Otto Preminger
Biography
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austrian theatre and film director born on December 5, 1905, in Wiznitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary. He died on April 23, 1986, at the age of eighty. After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over thirty-five feature films throughout a five-decade career, accumulating sixty-eight known credits for directing. He rose to prominence by directing stylish film noir mysteries, including Laura in 1944 and Fallen Angel in 1945. During the 1950s and 1960s, he directed high-profile adaptations of popular novels and stage works that pushed censorship boundaries by addressing taboo subjects such as drug addiction in The Man with the Golden Arm in 1955, rape in Anatomy of a Murder in 1959, and homosexuality in Advise & Consent in 1962.
Career overview
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austrian theatre and film director born on December 5, 1905, in Wiznitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary. After transitioning from the theatre to Hollywood, his career spanned five decades during which he directed over 35 feature films and amassed 68 known credits for directing. Preminger initially rose to prominence during the 1940s for his stylish film noir mysteries, notably directing Laura in 1944 and Fallen Angel in 1945.
In the decades that followed, specifically the 1950s and 1960s, he directed a number of high-profile adaptations based on popular novels and stage works. Several of these projects pushed the boundaries of prevailing Hollywood censorship by directly addressing topics that were considered taboo at the time. His films tackled sensitive subjects including drug addiction in The Man with the Golden Arm in 1955, rape in Anatomy of a Murder in 1959, and homosexuality in Advise & Consent in 1962.
Throughout his life, Preminger maintained his career in the film industry until his death on April 23, 1986, at the age of 80.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Otto Preminger.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
97 titles- The Great Ecstasy of Tree-Climber Otto, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Late Preminger (2022) as Himself
- Ain't Misbehavin (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991) as Self (archive footage)
- The Human Factor (1979) Director
- The Human Factor (1979) Producer
- The Hobbit (1977) as Elvenking (voice)
- Die Titelmacher (1976) as Self
- Rosebud (1975) Director
- Rosebud (1975) Producer
- Rickles (1975)
- Je später der Abend (1973) as Self
- Film '72 (1971) as Self
- Samedi soir (1971) as Self
- Such Good Friends (1971) Director
- Such Good Friends (1971) Producer
- Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970) Director
- Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970) Producer
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) as Self (uncredited)
- Skidoo (1968) Director
- Skidoo (1968) Producer
- Hurry Sundown (1967) Director
- Hurry Sundown (1967) Producer
- Batman (1966) as Mister Freeze
- In Harm's Way (1965) Director
- In Harm's Way (1965) Producer
- Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) Director
- Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) Producer
- The Making of A Movie (1965) as Himself
- The Cardinal (1963) Director
- The Cardinal (1963) Producer
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine (1962) as Himself
- Advise & Consent (1962) Director
- Advise & Consent (1962) Producer
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Treffpunkt New York (1961) as Self
- Exodus (1960) Director
- Exodus (1960) Producer
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Director
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Producer
- Porgy and Bess (1959) Director
- Small World (1958) as Self
- Bonjour Tristesse (1958) Director
- Bonjour Tristesse (1958) Producer
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) as Self
- Saint Joan (1957) Director
- Saint Joan (1957) Producer
- Cinépanorama (1956) as Self
- The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) Director
- The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) Producer
- Hollywood Preview (1955) as Self
- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) Director
- Reflets de Cannes (1954) as Self
- River of No Return (1954) Director
- Carmen Jones (1954) Director
- Carmen Jones (1954) Producer
- Stalag 17 (1953) as Oberst von Scherbach
- The Moon Is Blue (1953) Director
- The Moon Is Blue (1953) Producer
- Angel Face (1953) Director
- Angel Face (1953) Producer
- The Girl on The Roof (1953) as Voice
- The Girl on The Roof (1953) Director
- The 13th Letter (1951) Director
- The 13th Letter (1951) Producer
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Panelist
- Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) Director
- Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) Producer
- Whirlpool (1950) Director
- Whirlpool (1950) Producer
- Suspense (1949) as Captain von Weissenborn
- The Fan (1949) Director
- The Fan (1949) Producer
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Forever Amber (1947) Director
- Daisy Kenyon (1947) Director
- Daisy Kenyon (1947) Producer
- Centennial Summer (1946) Director
- Centennial Summer (1946) Producer
- Fallen Angel (1945) Director
- Fallen Angel (1945) Producer
- A Royal Scandal (1945) Director
- Where Do We Go from Here? (1945) as General Rahl (uncredited)
- Laura (1944) Director
- Laura (1944) Producer
- In the Meantime, Darling (1944) Director
- They Got Me Covered (1943) as Fauscheim
- Margin for Error (1943) as Karl Baumer
- Margin for Error (1943) Director
- The Pied Piper (1942) as Major Diessen
- Kidnapped (1938) Co-Director
- Danger – Love at Work (1937) Director
- Under Your Spell (1936) Director
- Die grosse Liebe (1931) Director
- Die grosse Liebe (1931) Producer
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Otto Preminger best known for?
Otto Preminger is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Ain't Misbehavin (2013), The Human Factor (1979), The Human Factor (1979), The Hobbit (1977).
When and where was Otto Preminger born?
Otto Preminger was born on December 5, 1905 in Wiznitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary. They passed away on April 23, 1986.
How many credits does Otto Preminger have?
Otto Preminger has accumulated over 97 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1931 to 2022.
What is Otto Preminger's background in cinema and television?
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austrian theatre and film director born on December 5, 1905, in Wiznitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary. He died on April 23, 1986, at the age of eighty. After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over thirty-five feature films throughout a five-decade career, accumulating sixty-eig...
Otto Preminger by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Cinépanorama (1956) as Self — aged about 50
- Stalag 17 (1953) as Oberst von Scherbach — aged about 47
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self — aged about 56
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) as Self — aged about 51
- Batman (1966) as Mister Freeze — aged about 60
- Small World (1958) as Self — aged about 52
What viewers say
No comments yet. Be the first to share your take on Otto Preminger.