Memorial Page for Ulli Lommel (née Ulrich Manfred Lommel)

Ulli Lommel (born 21 December 1944 in Zielenzig; died 2 December 2017 in Stuttgart) was a German actor, director, screenwriter and producer. His path led from New German Cinema through work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Andy Warhol to his own films in the United States.

Early years and acting

Lommel was born into an artistic family; his father Ludwig Manfred Lommel was an actor and entertainer. Ulli Lommel appeared on stage as a child. In the 1960s he moved into film and worked with Russ Meyer, Rudolf Thome and later Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Fassbinder circle

In 1969 Lommel acted in Fassbinder's feature debut Love Is Colder Than Death. Further collaborations followed, including Whity, Beware of a Holy Whore, World on a Wire and Chinese Roulette. In this setting Lommel worked as an actor, producer and director of his own projects.

Own directing work

With The Tenderness of Wolves, Lommel made a 1973 feature closely connected with the Fassbinder circle and shown in competition at the Berlinale. The film about Fritz Haarmann connected crime material, post-war setting and stylised artificiality. Lommel later moved to the United States, where he worked with Andy Warhol and figures from the New York scene.

United States and genre films

In the United States, Lommel made films such as Blank Generation, Cocaine Cowboys and The Boogey Man. The Boogey Man found an audience in horror and video markets. Over the following decades he made many low-budget productions that were received unevenly and placed his filmography outside the classic studio system.

Farewell

Ulli Lommel died in Stuttgart on 2 December 2017. He was 72 years old. His career connects acting in New German Cinema, independent directing, the New York art scene and American genre film.