Preminger, Otto, (1906 - 1986) Options

[clydefro]

"Throughout, Preminger maintains a signature cool aloofness that often seems almost involuntary. His demeanor as a director has always been advertised as strict and harsh, but there's an elegance in the finished product...His deserved status as an auteur was built mainly on exquisite work within the confines of the camera. He may not have had anything in the realm of the "Lubitsch Touch" but there was a certain equivalent involving exquisite tracking shots and a cinematic dynamism largely unequaled by his Hollywood peers. Perceptive viewers can probably recognise a Preminger film within the first fifteen minutes, if not sooner."

- from The Fan at DVD Times

Especially recommended:

Laura
Angel Face
Advise and Consent
Daisy Kenyon
Anatomy of a Murder

[pigmode]

More recommendations:
River of No Return - Mitchum, Monroe
The Man With The Golden Arm - Sinatra, Kim Novak
Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon - Liza Minnelli, Ken Howard

Bonjour tristesse - Niven, Jean Seberg, Deborah Kerr

[CSM126]

What, Skidoo isn't recommendation-worthy?

[pigmode]

Never heard of it.

[CSM126]

Never heard of it.

That's kinda the joke here.

[clydefro]

Eh, mockery of Skidoo aside, Preminger seems to get little attention around here. I'd imagine that's because he doesn't have any films released by Criterion and only one of his movies (Laura) is definitively in the usual canon. He's popular enough to be known without fully explored, mostly ruling his films out as "discoveries," yet still lacking in appreciation as one of the top-shelf directors of his era. Part of the maddening experience when viewing Preminger's films is that they often glimpse greatness without attaining it. There are flaws that prevent much of his output from being entirely heralded. Availability is another issue, as so much is on DVD in the US but not the UK or vice versa or only in France or not at all or even virtually impossible to see as intended like Porgy & Bess. The interesting failures (like Skidoo) don't really help Preminger's legacy either.

Preminger's five Fox Film Noir titles are (along with Nightmare Alley) my favorites in that line and the Warner Bros. release of Angel Face fits beside those nicely.

[masterofoneinchp...]

Eh, mockery of Skidoo aside, Preminger seems to get little attention around here. I'd imagine that's because he doesn't have any films released by Criterion and only one of his movies (Laura) is definitively in the usual canon. ...

I would probably add Anatomy of a Murder to the usual canon since it is on IMDB 250, 1000 Movies You Must See Before You Di, TSPDT 1000, NYT 1000 and several other lists.

So far since I have only seen Laura and Anatomy of a Murder (which I PMd you some thoughts on the old site) my thoughts on his directoral ability is quite high. I do own The Man With the Golden Arm and have access to Carmen Jones so one of those two will be my next watch of his work. I will make sure I buy Skidoo soon.

Though this is his directoral thread I though his acting as Col. von Scherbach in Stalag 17 was excellent. That and, of course, Mr. Freeze.

[CSM126]

I will make sure I buy Skidoo soon.

From where? The Preminger family is doing a pretty good job of suppressing that film.

[masterofoneinchp...]

From where? The Preminger family is doing a pretty good job of suppressing that film.

I was being facetious because of all the negative reaction on that movie.

Interesting that in order to see it you would have to do a bootleg like this place (29 dollars yikes) I thought there might have been a VHS (non-bootleg), but cannot find one right now eek.

[clydefro]

Skidoo has aired on TCM a couple of times over the past year or so, in pan and scan. It's an embarrassing film and probably not the best way to discuss or explore Preminger's career.

[CSM126]

Skidoo has aired on TCM a couple of times over the past year or so, in pan and scan.

Good God, wasn't that movie shot at 2.35? Even something as bad as Skidoo shouldn't be hacked like that! Especially not on TCM, who usually seem to know better.

[clydefro]

^ TCM aired what was given to them. It's quite possible no widescreen television print exists and showing such a hard to see film in 4:3 was preferable than not having it at all.

At the risk of actually stirring up some discussion on Preminger, I'm continually fighting a one-person crusade at DVD Times, having so far reviewed The Fan, and also Daisy Kenyon, the BFI's Margin of Error/A Royal Scandal release, and, most recently, Rosebud. I love that someone at the BFI is so enamored with Preminger and wish that Fox would release some of its holdings in R1. The post-Bunny Lake films are all unreleased in R1 also. Saint Joan and The Moon Is Blue are only available in France and, as I mentioned, Porgy & Bess is mired in some major quicksand.

Even those less familiar with Preminger can take solace in knowing that his discovery of Jean Seberg ultimately influenced both Godard's Breathless and Fuller's White Dog.

[pigmode]

^ I'd love to have a copy of Saint Joan for my burgeoning Joan of Arc collection.

[masterofoneinchp...]

I finally saw Carmen Jones last night. Clyde have you or anyone else seen this? Any opinions on how this fits in the oeuvre of Otto?

Preminger's direction is quite good in this. He handles the musical genre quite well.

One thing that is noticeable is that most (or all) of the voices are dubbed for the singing (LeVern Hutcherson for Belafonte and Marilyn Horne for Dorothy Dandridge). I was impressed with Dorothy's performance (she did get an AA award nomination). Looking into her career her first film was A Day at the Races . She apparently had a difficult life and died way too early. She would also star in Otto's Porgy and Bess (worth watching?).

I have access to many Carmen films (as well as stage performances) so I might make an effort to watch and compare and contrast. My knowledge is not that great of this Bizet opera but I do hope to improve (it is a favorite of my Mother whom I will have to ask if she performed in this).

[clydefro]

Carmen Jones sits on the shelf unwatched (it, Exodus, The Cardinal and In Harm's Way are on the only Preminger films on DVD I've not seen) but I've read a lot on the film and about Dandridge. She did have some major issues. It's interesting how many of Preminger's female stars and discoveries were incredibly damaged ladies. Dandridge, Marilyn Monroe, Linda Darnell, Jean Seberg, and Maggie McNamara all died very young and under tragic circumstances. Gene Tierney had her share of personal problems as well but did manage to overcome them. I don't think Otto necessarily did anything that led them down such a troubled path, but it's not impossible to think of him being drawn to these women for something fragile or unstable he sensed in them (perhaps unconsciously).

Porgy and Bess is almost surely worth watching but it's been unavailable since its initial release. There are problems with the rights and that sort of thing, involving the Gershwin and Goldwyn estates. If that ever gets untangled I'd love to see it. Some bootlegs apparently exist that are taken from old television broadcasts (usually in pan and scan and the film was shot very wide).