David Pressman, Director, Dies at 97

Broadway and television director David Pressman has passed away, according to Variety. He was 97 years old.

As detailed in an interview with the Archive of American Television, Pressman arrived in the U.S. from Russia in 1922 and developed an early interest in acting. He acted at The Neighborhood Playhouse in the 1930s, eventually making his Broadway debut in 1941's BROOKLYN, U.S.A followed by THE EVE OF St. Mark and DREAM GIRL in 1943 and 1946, respectively.

Pressman then made the switch to directing, becoming one of the key directors on the early anthology series Actors Studio which was the first dramatic series awarded the Peabody Award.

Actors Studio featured many of the young “method” actors who would come to prominence in later years including Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, and Julie Harris. Pressman himself appeared as an actor in the series very first production— Tennessee Williams’ “Portrait of a Madonna” starring Jessica Tandy and directed by Hume Cronyn.

He struggled to work as a director in television despite the shadow of the Hollywood Blacklist, and directed THE DISENCHANTED on Broadway in 1958, followed by 1960's ROMAN CANDLE. Pressman later returned to television, notably as an Emmy Award-winning director of the daytime serial One Life to Live.

Pressman is survived by wife Sasha; sons Gregory, Michael and Eugene; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.