Berry Kroeger
Encyclopedia
Berry Kroeger was an American
film, television, and stage actor
.
Born in San Antonio, Texas
, Kroeger got his acting start on radio
as an announcer and actor, playing for a time The Falcon
and The Shadow
. He was discovered by filmmaker William Wellman while performing on Broadway
and began appearing in films in 1948 with his role in The Iron Curtain.
Kroeger specialized in playing slimy bad guys in films like Act of Violence (1948) and The Iron Curtain
(1948), a crooked lawyer in Cry of the City
(1948) and a heavy in Joseph H. Lewis' cult crime classic, Gun Crazy
(1949). His flair for decadent leering and evil scowls often led to his being cast in "schlock fare" like, 1966's Chamber of Horrors and 1971's The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant. He appeared in a small role as a village elder in Young Frankenstein
(1974). He also appeared in dozens of television programs, guest starring on shows such as Get Smart
(as a character spoofing actor Sydney Greenstreet
) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
. His last major film role was in 1977's The Demon Seed.
On Broadway, Kroeger portrayed the High Lama in the ill-fated 1956 musical adaptation of Lost Horizon
entitled Shangri-La
.
On January 4, 1991, Berry Kroeger died of kidney failure.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film, television, and stage actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Born in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Kroeger got his acting start on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
as an announcer and actor, playing for a time The Falcon
The Falcon (literary character)
The character of Gay Stanhope Falcon, also known simply as The Falcon, was created in 1940 by Michael Arlen in his short story, "Gay Falcon", which was first published in 1940 in Town & Country magazine...
and The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
. He was discovered by filmmaker William Wellman while performing on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and began appearing in films in 1948 with his role in The Iron Curtain.
Kroeger specialized in playing slimy bad guys in films like Act of Violence (1948) and The Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain (film)
The Iron Curtain is a 1948 black-and-white thriller film starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney. The film was supposedly based on the memoirs of Igor Gouzenko . The film was directed by William Wellman with photography done on location in Ottawa, Canada by Charles G. Clarke. The film was later...
(1948), a crooked lawyer in Cry of the City
Cry of the City
Cry of the City is a 1948 black-and-white film noir directed by Robert Siodmak based on the novel by Henry Edward Helseth, The Chair for Martin Rome. Veteran film noir-writer Ben Hecht worked on the film's script, but is not credited...
(1948) and a heavy in Joseph H. Lewis' cult crime classic, Gun Crazy
Gun Crazy
Gun Crazy is a 1950 film noir feature film starring Peggy Cummins and John Dall in a story about the crime-spree of a gun-toting husband and wife. The film was directed by Joseph H. Lewis, and produced by Frank King and Maurice King...
(1949). His flair for decadent leering and evil scowls often led to his being cast in "schlock fare" like, 1966's Chamber of Horrors and 1971's The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant. He appeared in a small role as a village elder in Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The supporting cast includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard...
(1974). He also appeared in dozens of television programs, guest starring on shows such as Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
(as a character spoofing actor Sydney Greenstreet
Sydney Greenstreet
Sydney Hughes Greenstreet was an English actor. He is best known for his Warner Bros. films with Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre, which include The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca .-Biography:...
) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
. His last major film role was in 1977's The Demon Seed.
On Broadway, Kroeger portrayed the High Lama in the ill-fated 1956 musical adaptation of Lost Horizon
Lost Horizon (novel)
Lost Horizon is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamasery high in the mountains of Tibet.-Overview:...
entitled Shangri-La
Shangri-La (musical)
Shangri-La is a musical with a book and lyrics by James Hilton, Jerome Lawrence, and Robert E. Lee and music by Harry Warren.Based on Hilton's classic 1933 novel Lost Horizon, it focuses on Hugh Conway, a veteran member of the British diplomatic service, who stumbles across a utopian lamasery high...
.
On January 4, 1991, Berry Kroeger died of kidney failure.