Berry Kroeger made screen villainy sound almost respectable, using a smooth, radio-trained voice to make unpleasant men worth listening to. We value his supporting work, though repeated casting as a heavy gave him too few opportunities to surprise us.
Fi1m perspective
The voice is smooth; the leer gives rather more away. Berry Kroeger’s heavies combine a radio-trained delivery with a burly presence, so a threat need not arrive at full volume. In Gun Crazy (1950), his Packett is a useful example of how much a supporting actor can establish without becoming the centre of the film. We rate Kroeger as a specialist in these disreputable men, although his readily recognisable manner can leave little room for surprise.
Joseph H. Lewis’s film is the place to begin, provided Kroeger is not the sole reason for choosing it. Peggy Cummins and John Dall carry the crime romance, while Kroeger’s Packett supplies a memorable supporting dose of sleaze. We were tense watching Gun Crazy: Lewis keeps his camera uncomfortably close to the two leads. The writing sometimes simplifies their dependence, but the performances give us ample reason to recommend it without making Kroeger responsible for everything that works.
Radio had already given Kroeger work as a suave lead before films made such regular use of him as a heavy. William Wellman’s The Iron Curtain (1948) began that screen career, followed by the noir parts on which much of his reputation rests. As the crooked lawyer W.A. Niles in Robert Siodmak’s Cry of the City (1948), and as Johnny in Act of Violence (1949), he helped establish the expectation of trouble that accompanied his casting.
Later exploitation work, including Chamber of Horrors (1966) and The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971), kept him close to villainy and eccentricity. There was room for self-mockery on television: a Get Smart appearance had him caricaturing Sydney Greenstreet. The risk with Kroeger is that we recognise the villain before we have much reason to be curious about the man. Start with Gun Crazy, then, and keep an ear on the supporting cast.
Biography
Berry Kroeger was an American actor who appeared in films, television and on stage. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he began his career in radio as an announcer on Suspense and as an actor, including a stint playing The Falcon. He was a regular as Sam Williams on the daytime drama Young Doctor Malone.
Kroeger made his Broadway debut in 1943 and was discovered by director William Wellman while performing in Joan of Lorraine. He began appearing in films in 1948, often cast as villains, including roles in The Iron Curtain (1948), Cry of the City (1948), Act of Violence (1949) and as Packett in Gun Crazy (1950). He portrayed the High Lama in the 1956 Broadway musical Shangri-La.
Kroeger appeared in dozens of television programmes, including seven episodes of Perry Mason, and guest roles in Get Smart and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. His later film credits include Young Frankenstein (1974) and Demon Seed (1977). He died in Los Angeles in 1991.
