A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: A Life in Hollywood

by Stanley Kramer, Thomas H. Coffey, Sidney Poitier (Preface by)

One of Hollywood's most famous and controversial filmmakers shares his fascinating reminiscences about the world of film, offering anecdotes about the notable actors and actresses with whom he has worked, his various movies, and his personal life.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

251 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1997

Reviews

[M.R. Dowsing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir barely skims the surface of Kramer's private life, focusing instead on the genesis and making of each of his movies, some of which receive more attention than others. There are some interesting behind-the-scenes stories and it's an entertaining, light read, but it never really goes very deep.

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly incomplete book by famous filmmaker that slights some of his best known movies, ignores others, and spends too much time on some we've never heard of. Through it all Kramer is repetitive in his praise for his co-workers (especially going overboard on Spencer Tracy) and in his need to push his progressive liberal political agenda.

He has certainly made an interesting set of classic movies, but based on what he writes here most of them were flops. Each chapter is pretty much the same--he explains where the idea of a film came from, how he talked a studio head into paying for it, why he selected actors, and how the movie didn't do as well as expected. It's the same outline over and over. In some cases he adds a few interesting stories but many times he seems to be just writing off the top of his head with a defective memory instead of going back into his files to give specifics.

Most disappointing is that he devotes less than 12 pages to the title movie. And most of that is his wasted paragraph-by-paragraph of the background of each of the comedians he hired. There is virtually nothing about the making of the movie in this book other than it being shot in part near Palm Springs. It's probably his film that will last the longest in rerun history and that had so many intricate parts that could be described, yet it gets shortchanged here.

Meanwhile Not as a Stranger gets the same number of pages. Home of the Brave gets more. Ever heard of those? Award winners like Inherit the Wind and Judgment at Nuremberg get less. It makes no sense, especially when he summarizes in three pages the six of his last seven films! It seems like a misjudgment. Much like his insisting on making most of his movies in black-and-white, which should have been made in color.

If he would have spent more time doing some actual research into his own productions and giving us more details it could have been a successful book; instead we get him telling us why communism isn't so bad, how religious fundamentalists need to learn free speech (while hypocritically objecting to their protesting his movies), and why he wants to pretend like his pictures aren't propaganda pieces. A case could be made that he was the original Hollywood radical that used movies to push a lop-sided liberal viewpoint, which has grown to infiltrate the entire industry today. Too bad he doesn't do a complete job making that point.

[Steve Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A serviceable memoir of producer/director Stanley Kramer’s career in motion pictures. Kramer discusses his film successes and failures and brings interesting backstory to them. I will say that I grew tired of his tendency to explain away one box office flop after another.

One would think that after so many years at his craft Kramer would have keyed in better on the essential elements of success. Periodically he would have roaring successes like “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” or “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”, but one sees these as almost accidental, as if Kramer had succeeded in spite of himself.

Stanley Kramer’s inclination always ran toward social commentary in his films, but what if as the commentator your perspective is slightly off target - or so on target as to be pedantic where one wants to be artful?

Still, Kramer made the films he wanted to make even if he himself was never truly satisfied with them and could never quite put his finger on why.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Step behind the scenes of a Hollywood producer who has brought so many great stories to life. This is an interesting read and a sneak peek at the real happenings in an unreal world.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personable and frank, this was a joy to read for the movie and the people he met, but it lacked a confidence and insight into himself that would have been nice to read.

[Eve Diana]

eh

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great memoir by producer/director Stanley Kramer, primarily discussing the films he first worked on as a producer, then began directing. He directed such classics as the title film (unusual for him to do a comedy film, and then do one of the best ever done); Judgment at Nuremberg; Inherit the Wind; Ship of Fools; On the Beach; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner; and many more.

My only complaint is that I wish each chapter on the movies he directed would have been much longer, and a few more anecdotes about the making of each film included. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable book.

**#7 of 120 books pledged to read/review in 2016**

[Anna Valenzuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it interesting to read about the behind the scenes coming & goings of the movie business.