German-born director Ernst Laemmle was a nephew of Universal Pictures
founder
Carl Laemmle. Carl was known for
bringing over family members from Germany and giving them jobs at
Universal, and Ernst was just one of many to be accorded that
opportunity (others were directors
William Wyler and
Joseph Levigard and producers
Max Alexander,
Arthur Alexander and
Alfred Stern). At Universal Laemmle
specialized in directing the inexpensive two-reel westerns that the
studio ground out like sausages. Unlike many of "Uncle" Carl's
relatives, however, Ernst returned to Germany and directed several
German-language films for Universal there, such as
Hell of a Reporter (1929).