Stanley Prager (January 8, 1917 – January 18, 1972) was an American actor and a television and theatre director.

Stanley Prager
Prager inBehind Green Lights (1946)
Born	(1917-01-08)January 8, 1917 New York City, U.S.
Died	January 18, 1972(1972-01-18) (aged 55) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations	Actor theatre director TV producer
Years active	1939–1972
Spouse	Georgann Johnson ​ (m. 1956)​
Children	4

Born in New York City, Prager spent three years atJohns Hopkins University before working in summer stock and onBroadway, where he appeared inThe Skin of Our Teeth andThe Eve of St. Mark.^[1] He appeared in thefilm version ofEve of St. Mark and spent the remainder of the decade acting in mostlyB-movies, with occasional roles in better films such asA Bell for Adano,Gun Crazy,In the Meantime, Darling, andA Foreign Affair. He told an interviewer in 1969 that as an actor he appeared in “all the parts thatPhil Silvers wouldn't play.”^[1]

Prager returned to Broadway and won critical praise in 1951 for his performance in theComden and Green revue,Two on the Aisle. He played Faker Englund in a 1953 revival ofRoom Service, and in 1954 he was Prez inThe Pajama Game.^[1]

In the early 1950s, Prager wasblacklisted.^[2] In March 1953, former screenwriterBart Lytton, told theHouse Un-American Activities Committee that Prager was among the persons he had seen atCommunist Party meetings.^[3]

In August 1955, Prager and other performers refused to answer questions when called before the Committee, saying that "I believe that what I think and what I say and with whom I associate is not this committee's concern."^[4] In July 1956, Prager was one of seven witnesses, including playwrightArthur Miller, who were cited for contempt of Congress of Congress by the House of Representatives. The other six included stage actress Sarah Cunningham, her husbandJohn Randolph, and actorsLou Polan andGeorge Tyne.^[5]

CriticHoward Kissel recounted in 1998 that the backers were wary of casting Prager for the play. The directorGeorge Abbott called a meeting of the creative staff and told them of the backers' concerns. He decided to retain Prager.^[2] According to a 1976 newspaper account, Abbott decided to renew Prager's contract early in 1955 so that he would not be fired when he appeared before the committee. According to Kissel, Prager was given a run of the play contract in 1954 despite his blacklisting,^[2][6]

He subsequently began directing withNeil Simon'sCome Blow Your Horn in 1961. Additional theatre directing credits includeBravo Giovanni,Minnie's Boys,Don't Drink the Water, and70, Girls, 70.

Prager's television directing credits includeThe Love Song of Barney Kempinski forABC Stage 67,Car 54, Where Are You?, andThe Patty Duke Show. For producerSidney Pink, Prager directed two films in Europe:Madigan's Millions the first film to starDustin Hoffman, andBang Bang Kid starringTom Bosley andGuy Madison.

Prager married actressGeorgann Johnson in 1956.^[7] They remained together until his death on January 18, 1972, while on a business trip to Los Angeles. The couple had four daughters, Carol, Ann, Sally and Molly.^[1]

• Stanley Prager at theInternet Broadway Database
• Stanley Prager atIMDb