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by Henry Nicolella (Author)
"Despite a career trajectory that made Edgar G. Ulmer look like David Lean, Edward L. Cahn persisted, almost maniacally, in creating an extensive body of strange, dark and intensely personal work."
Dave Kehr
Long before he became "Fast Eddie", maestro of the 5 day shooting schedule, Edward L. Cahn was Universal's top editor during the Silent Era. Graduating to director in 1930 he helmed a couple of films that are considered classics today. Unfortunately, his version of the chain gang drama "Laughter in Hell" was a disaster and so brutal that audiences sometimes walked out of it. That finished Cahn at Universal. Hoping to produce as well as direct, he went to England in 1934 but that proved to be such a debacle he was even homeless for a while (along with his pal John Huston). Back in America he signed on at MGM which proceeded to waste him over the next ten years doing mostly shorts, After that, Cahn worked for one low budget studio after another, turning out movies of every genre though today that period is remembered mostly for his horror and sci fi films.
The book covers all of his feature films from best to worst. The chapter on his unfortunate sojourn in England-which likely derailed his career-is chronicled by the many letters Cahn wrote to his wife, and which are often filled with black humor though not without an unkillable stream of optimism no matter how unpromising the circumstances. Cahn's son David and granddaughters have provided a number of behind-the-scenes stills showing Cahn at work.
Henry Nicolella spent most of his life working with the homeless but in between listening to crazy stories, breaking up fights and passing out sandwiches he found the time to watch many, many old movies. He later began writing about them and books he has worked on include American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, Down from the Attic, Many Selves, Universal Forties Monsters and Frank Wisbar, the Director of Ferryman Maria. He lives in Syracuse, New York.
