The man who conquered Hollywood, jazz clubs, AND the opera house—four Oscars were just Tuesday.
Sir André Previn, born in Berlin in 1929, figures among the most prominent musicians of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He won four Academy Awards for his film scores, he composes concertos, musicals and operas. He conducts, arranges music, and is a renowned pianist, as well as a jazz musician. Previn’s first opera, ‚A Streetcar Named Desire’, based on Tennessee Williams’ play, successfully premiered in San Francisco, in 1998. Our film mirrors Sir Previn’s affinities to Europe as well as to the United States. He is at home in both worlds, with their rather different cultural realities.
Direction
Elegant balance of archival gold and intimate interviews
Production
Rare footage of Previn's jazz sessions and opera premieres
Acting
Mia Farrow's candid reflections on their complex marriage
Director
Lillian Birnbaum
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Previn conducted the score for 'My Fair Lady' (1964) but was snubbed for the Oscar because the Academy considered it adapted, not original. He won his fourth Oscar for 'Porgy and Bess' instead.
His 1970 marriage to Mia Farrow—23 years his junior—made them the 'it' couple of intellectual Hollywood, until their very public divorce and her subsequent relationship with Woody Allen shattered the image.
AT
