The world and its double : the life and work of Otto Preminger

Otto Preminger was one of Hollywood's first truly independent producer/directors. He sought to address the major social, political, and historical questions of his time in films designed to appeal to a wide public. Blazing a trail in the examination of controversial issues such as drug addiction ( The Man with the Golden Arm ) and homosexuality ( Advise and Consent ) and in the frank, sophisticated treatment of adult material ( Anatomy of a Murder ), Preminger in the process broke the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code and the blacklist. He also made some of Hollywood's most enduring film noir classics, including Laura and Fallen Angel . An Austrian émigré, Preminger began his Hollywood career in 1936 as a contract director. When the conditions emerged that led to the fall of the studio system, he had the insight to perceive them clearly and the boldness to take advantage of them, turning himself into one of America's most powerful filmmakers. More than anyone else, Preminger represented the transition from the Hollywod of the studios to the decentralized, wheeling and dealing New Hollywood of today. Chris Fujiwara's critical biography—the first in more than thirty years—follows Preminger throughout his varied career, penetrating his carefully constructed public persona and revealing the many layers of his work.

Otto Preminger was one of Hollywood's first truly independent producer/directors. He sought to address the major social, political, and historical questions of his time in films designed to appeal to a wide public. Blazing a trail in the examination of controversial issues such as drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm) and homosexuality (Advise and Consent) and in the frank, sophisticated treatment of adult material (Anatomy of a Murder), Preminger in the process broke the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code and the blacklist. He also made some of Hollywood's most enduring film noir classics, including Laura and Fallen Angel.

An Austrian émigré, Preminger began his Hollywood career in 1936 as a contract director. When the conditions emerged that led to the fall of the studio system, he had the insight to perceive them clearly and the boldness to take advantage of them, turning himself into one of America's most powerful filmmakers. More than anyone else, Preminger represented the transition from the Hollywod of the studios to the decentralized, wheeling and dealing New Hollywood of today. Chris Fujiwara's critical biography--the first in more than thirty years--follows Preminger throughout his varied career, penetrating his carefully constructed public persona and revealing the many layers of his work.

"Otto Preminger was one of Hollywood's first truly independent producer-directors. He sought to address the major social, political, and historical questions of his time in films designed to appeal to a wide public. Blazing a trail in the examination of controversial issues such as drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm) and homosexuality (Advise & Consent) and in the frank, sophisticated treatment of adult material (Anatomy of a Murder), Preminger in the process broke the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code and the blacklist. He also made some of Hollywood's most enduring film noir classics, including Laura and Fallen Angel." "An Austrian emigre, Preminger began his Hollywood career in 1936 as a contract director. When the conditions emerged that led to the fall of the studio system, he had the insight to perceive them clearly and the boldness to take advantage of them, turning himself into one of America's most powerful filmmakers. More than anyone else, Preminger represented the transition from the Hollywood of the studios to the decentralized, wheeling-and-dealing new Hollywood of today. Chris Fujiwara's critical biography - a detailed new look at the director's life and legacy - follows Preminger throughout his varied career, penetrating his carefully constructed public persona and revealing the many layers of his work."--Jacket Otto Preminger was one of Hollywood's first truly independent producer/directors. He sought to address the major social, political, and historical questions of his time in films designed to appeal to a wide public. Blazing a trail in the examination of controversial issues such as drug addiction (__The Man with the Golden Arm__) and homosexuality (__Advise and Consent__) and in the frank, sophisticated treatment of adult material (__Anatomy of a Murder__), Preminger in the process broke the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code and the blacklist. He also made some of Hollywood's most enduring film noir classics, including __Laura__ and __Fallen Angel__. Otto Preminger was one of Hollywood's first truly independent producer/directors. Blazing a trail in the examination of controversial issues such as drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm) and homosexuality (Advise and Consent), Preminger broke the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code and the blacklist, while creating some of Hollywood's most enduring film noir classics. Chris Fujiwara's critical biography - the first in more than thirty years - follows Preminger throughout his varied career, penetrating his carefully constructed public persona and revealing the many layers of his work. A compelling portrait of the Austrian-born director describes his evolution from contract director at the heyday of the studios to become one of America's most powerful and influential filmmakers during the transition to the modern film industry, examining his varied career, his seminal films addressing a variety of controversial topics, his public persona, and his personal life. Reprint.