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Like the better remembered Edgar G. Ulmer, Russian-born writer/director/producer Josef Berne functioned far away from the glitter and glamour of Hollywood, writing and directing Yiddish-language dramas, African-American films, "soundies" (the equivalent of the music videos of today), and such experimental works as the 1934 "art house" drama Dawn to Dawn. Berne's one detour into the mainstream came in 1946 when he produced and directed Down Missouri Way, a hayseed musical released by low-budget company PRC and featuring such performers as Martha O'Driscoll, Eddie Dean, and Shirley the mule.