Otto Preminger Film Festival

This is one of those weird moments where I received two Netflix movies both of which happened to be directed by Otto Preminger. Not sure why it worked out that way, but let's roll with it. Below you will find trailers and brief reviews of three Preminger-directed films.

Preminger was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1906 and died in New York City on April 23, 1986, at the age of 80. In his prime during the '40s and '50s, Preminger was considered one of the best directors around. He was named by Entertainment Weekly as the 47th greatest director of all time.

So, take a look at the selections below and check one or two or all three of them out. Could be well worth your time. They are listed in chronological order. . .


Angel Face (1952)

Stars Jean Simmons and Robert Mitchum. Considered one of the classic examples of the film noir genre. As you would expect, the dialog is just over the top with Mitchum playing the classic tough guy and Simmons playing the evil dame. She slaps him. He slaps her. Classic film noir stuff. My favorite scene is in the movie actually takes place between Mona Freeman, who plays Mitchum's girlfriend, and Simmons, who is working to trap Mitchum. They are eating lunch together and Mona clearly knows what Simmons is up to and calls her on it. Great stuff. The end is absolutely classic.



NOTE: Absolutely terrific trailer!

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

I am a sucker for courtroom dramas and this is one of the best. Want some actors? How about: Jimmy Stewart, Ben Gazzara, George C. Scott, Eve Arden, Lee Remick, and Orson Bean? Want some music? How about Duke Ellington? It's rape. It's murder. It's intrigue. Lee Remick absolutely blisters the screen with her portrayal as the vampy Laura Manion and Gazzara is terrific as her husband. Preminger does some of his best work here -- tight direction both outside the courtroom and inside the courtroom.


NOTE: I couldn't find an official trailer but here is a clip from the movie.

Advise & Consent (1962)

Okay, well, this one is not one of Preminger's best. For three quarters of the movie pretty much nothing happens. You get an "inside" look at how Washington works but that is only interesting if you are a political junkie of the '50s and '60s. It's the last 45 minutes or so of this movie that make is worth watching. Scandal! Intrigue! Political Machinations! The cast here is top notch. There is Henry Fonda, whose character is central to the film but is on screen about 20 minutes total. There is Walter Pidgeon, who carries the movie on his shoulders. There is Peter Lawford. Yes, Peter Lawford. There is a young Betty White. Yes, she was young once. There's Burgess Meredith playing a key role as a mentally disturbed young man. Last, but certainly not least, there is Charles Laughton. He plays a senator from South Carolina. Apparently the direction to him was along the lines of: Act drunk and speak like you have crushed ice from a mint julep in your mouth. I was born and raised in the rural south and could barely understand a word Laughton said. But we have to give him a break on this one -- this was Laughton's last film and he died in December 1962 -- the year the movie was released.

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