Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King

by Foster Hirsch

The first full-scale life of the controversial, greatly admired yet often underrated director/producer who was known as “Otto the Terrible.”Nothing about Otto Preminger was small, trivial, or self-denying, from his privileged upbringing in Vienna as the son of an improbably successful Jewish lawyer to his work in film and theater in Europe and, later, in America.His range as a director was romantic comedies (The Moon Is Blue); musicals (Carmen Jones; Porgy and Bess); courtroom dramas (The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell; Anatomy of a Murder); adaptations of classic plays (Shaw's Saint Joan, screenplay by Graham Greene); political melodrama (Advise and Consent); war films (In Harm's Way); film noir (Laura; Angel Face; Bunny Lake Is Missing). He directed sweeping sagas (from The Cardinal and Exodus to Hurry Sundown) and small-scale pictures, adapting Françoise Sagan's Bonjour Tristesse with Arthur Laurents and Nelson Algren's The Man with the Golden Arm.Foster Hirsch shows us Preminger battling studio head Darryl F. Zanuck; defying and undermining the Production Code of the Motion Picture Association of America and the Catholic Legion of Decency, first in 1953 by refusing to remove the words "virgin" and "pregnant" from the dialogue of The Moon Is Blue (he released the film without a Production Code Seal of Approval) and then, two yeras later, when he dared to make The Man with the Golden Arm, about the then-taboo subject of drug addiction. When he made Anatomy of a Murder in 1959, the censors objected to the use of the words "rape," "sperm," "sexual climax," and "penetration." Preminger made one concession (substituting "violation" for "penetration"); the picture was released with the seal, and marked the beginning of the end of the Code.Hirsch writes about how Preminger was a master of the "invisible" studio-bred approach to filmmaking, the so-called classical Hollywood style (lengthy takes; deep focus; long shots of groups of characters rather than close-ups and reaction shots).He shows us Preminger, in the 1950s, becoming the industry's leading employer of black performers—his all-black Carmen Jones and Porgy and Bess remain landmarks in the history of racial representation on the American screen—and breaking another barrier by shooting a scene in a gay bar for Advise and Consent, a first in American film.Hirsch tells how Preminger broke the Hollywood blacklist when, in 1960, he credited the screenplay of Exodus to Dalton Trumbo, the most renowed of the Hollywood Ten, and hired more blacklisted talent than anyone else.We see Preminger's balanced style and steadfast belief in his actors' underacting set against his own hot-tempered personality, and finally we see this European-born director making his magnificent films about the American criminal justice system, Anatomy of a Murder, and about the American political system, Advise and Consent.Foster Hirsch shows us the man—enraging and endearing—and his brilliant work.

Genres: Film, Biography

592 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2007

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to film directors, it is not uncommon to hear stories of the ones who aren't (or weren't) particularly nice (quite often due to their own insecurities). But Otto Preminger seems to have been in a category all by his lonesome. It's possible that there is no other director in cinema history who has *quite* the reputation Preminger had for screaming at people. It's possible that - even if you didn't have that much interest in cinema at all - you *still* may have heard stories about 'Otto the Terrible'. 

That's not why I read this biography; I'm not all that keen on gossip, so I didn't have a piqued interest based on who yelled at whom. But I was always curious about the volume (as it were) of the stories - and why Otto felt the compulsion to blow up on *that* regular a basis. After all, who doesn't know that that's not necessarily how you get the best work out of others?

If I haven't always been a fan of Preminger's films, I've certainly appreciated him when he was at his best (i.e., 'Laura', 'Anatomy of a Murder', 'Advise and Consent' and others) and I have admired a number of projects which are now seen as interesting failures (films like 'Forever Amber', 'Hurry Sundown', etc.). I also, of course, recognize (and admire him for) challenging codes of censorship (involving matters of language, subject matter, etc.) when there didn't appear to be all that many who were taking on that artistic responsibility. 

