Pressburger, Emeric (1902–1988)

Hungarian-born film producer, screenwriter, and novelist. He worked on films in Germany, France, and Britain. Together with Michael Powell, he made 14 films between 1942 and 1956, including such classics of the British cinema as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Canterbury Tale (1944), and The Red Shoes (1948).

Powell and Pressburger first worked together on The Spy in Black (1939). In 1942 they formed a production company, the Archers. Their partnership was truly collaborative and they shared a producer, screenwriter, and director credit on the majority of their films, although in reality Pressburger was responsible for the development of the screenplay and Powell for its visual realization. Many of their films are noteworthy for their loving portrayal of human eccentricity and for the mysticism that permeates their narratives. Pressburger's sole directorial outing was on Twice Upon a Time (1953). He won an Academy Award in 1942 for his work on 49th Parallel (1941).

Among his other films are I Know Where I'm Going! (1945), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947), and The Tales of Hoffman (1951). His novels include Killing a Mouse on Sunday (1961), which was filmed by Fred Zinnemann as Behold a Pale Horse (1964), and The Glass Pearls (1966).