Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Otto Kruger

American actor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Otto Kruger
Remove ads

Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974)[1] was an American actor. Originally a Broadway matinée idol, he established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as in Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942) and Douglas Sirk's Magnificent Obsession (1954). He appeared in more than 120 film, television and stage roles between 1915 and 1965.

Quick facts Born, Died ...
Remove ads

Early life and education

Kruger was born in Toledo, Ohio,[2] the son of Bernard Alben Kruger and Elizabeth Winers Kruger.[3] His family was of German and South African descent, he was the grandnephew of South African president Paul Kruger.[4]

Kruger was musically trained, but switched careers and became an actor after studying engineering at the University of Michigan,[3] completing his studies at Columbia University.[4]

Remove ads

Career

Summarize
Perspective

Making his Broadway debut in 1915,[5][6] Kruger quickly became a matinee idol.[4] Though he started to get noticed in the early 1920s, it was the 1930s when his career was at its height. His sound film debut came in Turn Back the Clock (1933)[3] and he made an appearance in the film Chained (1934).[7]

Though he played the hero on occasion, for most of his career, he played the main villain or a charming or corrupt businessman.[8] One of his best known roles was in the Douglas Sirk film Magnificent Obsession (1954).[9] Kruger played the supporting role of Judge Percy Mettrick, who unsuccessfully urges Will Kane to leave town in High Noon (1952).[10] Kruger is also remembered for playing the villain Tobin in Alfred Hitchcock's spy film Saboteur (1942) and mob boss Stevens in the film noir 711 Ocean Drive (1950).[7]

Thumb
Kruger in Dracula's Daughter (1936)

His television roles included those of Dr. Mumford in the 1959 episode "Experiments in Terror" of the NBC science fiction/adventure series The Man and the Challenge,[citation needed] as Ben Tully in "Gun City" of the ABC western series, The Rebel,[11] as Franklyn Malleson Ghentin in the 1961 episode "A Fool for a Client" of James Whitmore ABC's legal drama, The Law and Mr. Jones,[12] and as Karl in the episode "Quite a Woman" of the short-lived 1961 CBS series The Investigators starring James Franciscus.[citation needed]

Kruger made four guest appearances on CBS's Perry Mason.[13] In his first two appearances, "The Case of the Grumbling Grandfather" (1961) and "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank" (1962), he was cast as Mason's client, and in both episodes was the title character.[14][15] In his final appearance, he played Judge Norris in "The Case of the Missing Button" (1964).[16]

In 1955, he appeared in the live telecast of The Desert Song as General Birabeau. [citation needed]

Remove ads

Personal life

On March 20, 1920, Kruger married Broadway actress[17][18][19] Susan "Sue" MacManamy. Their daughter, Ottilie Kruger (1926–2005),[20] was also an actress and was the first wife of pioneering cinematographer Gayne Rescher.[21]

In 1960, Kruger suffered a stroke. He continued his career, with some difficulty, for another four years before retiring from acting.

Kruger supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election.[22]

Death

Kruger died at the Motion Picture and Television Country House[23] in Woodland Hills, California, on his 89th birthday.

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Film ...

Television

Remove ads

Partial list of appearances on radio

Kruger appeared as Mr. Hardecker in "After Dinner Story" (airdate October 26, 1943; story by Cornell Woolrich) from the Suspense radio program series.[citation needed]

Awards and honors

Kruger was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; one for TV and one for film.[23]

Notes

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads