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Otto Preminger

Otto Preminger

Director, producer and actor · Died April 23, 1986, aged 80 · Wiznitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary

Otto Ludwig Preminger (5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian theatre and film director. After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed 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 & Consent, 1962). He was twice nominated for the Best Director Academy Award. He also had a few acting roles.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 5, 1905
Died
April 23, 1986 (aged 80)
From
Wiznitz, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary
Works as
Director, producer and actor
Titles
34 on Motif · 48 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 50% in 30 days

What are Otto Preminger's films like?

Across their 33 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
42%
Bonds
20%
Self
15%
Power
10%
Society
6%
Survival
4%
Ideas
2%
Justice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 10 · Dark 15

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 16 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 11 · Shifting 19 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 21 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 9 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 13

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 24 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
24
Melancholic
11
Romantic
10
Absurd
8
Contemplative
8
Other
27

How their films linger

Bittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Otto Preminger's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 34 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Otto Preminger's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

48 credits, 34 with a Motif page; 22 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Human Factor(1979)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Hobbit(1977)

    as Elvenking (voice)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Rickles (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Rosebud(1975)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Such Good Friends(1971)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon(1970)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Skidoo(1968)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Hurry Sundown(1967)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Batman(1966)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mister Freeze

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Bunny Lake Is Missing(1965)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • In Harm's Way(1965)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Cardinal(1963)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Advise & Consent(1962)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Exodus(1960)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Anatomy of a Murder(1959)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Porgy and Bess (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Bonjour Tristesse(1958)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Saint Joan(1957)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Man with the Golden Arm(1955)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Carmen Jones(1954)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • River of No Return(1954)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Girl on The Roof (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · as Voice

  • The Moon Is Blue(1953)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Stalag 17(1953)

    as Oberst von Scherbach

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Angel Face(1952)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Treasure of the Golden Condor(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The 13th Letter (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1951)

    Director · Producer

  • Where the Sidewalk Ends(1950)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Whirlpool(1950)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Fan (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1949)

    Director · Producer

  • Suspense (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain von Weissenborn

  • That Lady in Ermine(1948)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Daisy Kenyon(1947)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Forever Amber(1947)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Centennial Summer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1946)

    Director · Producer

  • Fallen Angel(1945)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Where Do We Go from Here? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1945)

    as General Rahl (uncredited)

  • A Royal Scandal(1945)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Laura(1944)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • In the Meantime, Darling (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • They Got Me Covered(1943)

    as Fauscheim

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Margin for Error (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    Director · as Karl Baumer

  • The Pied Piper (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    as Major Diessen

  • Kidnapped (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    Co-Director

  • Danger - Love at Work(1937)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Under Your Spell (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    Director

  • Die grosse Liebe (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Director · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 46 titles from 1931 to 1979.

Biggest box office

Saint Joan (1957)

$400K worldwide

Highest rated

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting10 of 46: 8 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting38 of 46: 9 only directing, 29 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndProducing27 of 46: 0 only producing, 27 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

46 titles, 29 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 27 of them.

By decade

1930s4 · crew1940s13 · 5 acting · 9 crew1950s15 · 2 acting · 14 crew1960s8 · 1 acting · 7 crew1970s6 · 2 acting · 4 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Otto Preminger's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser20
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · director, producer

Skidoo (1968)

73rd percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 67/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Otto Preminger's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 Motif titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles27–46 · median 32 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles7–39 · median 10 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles4–37 · median 7 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles22–55 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles30–49 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Otto Preminger work with?

People who share at least 2 of Otto Preminger's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Louis R. Loeffler shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles