Stanley Kramer Biography

(Film Director, Producer)

Birthday: September 29, 1913 (Libra)

Born In: Manhattan, New York City, US

Stanley Kramer was famous American film producer and director who was known for making films that were very unconventional and were based upon the social issues of the time. He was not afraid of tackling issues like nuclear annihilation, racism or effects of the Holocaust which most other producers and directors tried to avoid. His films handled themes that were not usually addressed by other film producers and directors in Hollywood. His films were called ‘message films’ as they were made to convey the messages of social evils and their rectification through their stories and screenplays. He was a fierce and independent producer-director and his films made a great impact on the conscience of the audience and the conscience of the world as a whole. He has always received uneven critical acclaim for his films on social issues. Many of his films were quite noteworthy and out of all the films that he made in his whole career as a producer, director or both, three dozen films received 80 nominations for various ‘Academy Awards’ and won 16 of them. His films received nine nominations either as ‘Best Picture’ or as ‘Best Director’.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Stanley Earl Kramer

Died At Age: 87

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Anne Pearce Kramer (1926-2000), Karen Sharpe (1966–2001; his death; 2 children), Marilyn Erskine (1945–1945; annulled)

Directors T V & Movie Producers

Died on: February 19, 2001

place of death: Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, US

City: New York City

U.S. State: New Yorkers

  • 1

    Where did Stanley Kramer grow up?

    Stanley Kramer grew up in Manhattan, New York City.

  • 2

    What were some of Stanley Kramer's most famous films?

    Some of Stanley Kramer's most famous films include "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "Inherit the Wind," and "Judgment at Nuremberg."

  • 3

    Did Stanley Kramer have a specific film genre that he focused on?

    Stanley Kramer was known for producing and directing socially conscious films that addressed important issues such as racial discrimination, social justice, and political corruption.

  • 4

    How did Stanley Kramer impact the film industry?

    Stanley Kramer was known for pushing boundaries and addressing controversial topics in his films, paving the way for more socially conscious storytelling in Hollywood.

  • 5

    What was Stanley Kramer's approach to filmmaking?

    Stanley Kramer was known for his meticulous attention to detail and his dedication to authenticity in his films, often conducting extensive research to ensure accuracy in his storytelling.

