His was a name that gave Hollywood actors, writers, cameramen and others a chill of fear: Otto!It could only be one person: Otto Preminger, aka Otto the Terrible.
But what was he really like. Foster Hirsch's big biography of Preminger, Otto, The Man Who Would Be King tells an in-depth, fascinating story of how the legend of Otto came to be.
Otto was known for his tantrums. And Hirsch speculates that the root of Otto's temper was buried deep in his indulged Austrian childhood. Otto's loving, benevolent parents produced a child who simply Knew He Was Very Special and who grew up to become a great Hollywood producer and director and a master promoter of his own plays and movies.
Preminger was also a proud American and a very proud (though non-observant) Jew who successfully brought Leon Uris' "Exodus" to the screen. A shrewd businessman, he always brought his films in on-time and under budget.
In that sense he was not unlike Alfred Hitchcock who was also a master promoter of this own movies.
Among Preminger's more notable movies are classics such as Laura, Anatomy Of A Murder, The Man With The Golden Arm, In Harm's Way, Advise And Consent and his last, underrated film, The Human Factor.
He was a formal, imposing figure whose persona masked a kinder, softer side: a passionate lover, a devoted father, a loyal friend, a dedicated defender of artistic freedom and a knowledgeable epicurean and world-traveller.
His story is worth the read.
Otto truly was Bigger Than Life!
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