Born in Brooklyn, NY. Highly regarded producer responsible for several films dealing with social issues in the 1950s and 60s. Kramer began his career in the mid-1930s in a variety of minor jobs and produced his first feature, the comedy SO THIS IS NEW YORK, in 1948. Over the next seven years he worked with some of Hollywood's most gifted writers and directors, including Mark Robson and blacklistees Edward Dmytryk and Carl Foreman. Notable achievements of this period include CHAMPION (1949), THE MEN and CYRANO DE BERGERAC (both 1950) and DEATH OF A SALESMAN (1951). The year 1952 saw seven Kramer productions, including THE SNIPER, THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING, THE FOUR POSTER and the classic Western HIGH NOON. Other notable films produced by Kramer (which he did not also direct) include THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T and THE WILD ONE (both 1953) and THE CAINE MUTINY (1954). Kramer's career as a director began in 1955 with NOT AS A STRANGER and, though uneven, was not without its triumphs. He earned best director Oscar® nominations for THE DEFIANT ONES (1958), a racial drama featuring one white and one black escapee from a chain gang; JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961), a war crimes trial saga marred by its unrelieved solemnity and flashy camerawork; and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967), in which sterling performances by Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn overcome a saccharine screenplay. Other notable directing credits include THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION (1957), ON THE BEACH (1959), INHERIT THE WIND (1960), IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963), SHIP OF FOOLS (1965, THE SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA (1969), R.P.M. (1970), BLESS THE BEASTS AND CHILDREN (1971), OKLAHOMA CRUDE (1973), "Judgment: The Court Martial of Lieutenant William Calley" (1975, TV), THE DOMINO PRINCIPLE (1977) -- all of which he also produced -- and THE RUNNER STUMBLES (1979).  Nominated for Best Picture 1952: HIGH NOON - Producer  Nominated for Best Picture 1954: THE CAINE MUTINY - Producer  Nominated for Directing 1958: THE DEFIANT ONES  Nominated for Best Picture 1958: THE DEFIANT ONES - Producer  Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award 1961.  Nominated for Directing 1961: JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG  Nominated for Best Picture 1961: JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG - Producer  Nominated for Best Picture 1965: SHIP OF FOOLS - Producer  Nominated for Directing 1967: GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER  Nominated for Best Picture 1967: GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER - Producer 9 nominations, 1 Honorary Award