Ruthless

Edgar G. Ulmer was one of the star directors of the Poverty Row studios. Working with limited resources, he shot B-movie masterpieces there. The independent production Ruthless is a particularly notable highlight of his career. From an impoverished orphan to a wealthy Wall Street magnate, we follow the rise of the unscrupulous Horace Vendig. Although he presents himself as a wealthy philanthropist, his ever-growing wealth develops into a pathological obsession. Alvah Bessie and Gordon Kahn, two of Hollywood’s leading communist activists, co-wrote the screenplay, offering their vision of the American Dream. Or, in Ulmer’s words: ‘A damning indictment of 100 per cent Americanism.’ The protagonist’s inevitable self-destruction and the masterful use of flashbacks make Ruthless the Citizen Kane of B-movies. (hb)