kramer attended dewitt clinton high school in the bronx, where he graduated at age fifteen. he then enrolled in new york university where he became a member of the pi lambda phi fraternity and wrote a weekly column for the "medley" newspaper. he graduated in 1933 at the age of nineteen with a degree in business administration. after developing a "zest for writing" with the newspaper, notes biographer donald spoto, he was offered a paid internship in the writing department of 20th century fox and moved to hollywood. until receiving that writing job, he had planned to enroll in law school.