Otto Preminger, known as “Otto the Terrible” for his volatile temper, worked on a slew of films from the ’30s through the ’70s. Exodus and Laura, two of his best-known films, positioned him as one of the most successful Hollywood directors of his time. The Man with the Golden Arm and Anatomy of a Murder were among two of his best-known works. His most recent film garnered him a nomination for an Academy Award.

Age, Bio, and Family Details

On December 5, 1905, Otto Preminger was born in Bukovina, Austria-Hungary, to a Jewish family. Dual nationality: He was an American citizen as well as an Austrian. When it comes to ethnicity, Preminger is a mash-up. Marcus and Josefa Preminger raised him as their only child (mother).

Ingo Preminger, Otto’s older brother, was a film producer as well. Otto and his family relocated to Austria following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, in 1914. Markus, Markus’ father, was a public prosecutor in Graz when he was a young man.

After a year, Markus, the decisive public prosecutor, was called to a distinguished position roughly similar to that of the United States Attorney General, which Markus accepted. The position was only his if he converted to Catholicism, which he did. He, on the other hand, turned down the offer.

They moved to Vienna, Austria, in the following year. Following his graduation from the University of Vienna, Otto enrolled at the University of Munich to study law. However, with time, he developed an interest in acting.

Profession: Filmmaking

At first, Otto Preminger was a stage actor, but he shot to fame when he delivered Mark Antony’s funeral oration from Julius Caesar in a history play at the National Library.

After a few years, Preminger began to appear in direct plays. Die Schauspielhaus and Die Komodie Theatre were also founded by him in the following years. By the time he was in his twenties, Otto had become one of Europe’s best-known theater producers and directors.

Preminger also had an offer to helm the film Die große Liebe, which he accepted on the heels of his early success (The Great Love). To get a job in the United States, he traveled to New York City in 1935 and appeared in the Broadway drama Libel from that year to 1936.

Otto’s Hollywood career began after he made a name for himself on Broadway. In Irving Pichel’s The Pied Piper, he had his breakthrough performance. Following working as director and producer on Laura (1944), his career spiraled upwards in leaps and bounds. For his role in the picture, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the first time.

His other notable works as a director include The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959). (1959). Otto directed the $11 million-grossing The Cardinal in 1963, which was one of the year’s most popular films. Another Academy Award nomination for Best Director came his way for his work on a drama about the Vatican’s power structure and hierarchy.

Salary And Assets

Working in a variety of fields, Otto Preminger amassed an impressive financial fortune. Although his exact net worth was not made public, it’s safe to say that after a decade-long career, his net worth was at least $5 million when he passed away. Laura, the film he directed and produced, brought in about $2 million at the box office globally. For the movie, he received $1,500 a week in salary.

It was previously known that Preminger owned a home in Sherman Oaks, in Los Angeles. There is now a $2.195 million price tag on the property. The 4,095-square-foot house was built in 1925 and has five bedrooms and 4.25 bathrooms.

For $2.225 million in Whitley Heights, California, he purchased a home in May 1994. It was listed for $12.5 million in 2002, according to the New York Observer. Many of the bedrooms have balconies.

Joseph had a large collection of automobiles as well.

Intimate Relationships: Wife, Family, And Friends

Preminger has three marriages. On August 3, 1931, the filmmaker married Marion Mill in a private ceremony. In spite of his marriage to Marion, Otto continued to lead a bachelor’s life by having an extramarital affair with burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee.

Lee was also married at the time to William Kirkland, a former actor. A baby boy was born to Gypsy and Otto on December 11, 1944. The baby’s name was Erik. They both divorced at the same time in the same year.

Their son was originally named Erik Lee, but Gypsy shortened his name to Eric Kirkland, and thus Erik Lee Preminger was born.

Divorce proceedings between Otto and his first wife Marion were officially concluded on August 25, 1949, after Otto filed for divorce in May 1946. Lee married Julio de Diego for the third time in 1948. Otto, on the other hand, began seeing Natalie Draper. A few years of a love affair was all it took for their relationship to end.

On December 4th, 1951, Otto remarried Mary Gardner, this time in a religious ceremony. On March 10, 1959, the couple divorced. Otto’s third wife, Hope Bryce, married him on December 28, 1971, the 28th being her birthday. Victoria Preminger and Mark Preminger were the couple’s two children.

It was until his death on April 23, 1986, that they were together.

Death’s Reason

Lung cancer claimed Otto Preminger’s life on April 23, 1986, at his Upper East Side residence. When he died, he was 80 years old. At the Velma B. Woolworth Memorial Chapel in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, his cremated remains were interred in a niche called the Azalea Room in honor of his life and service.