Hirsch's cogent biography is surprisingly breezy (500+ pages that I read within 48 hours) and his overview of the Preminger canon is fair and balanced. (I've seen most of Preminger's work and I more or less agree with Hirsch's assessment of the individual films.) But, while reading, I kept feeling like there was *another* book inside the one I had in my hands. The more that was recounted re: Preminger's dark side, the less I felt that side was being adequately unveiled.

~ which brings me back to what I mentioned earlier. I was hoping to gain some insight into Preminger's psyche. But there's little of that in this book. Either by himself or through statements made by others, we are afforded 'reasons' or excuses pertaining to Preminger's many, many (actually, seemingly endless) tirades. But they don't amount to much in terms of illumination. ...That is, until we get to near the end of the biography - when there are details of a mental deterioration that may have (?) had some connection to earlier social behavior. We'll never know.

Hirsch does go to considerable length in revealing that Preminger's nature also harbored a polar opposite to the savage side that was more widely publicized; there are many references to his kindness, generosity and loyalty. Ultimately, we're mostly left to think that he was a, um... "complicated" guy who felt that yelling was how someone at the helm is able to get things done. (Preminger had an impeccable reputation for getting his films finished ahead of schedule and always within a given budget.) 

In the end, maybe the director didn't have the 'demons' I suspected. Maybe he just approached every project as though it had the potential of being The Great White Whale. And it seems he was certainly nicer than Captain Ahab. 

In line with that thought, I find it intriguing that Hirsch refers to the shooting of 'Anatomy of a Murder' as "virtually problem-free, the luckiest shoot in Preminger's career" - and one that did very well without any yelling. Hmm... go fig.     

[Creolecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written bio of the infamous Austrian ogre of cinema also captures every element of the man's sadism, volcanic tantrums, his abuses of actors, his marriages, his addiction to luxuries, and, most importantly, the films themselves. Furthermore, Preminger's incredible talent for bringing every single movie under budget and ahead of schedule is a supernatural accomplishment the book covers, and this is noteworthy considering he made gargantuan projects like "Exodus". Whether or not the man's talents as a director were mediocre--rather than truly creative--he still tackled taboo subjects before anybody else, like race and religion and sex. So you have to give Preminger credit for bravery. Preminger's late failures, a hippie comedy ("Skidoo") or the neurotic, Jewish housewife melodrama ("Such Good Friends") are given plenty of analysis and author Hirsch includes reactions from others. This is a welcome departure from those bios that leave everything to the narrator. Here, Preminger is heard plenty, as is Preminger's volatile circle of people and their many sides to every story. Unfortunately, the writer interrupts his often flawless biographical style with flowery, overwrought passages about the movies, so suddenly journalism turns into adjective-heavy praise. The chapters devoted to the psychological warfare between Preminger and his victims (mostly actors) are so interesting, these case-studies deserve their own book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from the library and thought I'd just give it a quick browse so I could keep up on the current film books -- never really intended to read the whole thing because from what I had heard about Preminger, he had a nasty temper and who wants to spend time with a guy like that? But the author got me hooked from the start. The opening chapters about Preminger's parents and their time in pre WWII Vienna were fascinating. Hirsch clearly admired his subject and Preminger's films, though he was objective as well. I watched several of Preminger's films while reading the book and got much more out of them after learning about the behind-the-scenes stories. Well researched & well written.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Otto Preminger's moment: Foster Hirsh's thorough and very readable bio was published last fall, and this month Film Forum is screening a 23-film retrospective. I interviewed Hirsh for a piece I wrote on Preminger in Time Out: [http://www.timeout.com/film/features/...]

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why I did not read "Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King" upon its original publication. The invention of the e-books makes the task of reading good-sized books much easier so that may be why I did not read it until fall 2022. It is 500+ pages long if a paper copy is read.

