in 1951, columbia pictures president harry cohn offered kramer's company an opportunity to form a production unit working with his studio. kramer was given free rein over what films he chose to make, along with a budget of nearly a million dollars each. kramer agreed to a five-year contract during which time he would produce twenty films. however, kramer would later state that the agreement was "one of the most dangerous and foolhardy moves of my entire career." he agreed to the commitment because of his "deep-seated desire to direct," he states, along with the security of ready studio financing.