Stanley Kramer

Who was Stanley Kramer?

Stanley Earl Kramer was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message movies", and becoming one of the nation's most respected filmmakers. As an independent producer and director, he distinguished himself and his films by bringing attention to topical social issues that most studios avoided. Among the subjects covered in his films were racism, nuclear war, greed, creationism vs. evolution and the causes and effects of fascism.

Despite the controversial subjects of his films, many of which received mixed reviews, the film industry nonetheless recognized their importance and quality during most of his career, awarding his films sixteen Academy Awards and eighty nominations. He was nominated nine times as either producer or director.

His notable films include High Noon, The Caine Mutiny, The Defiant Ones, On the Beach, Inherit the Wind, Judgment at Nuremberg, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Ship of Fools and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. After a string of unsuccessful productions in the 1970s, he retired from films.