AS SEEN ON TV: OTTO PREMINGER

Otto Preminger's birthday was yesterday. But as Walt Disney is a member of the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame, he won the day's ASOTV showcase.....

OTTO PREMINGER

AS SEEN IN:
"Introducing Dorothy Dandridge"

AS PLAYED BY:
Klaus Maria Brandauer
(Seen here with Halle Barry as Dorothy Dandridge)

Otto Ludwig Preminger (5 December 1906 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-born American film director who moved from the theatre to Hollywood, directing over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as "Laura" (1944) and "Fallen Angel" (1945). In the 1950s and 1960s, he directed a number of high-profile adaptations of popular novels and stage works. Several of these pushed the boundaries of censorship by dealing with topics which were then taboo in Hollywood, such as drug addiction ("The Man with the Golden Arm", 1955), rape ("Anatomy of a Murder", 1959), and homosexuality ("Advise and Consent", 1962). He was twice nominated for the Best Director Academy Award. He also had a few acting roles.

While filming Carmen Jones (1954), Preminger began an affair with star Dorothy Dandridge, which lasted four years. During that period, Preminger reportedly had been in discussions to secure Dandridge for the featured role of Tuptim in the 1956 film of "The King and I". However, for reasons unknown, Dandridge was not cast. She ended the affair with Preminger upon realization that he had no plans to leave his first wife to marry her. Their affair was depicted in the HBO Pictures biopic, "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge".
(from Wikipedia)
Among those "few acting roles" is a Toobworld character that is still a Zonk waiting to be splained away: Mr. Freeze from the 1960's show 'Batman'. Preminger was the second to assay the role, after George Sanders but before Eli Wallach. I'm still not sure if they were: all different men taking on that alias; the same man with splainins regarding the change in appearance; or a combination of both splainins.

BCnU!