  • The Countess of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • The Tragedy of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director

  • The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Producer

  • The Indian Tomb, Part I: The Mission of the Yoghi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Producer

  • Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Screenplay

  • Die Schuld der Lavinia Morland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Writer

  • Die Frauen vom Gnadenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Screenplay

  • Tobias Buntschuh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Creative Director

  • The Wandering Image (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • Die Legende von der heiligen Simplicia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director

  • Der Amönenhof (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer · Screenplay

  • The Mistress of the World, Part VIII: The Revenge of Maud Fergusson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director · Writer

  • The Mistress of the World, Part VII: The Benefactress of Mankind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Screenplay

  • The mistress of the world, Part VI: The woman with the millionaires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • The Mistress of the World, part V: Ophir, the city of the past (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • The Mistress of the World, Part IV: King Makombe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • The Mistress of the World, Part III: The City of Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Writer

  • The Mistress of the World, Part II: The Race for Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Writer

  • The Mistress of the World, Part I: The Girlfriend of the Yellow Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Fräulein Zahnarzt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Writer

  • Die närrische Fabrik (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • Die platonische Ehe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer · Writer

  • Veritas vincit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Das Auge des Götzen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer

  • The Beggar Countess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Writer

  • Die Ratte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Ihr großes Geheimnis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Writer

  • The Rolling Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • Fünf Minuten zu spät (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Writer

  • Das Opfer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Hilde Warren and Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Producer

  • Die Kaukasierin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Writer

  • Ehre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Writer

  • Die Hochzeit im Excentricclub (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Die Silhouette des Teufels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Nebel und Sonne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Die Gespensteruhr (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · Writer

  • Der Geheimsekretär (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Writer

  • Der Spuk im Hause des Professors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director

  • Sein schwierigster Fall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Writer

  • Das Gesetz der Mine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Writer

  • Ein Ausgestoßener, 2. Teil: Der ewige Friede (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Writer

  • Das Panzergewölbe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director

  • Stuart Webbs: The Man in the Cellar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director

  • Stuart Webbs: Die geheimnisvolle Villa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director

  • Ein Ausgestoßener: 1. Teil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Heimat und Fremde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Vorgluten des Balkanbrandes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1912)

    Director · Screenplay

  • In der Tiefe des Schachtes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1912)

    Director · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 86 titles from 1912 to 1950.

Highest rated

Asphalt (1929)

Midcredits 88th

Most popular right now

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 86: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting59 of 86: 27 only directing, 32 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdWriting46 of 86: 17 only writing, 29 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thProducing17 of 86: 6 only producing, 11 with another roleEditing1 of 86: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 86: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

86 titles, 34 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 27 of them.

By decade

1910s34 · crew1920s24 · crew1930s18 · 1 acting · 17 crew1940s9 · crew1950s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Joe May's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 8; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director, writer

Music in the Air (1934)

73rd percentile spread · 13% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer

Asphalt (1929)

Midcredits 88th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 68/100 and the pacing 53/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Joe May work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joe May's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Gross shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers