Karl May
Writer · Died March 30, 1912, aged 70 · Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany
Karl Friedrich May was a German writer best known for his adventure novels set in the American Old West. His main protagonists are Winnetou and Old Shatterhand. May set similar books in the Orient and Middle East (in which the main protagonists were Kara Ben Nemsi and Hadschi Halef Omar), Latin America and Germany. May also wrote poetry, a play, and composed music; he was a proficient player of several musical instruments. Many of his works were adapted for film, stage, audio dramas and comics. Later in his career, May turned to philosophical and spiritual genres. He is one of the best-selling German writers of all time, with about 200 million copies worldwide. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 25, 1842
- March 30, 1912 (aged 70)
- Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany
- Writer
- 19 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
What are Karl May's films like?
Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 19
Light 13 · Serious 6 · Dark 0
Grounded 4 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 1
Gentle 2 · Charged 17 · Intense 0
Steady 10 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 0
Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 2
Casual 13 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 15 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 0
Resolved 19 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy14
- Bittersweet5
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 Karl May's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Karl 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
30 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page.
The Young Chief Winnetou(2022)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Winnetou - The Last Fight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Ja uff erstmal! Winnetou unter Comedy-Geiern (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Das Buschgespenst (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
The Valley of Death(1968)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Flaming Frontier(1965)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
The Desperado Trail(1965)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Wild Kurdistan(1965)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Legacy of the Incas(1965)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
The Oil Prince(1965)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Pyramid of the Sun God(1965)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Treasure of the Aztecs(1965)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Amongst Vultures(1964)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Last of the Renegades(1964)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Yellow Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Old Shatterhand(1964)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Apache Gold(1963)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Treasure of Silver Lake(1962)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all filmsIn den Schluchten des Balkan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Der Löwe von Babylon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Die Sklavenkarawane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Across the Desert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Die Teufelsanbeter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
Caravan of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
Auf den Trümmern des Paradieses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
Career shape
A full career of 30 titles from 1920 to 2022.
Biggest box office
The Young Chief Winnetou (2022)
Highest rated
Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)
Most popular right now
Last of the Renegades (1964)
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 Karl May's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 35th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th9
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
10 of their 19 titles are Broadly Agreed.
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Broadly Agreed10
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the dialogue 35/100 and the plot and story 41/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
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 Karl May work with?
People who share at least 2 of Karl May's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Lex Barker shares the most, 11.
Directors
- Harald ReinlShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), The Desperado Trail (1965), Last of the Renegades (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 5 shared titles with Harald Reinl
- Alfred VohrerShared titles: Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966), Flaming Frontier (1965), The Oil Prince (1965), Amongst Vultures (1964)See all 4 shared titles with Alfred Vohrer
- Philipp StölzlShared titles: Winnetou - Das Geheimnis vom Silbersee (2016), Winnetou & Old Shatterhand (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Philipp Stölzl
- Harald PhilippShared titles: Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), The Oil Prince (1965)See all 2 shared titles with Harald Philipp
Writers
- Harald G. PeterssonShared titles: Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966), The Desperado Trail (1965), Last of the Renegades (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 5 shared titles with Harald G. Petersson
- Fred DengerShared titles: Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Flaming Frontier (1965), The Oil Prince (1965)See all 3 shared titles with Fred Denger
- Georg MarischkaShared titles: Legacy of the Incas (1965), Pyramid of the Sun God (1965), Treasure of the Aztecs (1965)See all 3 shared titles with Georg Marischka
- Ladislas FodorShared titles: Pyramid of the Sun God (1965), Treasure of the Aztecs (1965), Old Shatterhand (1964)See all 3 shared titles with Ladislas Fodor
Actors
- Lex BarkerShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Kingdom of the Silver Lion (1965), Pyramid of the Sun God (1965), The Desperado Trail (1965), Treasure of the Aztecs (1965), Wild Kurdistan (1965), Last of the Renegades (1964), Old Shatterhand (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 11 shared titles with Lex Barker
- Pierre BriceShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966), Flaming Frontier (1965), The Desperado Trail (1965), The Oil Prince (1965), Amongst Vultures (1964), Last of the Renegades (1964), Old Shatterhand (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 11 shared titles with Pierre Brice
- Ralf WolterShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Kingdom of the Silver Lion (1965), Pyramid of the Sun God (1965), The Desperado Trail (1965), Treasure of the Aztecs (1965), Wild Kurdistan (1965), Old Shatterhand (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 10 shared titles with Ralf Wolter
- Rik BattagliaShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966), Legacy of the Incas (1965), Pyramid of the Sun God (1965), The Desperado Trail (1965), Treasure of the Aztecs (1965), Old Shatterhand (1964)See all 7 shared titles with Rik Battaglia
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Martin BöttcherShared titles: Winnetou - Das Geheimnis vom Silbersee (2016), The Valley of Death (1968), Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Flaming Frontier (1965), The Desperado Trail (1965), The Oil Prince (1965), Amongst Vultures (1964), Last of the Renegades (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 10 shared titles with Martin Böttcher
- Hermann HallerShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), Flaming Frontier (1965), The Oil Prince (1965), Amongst Vultures (1964), Last of the Renegades (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 7 shared titles with Hermann Haller
- Ernst W. KalinkeShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), The Desperado Trail (1965), Last of the Renegades (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 5 shared titles with Ernst W. Kalinke
- Siegfried HoldShared titles: Legacy of the Incas (1965), Pyramid of the Sun God (1965), Treasure of the Aztecs (1965), Old Shatterhand (1964)See all 4 shared titles with Siegfried Hold
Producers
- Horst WendlandtShared titles: Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966), Flaming Frontier (1965), The Desperado Trail (1965), The Oil Prince (1965), Amongst Vultures (1964), Last of the Renegades (1964), Apache Gold (1963), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 9 shared titles with Horst Wendlandt
- Erwin GittShared titles: Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966), The Desperado Trail (1965), The Oil Prince (1965), Amongst Vultures (1964), Last of the Renegades (1964), Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)See all 7 shared titles with Erwin Gitt
- Artur BraunerShared titles: The Valley of Death (1968), Kingdom of the Silver Lion (1965), Pyramid of the Sun God (1965), Treasure of the Aztecs (1965), Wild Kurdistan (1965), Old Shatterhand (1964)See all 6 shared titles with Artur Brauner
- Stipe GurdulicShared titles: Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966), Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966), The Desperado Trail (1965), The Oil Prince (1965), Amongst Vultures (1964), Last of the Renegades (1964)See all 6 shared titles with Stipe Gurdulic