During his career, which spanned more than forty years, Umboh directed close to fifty movies, which garnered 29 Citra Awards from the Indonesian Film Festival.

Among his most famous works are Pengantin Remadja (Teenage Bride; 1971), Mama (1972), and Pengemis dan Tukang Becak (The Beggar and the Pedicab Driver; 1978), the last of which was Umboh's personal favourite.

[2][6] Umboh was introduced to the film industry in 1953 by Boes Boestami, who secured him a job as a janitor at Golden Arrow Studios, owned by Chok Chin Hsin (also known as CC Hardy).

[12][13] Umboh fell ill around the time he was filming Pengemis dan Tukang Becak (The Beggar and the Pedicab Driver; 1978), which starred Christine Hakim and Alan Nuary.

[6] The film was finished by Lukman Hakim Nain,[15] and Umboh was sent back to Jakarta[6] after several blood infusions in Surakarta.

[16] At Husada, he spent a week in the intensive care unit, during which time he lost 9 kilograms (20 lb), before being put in a regular room.

[6] By August 1980 Umboh had recovered enough strength to direct his next film, Disini Cinta Pertama Kali Bersemi (Here Love Bloomed for the First Time), based on the novel by Mira W.[15] Shortly before directing Putri Seorang Jenderal (A General's Daughter; an adaptation of Motinggo Busye's novel of the same name) in 1981, Umboh divorced Roemokoy.

[6] As his health was improving, Umboh continued to make films, including Kabut Perkawinan (The Fog of Wedlock; 1984).

[6] After the Indonesian film industry crashed in 1992 Umboh directed two television serials: Pahlawan Tak Dikenal (Unknown Hero; 1994) and Apsari.

[6] Three weeks before his death, he was reportedly in good health and preparing to film a new serial entitled Gejolak Kampus Muda (Symptoms of a Youth Campus).

[4] He sometimes worked together with other directors, including Sjumandjaja, Misbach Yusa Biran, and Arifin C. Noer, to improve the film's flow.

Slamet Rahardjo and Garin Nugroho have continued his exploratory shooting techniques, while his editing and framing methods were further developed by Teguh Karya, Sophian, and Noer.

[11] The careers of numerous actors were launched by Umboh's films, including Sophiaan, Roy Marten, Tanti Yosepha, and Yenny Rachman.