Steve Previn (born Wolf Stefan Priwin; 21 October 1920 – 9 July 1993) was a German-born American director of television episodes and feature films, as well as a film production executive.
Early Life and Immigration
Previn was born in Berlin, Germany, to a Jewish family. His father, Jack Previn (Jacob Priwin; 1885–1963), was a lawyer and notary who fled Nazi persecution. Steve Previn (then known as Wolf Priwin) immigrated to the United States aboard the SS Hamburg, sailing from Hamburg to New York from January 16 to January 24, 1936. The rest of his immediate family—his mother Charlotte, sister Leonore, and younger brother Andreas (later known as the celebrated composer and conductor André Previn)—arrived aboard the SS Manhattan from Le Havre, France, on October 27, 1938.
Career
Previn began his film career in 1943 as an editor for MGM and later Universal Studios. In 1950, he moved to Europe, where he directed numerous television series. In the 1960s, he directed several feature films for Walt Disney in Europe, including Almost Angels (1962), Escapade in Florence (1962), and The Waltz King (1963).
In 1965, he joined Eon Productions in London as a television executive, and in 1966 he moved to Paramount London as a film executive. In 1970, he worked for Commonwealth United Entertainment, Inc., as a production executive while also freelancing in Europe. During the 1970s, while living in London, he served as the English Representative and Production Executive for American International Pictures.
Notable Works
As a production executive, Previn worked on Venus in Furs (1969), Hennessy (1975), A Matter of Time (1976), and The People That Time Forgot (1977). He served as producer on Battle of Neretva (1969), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. As an editor, his credits include Gunman in the Streets (1950). His television directing credits include episodes of Captain Video and His Video Rangers, Foreign Intrigue (also known as Dateline: Europe), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and Run for Your Life.
Personal Life
Steve Previn was married to Elizabeth Previn, and they had a son, Nicholas Previn. He was the brother of the renowned composer, conductor, and pianist André Previn, and the second cousin once-removed of American-born film composer Charles Previn. He died on 9 July 1993 in Palm Desert, California.
