- Born
- Died
- Birth nameOtto Ludwig Preminger
- Nickname
- Otto the Ogre
- Height5′ 11½″ (1.82 m)
- Otto Ludwig Preminger was born in Wiznitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary. His father was a prosecutor, and Otto originally intended to follow his father into a law career; however, he fell in love with the theater in his 20's and became one of the most imaginative stage producers and directors. He was only 24 when engaged by Max Reinhardt to take over his theatre where he produced all kids of plays. He directed his first film in 1931, and came to the US in 1936 to direct 'Libel' on the Broadway stage. He then moved to Hollywood where he signed with Fox becoming the first independent producer / director .He alternated between stage and film until the great success of Laura (1944) made him an A-list director in Hollyood.
For two decades after "Laura was released in 1944, Preminger ranked as one of the top directors in the world. His powers began to wane after Advise & Consent (1962), and by the end of the decade, he was considered washed-up. However, such was the potency of his craftsmanship that he continued to direct major motion pictures into the 1970s, with Rosebud (1975) getting scathing reviews. His last directorial effort was The Human Factor (1979), which won him respectful notices.
Otto Preminger died on April 23, 1986 in New York City from the effects of lung cancer and Alzheimer's disease. He was 80 years old.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jon C. Hopwood
- SpousesHope Bryce(December 28, 1971 - April 23, 1986) (his death, 2 children)Mary Gardner(December 4, 1951 - March 10, 1959) (divorced)Marion Mill(August 3, 1932 - August 25, 1949) (divorced)
- Children
- Known for his boundary-pushing characters and storylines, which frequently courted controversy upon release
- Fluid camera movements and long takes
- Often cast Burgess Meredith
- Bald, clean-shaven head
- He appeared on the famous British radio program "Desert Island Discs" in the spring of 1980, at the time of the British opening of his final film, The Human Factor (1979). This program asks well-known people what eight records they would bring with them to a desert island, together with one book and one luxury. His eight records consisted of music from his own films; his book selection was his own autobiography; and his luxury was a mirror. He got a great deal of publicity for this, but "The Human Factor" was a major box-office flop.
- For his appearance on Batman (1966), Preminger was paid $2,500, the standard fee for actors who appeared on the series after asking for a role. The Screen Actors Guild got wind of this, and ordered that none of their members were to work for Preminger unless he paid the SAG dues for his appearance on Batman, and various other monies he owed them dating back to his acting career. As a result, Preminger ended up $7,600 out of pocket from his turn as Mr. Freeze.
- Directed 9 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Clifton Webb, Maggie McNamara, Dorothy Dandridge, Frank Sinatra, James Stewart, Arthur O'Connell, George C. Scott, Sal Mineo and John Huston.
- Earned a degree in law while he lived in Vienna.
- While filming Carmen Jones (1954), he began an affair with the film's star Dorothy Dandridge, which lasted four years. This relationship is portrayed in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999).
- I do not welcome advice from actors, they are here to act.
- There were giants in the industry. Now it is an era of midgets and conglomerates.
- [Giving direction to a group of children in Exodus (1960)] Cry, you little monsters!
- Directing Marilyn Monroe was like directing Lassie. You needed 14 takes to get each one of them right.
- Marilyn Monroe? A vacuum with nipples.
- Porgy and Bess (1959) - $150,000
- Laura (1944) - $1,500 /week
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