Stanley Kramer’s win for Best Comedy or Musical was neither a critical nor box office success, even though it was based on a best-selling novel. But the award served as a fitting close to a glorious career of one of Hollywood’s most creative producers. True, after that he directed three other movies but they went largely unnoticed in contrast to his 20-year output, which resulted in 45 Golden Globe nominations for films he produced including those after 1958, which he directed as well:1950 Cyrano de BergeracJosé Ferrer1951 Death of a SalesmanFredric March1952 High NoonGary Cooper1953 The Happy Time, 4 nominations1959 The Defiant Ones, 5 nominations, 1 win Best Drama1960 Inherit the Wind, 2 nominations1961 Judgment at Nuremberg, 6 nominations. 2 wins including Stanley Kramer Best director, Maximilian Schell Best Actor1963 It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, 2 nominations1965 Ship of Fools, 3 nominations1967 Guess Who’s to Coming Dinner, 6 nominations
The Secret of Santa VittoriaIntruder in the Dust, The Asphalt Jungle,and. Both of its stars were nominated for Golden Globes for Best Actor (Anthony Quinn) and Best Actress (Anna Magnani) in a musical or comedy. The surprise winner that year was Midnight Cowboy, the only X-rated movie ever to win an Oscar, although the X would translate to an R in today’s climate. In the Drama department, the Hollywood Foreign Press preferred Anne of a Thousand Days. The biggest shocker of the evening was Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. The other nominees were Ingrid Bergman, Shirley MacLaine, and Barbra Streisand. And the surprise winner was Patty Duke for Me, Natalie. In accepting the award she agreed, “This is insanity.”The HFPA was vindicated, however, when they were first to give John Wayne his long overdue recognition for True Grit. Best Actor in a Musical was Peter O’Toole for his singing role in the remake of Goodbye Mr. Chips.