I liked this book a great deal chiefly because Mr. Hirsch had the cooperation of family members and those who worked for him. The author offers up assessments of his films; his opinions are appreciated. I agree with his opinion that the film "Porgy and Bess" should be restored and re-released as the film has been long unavailable for viewing. Mr. Hirsch's detailed description of the film provides evidence why this should occur.

The acting experiences of Jean Seberg and later on Tom (later Thomas) Tryon with Mr. Preminger are described in some detail. As I have not seen "Saint Joan" nor "The Cardinal" I look forward to seeing these films to see if I agree with Mr. Hirsch's assessments of the films. Concerning Mr. Preminger's treatment of these actors it is quite fascinating to read Mr. Hirsch's account and he was able to interview first-person eyewitnesses on the set of each film some of whom kept journals at the time of filming and which they were able to consult many years later.

A very good biography; I think Mr. Preminger would approve.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading this book, I had to visit the doctor. I think I was suffering from shock and too many jaw drops.

Who knew that Otto Preminger was a great artist, beloved by his actors, and pretty much right about everything? Remember all those actors who told stories of Preminger bullying Monroe or some unknown actor - so much so that stars had to intervene? Mr Hirsch doesn't. Remember all those stories of Preminger using black actresses as sex dolls? Mr. Hirsch doesn't. Remember all those Preminger movies that were pure cash grabs or bloated mediocrities? Mr. Hirsch Doesn't.

Instead Mr. Hirsch gives us the family authorized history. A fairy tale about Preminger making great movies, almost alone, while being a noble crusader for "artistic Freedom" and a great friend of black folks. And if he was harsh or abrupt, well that was just because he was trying to make a great movie.

The fact that all that "pushing the envelope" on sexual vulgarity made him lots of $$ isn't mentioned. Also passed over? All the massive contributions of everyone else in making the few movies that Preminger made that are still popular. "Laura" was co-written and co-produced by another man who got cut out by Preminger. And David Zanuck made the movie great by constantly demanding script re-writes. "River of No Return" is remembered almost entirely because of Mitchum and Monroe. "Anatomy for a Murder's" success is entirely due to the actors and screenwriter.

And here are some of the movies this "great" artist made: Exodus, The cardinal, Skidoo, Hurry Sundown, Saint Joan, The moon is blue, The fan, In Harm's way, The court marital of Billy Mitchell, etc.

Ugh.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulously researched with nearly 100 new interviews with family members and co-workers, this epic biography offers a multifaceted portrait of the Viennese-born filmmaker and reappraisal of his films.

Preminger's creativity was fueled by abrasion, says Hirsch, so nearly every film boasts testimony from actors who were verbally abused. His explosive rows extended to censors, crew members and studio heads. But Hirsch also reveals the gentler side of Otto the Terrible, protecting fragile stars and doting on his family. With family, Otto was like a marshmallow, and capable of great love in a primal way, says Erik, his son with Gypsy Rose Lee.

Film buffs will enjoy the candid looks behind his volatile productions (including Laura, Anatomy of a Murder, Hurry Sundown). Historians will appreciate Preminger's belated recognition for breaking the blacklist (he credited Dalton Trumbo for writing Exodus nine months before Kirk Douglas did the same with Spartacus) and dismantling the oppressive censorship board (he released The Moon Is Blue and Man with the Golden Arm without the Production Code's seal of approval).

This is a long-overdue critical biography of the temperamental titan with a genius for self-promotion.

[David Gialouras · Rating 1 out of 5]

Groucho Marx, Peter O'Toole, Faye Dunaway and Dyan Cannon come over badly in this. Michael Caine covers himself with honour defending Robert Hooks against racist Louisiana rednecks in the 60s. Interesting book but I feel less about Otto Preminger as a filmmaker. In spite of his individuality he comes over as more of a hack and he was a monster.

[Elliot Appel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive, thoughtful and objective bio about 'Otto the Ogre'- as some called him. A good read.