Was he liked or hated
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gothamite27 — 16 years ago(March 27, 2010 04:03 AM)
This site suggests that he was a very nasty, mean old man and even has comments made by Adam West and Alan Napier (Alfred) regarding him.
http://www.1966batfan.com/freeze2.htm -
surfercharlie25 — 15 years ago(February 26, 2011 02:27 PM)
I'm currently reading the wonderful biography of Preminger written by Foster Hirsch, and you'd be surprised to find how many people actually enjoyed working with Preminger, saying he was a perfect gentleman.
Preminger didn't yell at people for the sake of yelling. He wouldn't yell unless you did one of two things:
1- You didn't know your lines
2- You weren't on time
Other than that, he was a gentleman to you. Basically, he only yelled at those who were un-professional.
Put it on the Underhills' tab -
kyletaylor52 — 14 years ago(April 27, 2011 12:12 AM)
Did you see Dyan Cannon's quote about him on her imdb page?
"[on working with director Otto Preminger on Such Good Friends (1971)] I was warned about him but could anybody really be that bad? Yeah, they could. Elaine May wrote a great screenplay. He took a piece of beauty and screwed it up. It was an incredible part and he destroyed it. I have been the victim of some killers in my time. He's one of the biggest. He's a horrible man. Phew! But who ever hears of him anymore? Is he still alive?" -
ecarle — 10 years ago(October 18, 2015 08:20 AM)
John Wayne liked working with him on In Harm's Way because, said Wayne, Preminger shared Wayne's sense of professionalismbe on time, know your lines, hit your marks, etc.
On the same film, Preminger endlessly yelled at lesser star Tom Tryon. Bigger star Kirk Douglas aksed Tryon why he took such abuse, the answer seemed to be to keep getting work. When Otto yelled at Douglas(said Douglas), Douglas just got macho and yelled back inches from Otto's face. No more bullying.
But for all the stories about Otto, the best one I've read(and there is proof that at least the act happened), is from Paramount Studio Chief Robert Evans.
Preminger had a contract with Paramount to make some movies. They all bombed. The contract could be renewed or not. Evans decided "not."
Evans and his main assistant, Peter Bart "flipped a mental coin" as to who would get the joyful job of going to Otto Preminger on the Paramount lot and to essentially fire him: "Your contract isn't being renewed. You have one day to clear out your office and leave the lot" Evans got the assignment and said that firing the nasty Preminger was one of the happiest things he ever got to do. -
ScopeWatcher — 10 years ago(October 20, 2015 10:13 AM)
Composer Jerry Goldsmith got the assignment to score IN HARM'S WAY on the recommendation of Ernest Gold (Preminger's composer for the earlier EXODUS).
Goldsmith claimed that on running into Gold sometime later, he told him something like "I don't know whether to thank you or punch you for pointing Preminger toward me." But Gold reportedly replied, "Think of all the stories about Otto you'll now have fun telling at parties!"
Was Preminger liked? Not by Goldsmith, who experienced the "shouter" side of him.
Most great films deserve a more appreciative audience than they get
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