born in vienna, ucicky is often stated to have been the illegitimate son of painter gustav klimt for whom his mother maria učicky from prague worked and modelled, although this paternity is unconfirmed. he had begun an apprenticeship as a graphic designer, when he entered the film industry at the age of 17. one day in 1916, he and his friend karl hartl turned up at the sascha-film studios of count alexander kolowrat looking for work and were hired. ucicky was initially employed as a mere camera assistant, eventually becoming a camera operator and gained experience working in documentaries before shooting his first feature in 1919. over the next five years, he worked on some of the studio's most acclaimed movies, including "sodom und gomorrha" (1922), and worked with some of the top directors of the period, including michael curtiz.