you're welcome! i'm glad you know who he is and appreciate the card haha :]

Yes, I totally do! And, I have recently become familiar with a number of his films. One of my dad’s favorite movies is Inherit the Wind (1960).

Stanley Kramer’s filmography as a whole—-both as director and producer—-is pretty impressive, I think. But, what I hate is that regardless of how impressive his resume is, as you’ve said and indicated, he seems to be a bit under-appreciated and not well-known enough, for some strange reason. Even some of his films are hard to come by, such as the 1979 drama (his last), The Runner Stumbles, starring Dick Van Dyke as a priest who falls in-love with a nun (based on a true story)! And that, I simply can’t wrap my head around!

I mean, Dick Van Dyke was a veritable TV icon, and needless to say, Kramer worked with the best of the best! And, the fact that he was one of, if not *the first* independent film-maker in the business while still maintaining strong ties in the industry was really a feat! Plus, as you may gather from the two titles I mentioned already, the majority of his films veered on the controversial side, made news, and helped to change laws (i.e. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner helping to change the law about interracial marriage I think, and I heard that Bless the Beasts and Children had a similar impact on animal rights). Yet, relatively little is known about him compared to others. But, I really want to see his last film! I hope TCM shows it soon!

Great Performances: Season 25, Episode 6 Musicals Great Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit at MGM (2 Dec. 1996)

                                      

Tonight on TCM, I saw a positively fabulous documentary on a wonderful film-maker, Mr. Arthur Freed. With such films as “Meet Me In St. Louis” (1944), “Singin’ In The Rain” (1952) and “An American in Paris” (1951), it’s no wonder then, that Joe Pasternak, admiringly referred to his unit as the “royalty” of MGM.

The one part of the documentary that probably summed Freed up the best was this (paraphrased):

“Almost the entire production-team of the Arthur Freed film, Gigi was together in one room, including star, Leslie Caron and director, Vincent Minnelli, and many others. And this lady named Hermione said, “You know, I’ve heard quite a lot about Mr. Freed, but I’m not exactly sure what his talent is. Could you tell me what some of his pluses are?” And, a fella at the table replied, “We’re all here. He brings us together.”