Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Berry Kroeger (October 16, 1912 – January 4, 1991) was an American film, television and stage actor.
Early years
Kroeger was born in San Antonio, Texas.
Career
Kroeger got his acting start on radio as an announcer on Suspense and as an actor, playing for a time The Falcon in the radio series Also on radio, he portrayed Dr. Reed Bannister on Big Sister, narrated Salute to Youth, and was a regular as Sam Williams on Young Doctor Malone.
Kroeger debuted on Broadway in The World's Full of Girls (1943) and went on to appear in Reclining Figure (1954), Julius Caesar (1950), and The Tempest (1944). He portrayed the High Lama in the 1956 musical adaptation of Lost Horizon titled Shangri-La.
Kroeger was discovered by filmmaker William Wellman while performing on Broadway and began appearing in films with his role in The Iron Curtain (1948). He specialized in playing slimy bad guys in films like Act of Violence (1948), The Iron Curtain (1948), a crooked lawyer in Cry of the City (1948) and a heavy in Joseph H. Lewis' crime film, Gun Crazy (1949). His flair for decadent leering and evil scowls often led to his being cast in "schlock fare", like Chamber of Horrors (1966) and The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971). He appeared in a small role as a village elder in Young Frankenstein (1974).
He appeared in dozens of television programs. He guest starred on seven episodes of Perry Mason, including murderer Edgar Whitehead in the episode, "The Case of the Blind Man's Bluff" (1961), murder victim Kirk Cameron in the episode, "The Case of the Illicit Illusion" and Rexford Wyler in the episode "The Case of the Wooden Nickels" (both 1964).He also appeared in shows such as Hawaiian Eye, 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 (1977).
Death
On January 4, 1991, Berry Kroeger died of kidney failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 78. He was survived by his wife and a sister.
