| Berry Kroeger | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 16, 1912 San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Died | January 4, 1991 (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, United States |
Berry Kroeger (October 16, 1912 - January 4, 1991) 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.
Turner Classic Movies