Childhood & Early Life
Stanley Kramer was born Stanley Earl Kramer in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, New York, USA on September 29, 1913.
His parents were Jewish who had separated when he was a little boy. His mother worked at the New York office of ‘Paramount Pictures’.
After graduating from the ‘De Witt Clinton High School’ in Bronx at the age of 15 he joined the ‘New York University’ and obtained a degree in Business Administration in 1933.
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Career
Stanley Kramer moved to Hollywood after doing his MBA and joined the film industry to edit films and write scripts.
He joined the Army Signal Corps during the Second World War and made films on training and orientation.
After the war he helped to establish an independent production company named ‘Screen Plays Inc.’ and produced ‘So This Is New York’ in 1948. It was directed by Richard Fleischer.
In 1949 he produced a second film ‘Champion’ directed by Mark Robson which starred Kirk Douglas for the first time as an ambitious prizefighter in the corrupted world of boxing.
Kramer founded his own production company in 1949 to work in joint ventures with other major film studios especially ‘Columbia Pictures’.
In 1950 he produced ‘The Men’ directed by Fred Zimmerman about the challenges faced by a disabled war veteran played by Marlon Brando.
His next successful production was ‘Death of a Salesman’ in 1951, an adaptation of Arthur Miller’s play.
His western ‘High Noon’ in 1952 won seven ‘Academy Award’ nominations
He produced a surreal fantasy film ‘5,000 Fingers of Dr. T’ in 1953.
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His ‘The Wild One’ (1953) starring Marlon Brando as a brooding biker and ‘The Caine Mutiny’ (1954) which starred Humphrey Bogart were hits.
In 1955 Kramer made his directional debut with ‘Not as a Stranger’ which starred Frank Sinatra, Robert Mitchum and Olivia de Havilland.
He directed ‘The Pride and the Passion’ in 1957 and it starred Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren in the cast.
His success as a director continued with the film ‘The Defiant Ones’ in 1958. It starred Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier as prison escapees trying to overcome racial prejudices.
His next film ‘On The Beach’ (1959) starring Gregory peck, Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins and Fred Astaire was based on a novel by Nevil Shute about nuclear apocalypse.
In 1960 he made the highly acclaimed ‘Inherit the Wind’, an adaptation of a Broadway play written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee. It had Spencer Tracy and Fredric March in the lead roles.
He again cast Spencer Tracy in ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’ in 1961. It was based on the story of the trials of Nazi war criminals.
He tried his hand at comedies such as ‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’ in 1963 with comedians like Sid Caesar, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Jonathan Winters, Milton Berle.
In 1965 he made a drama ‘Ship of Fools’ based on a novel by Katherine Anne Porter about the spread of Nazism and anti-Semitism.
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The comedy-drama ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ in 1967 was his most popular film. It starred Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn and received 10 Oscar nominations.
He directed ‘The Secret of Santa Vittoria’ in 1969. It was a story about Italian villagers trying to hide a cache of wine bottles from the Germans during the Second World War.
The film ‘R.P.M.’ (1970) and ‘Bless the Beast and Children’ (1972) were not received well.
He made ‘Oklahoma Crude’ with George C. Scott and Faye Dunaway in the lead roles in 1973.
He made the TV movies ‘Judgment: The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’ in 1974 and ‘Judgment: The Court Martial of Lieutenant William Calley’ in 1975 based on the ‘My Lai Massacre’ during the Vietnam War.
Kramer returned to the big screen with the ‘The Domino Principle’ in 1977 and ‘The Runner Stumbles’ starring Dick Van Dyke in 1979 which were also flops.
He retired from active film direction in 1980 and later taught filmmaking at the ‘University of Washington’ and ‘Bellevue community College’.
Major Works
Stanley Kramer published his autobiography ‘A Mad Mad Mad Mad World: A Life in Hollywood’ in 1997.
Awards & Achievements
Stanley Kramer received his first ‘Academy Award’ nomination for ‘Best Director’ for the film ‘The Defiant Ones’ in 1958.
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His next nomination for the ‘Academy Award for Best director’ came with ‘Judgment at Nuremberg’ in 1961. Though he did not win the Oscar he was awarded the ‘Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award’ by the ‘Academy’ for making high quality films.
He won his third ‘Academy Award for Best Director’ nomination in 1967 for the film ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’.
He was awarded the ‘Gallatin Medal’ by the ‘New York University’ in 1968.
He received the ‘NAACP Vanguard Award’ in 1998 for strong social themes in films.
Personal Life & Legacy
He married Marilyn Erskine in 1945 but the marriage was annulled after three months.
He married Anne Pearce in 1950 but divorced her in 1963. He had a daughter, Casey and a son, Larry from this marriage.
He married Karen Sharpe on September 1, 1966 who was with him till his death in 2001. He had two daughters, Katharine and Jennifer from this marriage.
Stanley Kramer died of pneumonia in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA on February 19, 2001 at the age of 87.
In 2002 the ‘Stanley Kramer Award’ was established by the ‘Producers Guild of America’ given annually to outstanding filmmakers.
Facts About Stanley Kramer

Stanley Kramer was known for his socially conscious films that tackled important issues such as racism, nuclear war, and human rights.

He was one of the first directors to consistently address controversial topics in mainstream Hollywood cinema.

Kramer was a pioneer in promoting diversity both in front of and behind the camera, working with actors and crew members from various backgrounds.

He received multiple Academy Award nominations for his work, showcasing his talent and impact on the film industry.

Awards

Golden Globe Awards
1962 Best Director Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

See the events in life of Stanley Kramer in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Stanley Kramer Biography
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- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/stanley-kramer-7766.php

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