A Movie Nearly Every Night: The Unintentional Berry Kroeger Double Feature

Gun Crazy (1950)
Dir. Joseph H. Lewis
Starring: Peggy Cummins, John Dall, Berry Kroeger

Man in the Vault (1956)
Dir. Andrew V. McLaglen
Starring: William Campbell, Karen Sharpe, Anita Ekberg, Berry Kroeger

sha-doo-bee, shattered shattered

That's right, Berry as in berry, don't call him Barry. Berry was one of the hardest working character actors in show biz. Sometimes he was credited (Max in The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant); sometimes he wasn't (U.S. Army General in Tora! Tora! Tora!), but he kept working up through the late 70's.

By accident or fate or karma, over the space of only a couple of days I caught two of his more prominent roles: carnival huckster Packett in Gun Crazy and smarmy budget gangster Willis Trent in Man in the Vault.

"You said we could use the pool until you got back."

We originally rented Man in the Vault because it starred William "Squire of Gothos" Campbell as honest-John locksmith Tommy Dancer.

"Dear captain, so many questions. Make the most of an uncertain future."

I had seen part of it on Turner Classic Movies one night when I couldn't sleep and not only was I pleased to recognize the Squire, I also loved the use of a bowling alley as a film noir set. The plot's pretty simple --- will the good guy turn bad to save the girl --- with some kooky twists that aren't especially surprising, but have just enough difference from typical plot patterns to make them interesting.

The "man" actually goes in a vault. I know, weird, huh?

A study in the art of calculated squinting

As Trent, Berry is soft and disturbing. He propositions Tommy for work in a way that ... well, that's like he's propositioning Tommy, and the Squire's got just enough of a lispy voice that between them there's this crazy homo-erotic undertone. After awhile you realize this undertone exists between all of the men in this movie, regardless of how many dames fill the spaces.

One of the "dames"
"That Anita's got a lovely mouth, don't you think?"

John Mitchum as Tommy's bowling pal, Andy, years before linguine made him Dirty Harry's round partner.

It's the interactions between them all -- men and women, men and men, good and bad -- that promotes this from being a typical B-picture to an almost-A. Who cares about the plot? It's what they don't say that counts. You should watch it --

-- although it hardly compares to the mad genius of Gun Crazy.

Peggy Cummins puts one between your eyes.

Talk about sexual undertones! I swear, every time John Dall shoots his gun Peggy Cummins just about jumps on him. So long Production Code! Hello cinema rebellion!

Russ Tamblyn as young Bart.
You'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands, teacher.

It starts off with the younger days of Bart Tare (John Dall). He's a good kid. He just likes guns. But he won't kill anything and there's a disturbing prologue to tell you why. After a stint in reform school and the army, Bart comes back and spends a life-changing night at the carnival where he meets Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins).

Putting down bets - his money, her ring and Berry's job

Berry plays Packett, a carnival caller who works Annie's sharp-shooter show. He's an unsavory character who shares a bad streak with Annie, but it's not enough. Packett can tell early on that he can't compete with Bart. If he could shoot, maybe he'd have a chance, but all he can do is huck the shooter and that's not going to help him hold onto a crazy, violent chick like Annie.

Berry already gets edged out

The carnival shoot-off between Bart and Annie is particularly interesting, especially when they're lighting the match crowns. Annie goes first and misses the last match.

Annie lighting Bart's fire

Bart lights them all and the reaction from Berry is priceless. He knows he's going to eventually lose this one, professionally and sexually.

Berry with some of the worst interior decorating in cinema history

He's broken, drunk, lost without his star/Starr. He can't even stand up straight as she drops him. It's a small role, but pivotal. He's so weak and unstable compared to tall, straight-shooter Bart that you almost feel sorry for him, until he gets back at them later with a desperate, but important public act of revenge.

Unfortunately for Berry, one of the most famous moments of the movie doesn't involve him at all. It's one continuous take as Annie and Bart drive through town looking for a place to park so Bart can hold up a bank. We ride with them for the whole trip, accomplices to the heist, and it's strangely normal since for most of the take they're just looking for a parking space.

It's like riding with your parents (if your parents were bank robbers).

Annie has an uncomfortable moment with a cop outside the bank

Not to give away too much, but continuously robbing people can't go well for long and they end up hiding out with Bart's sister, Ruby. She married young, popped out a family of kids, and has led the poor life of a lonely, but honest housewife. She's what Bart might have been if he'd stayed in his small town and Annie has nothing but contempt for her.

Mom, man and moll -- is anyone happy with their choices?

Ruby doesn't have a perfect life, but she's not on the run either, and you can see it working on Bart's conscience and Annie's nerves. The longer they stay with Ruby the worse Annie gets, her bad-side getting the better of her when they have to go on the run again. It's a tense moment for Bart, a good man in a bad situation, and as they go further and further away from the city and into nature, the dichotomy between the gun crazy lovers expands until there's no way out but ... well, you'll see.

I hope you don't expect a happy ending.