Trivia

Father of Jon-Michael Preece and Gretchen Preece-Newman.

Father-in-law of Randy Newman.

His mother, Thelma, founded the Script Clerks Guild (later IATSE's Script Supervisor Local 871), and his father, Harold, was a cigarette and cigar salesman.

Was a script supervisor before turning to directing.

Graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School and subsequently attended Santa Monica City College.

While a freshman student at Santa Monica City College in the summer of 1955 in the early days of television Preece took on a job as a script supervisor.

Preece also directed such films as The Prize Fighter (1979), one of the most financially successful films ever released by New World Pictures.

Starting in 1975 Preece directed over 300 episodes of TV series, including Dallas where he set a record for most episodes directed and filmed each cast member firing a gun in order to ensure that no one knew who shot J.R.

His daughter Gretchen is married to singer-songwriter Randy Newman.

Michael Preece was an American film and television director, script supervisor, producer, and actor best known for directing the television series Dallas and Walker, Texas Ranger and the films The Prize Fighter and Logan's War: Bound by Honor.