Otto Preminger

Along with his fellow Austrian émigré Erich von Stroheim, Otto Preminger enjoyed a long reign in Hollywood as the quintessence of the dictatorial European auteur. With his theatre work in Vienna having attracted attention from Broadway and Tinseltown, Preminger sailed to America in 1935 to begin a long relationship with Twentieth Century Fox. Preminger directed several films before leaving Hollywood for New York, where his stage work drew critical huzzahs and a return ticket to Hollywood. This time Preminger scored with the proto-noir "Laura" (1944), which netted him an Oscar nomination. A string of stylish thrillers, including "Black Angel" (1945) and "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (1950), established him as a world-class filmmaker. Dying in 1986 from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease, Preminger's legacy endured, due to the legend of his larger-than-life personality, his unforgettable physical presence, and the films he had created during his lifetime.