Abe Kroll Movies

A dentist with showbiz aspirations, Abe Kroll loved writing radio and stage plays in his spare time. He also enjoyed painting and tap dancing. He did most of his work during the 1920s and 1930s; at his peak, Kroll was writing comedy material for artists such as Jack Benny and Willie and Eugene Howard. Kroll was the creator of the favorite radio show House Party, which years later became a popular television show starring Art Linkletter. Kroll did not learn to tap dance until he was in his seventies. He got to be pretty good at it and appeared throughout New York, and occasionally on television, billing himself as the Dancing Dentist. Kroll made one film appearance, playing a small part in Elaine May's Ishtar (1987). ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Ishtar: 1987; PG13

Considered one of the great box-office turkeys of its decade, Ishtar was an attempt by writer/director Elaine May and stars Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty to do a modern-day road picture in the style of the much-loved Bob Hope and Bing Crosby comedy classics. Beatty is Lyle Rogers, a dimwitted songwriter who befriends and partners with Chuck Clarke (Hoffman), who is only slightly more intelligent but every bit as untalented. Together the duo dreams of becoming a big-time lounge act, but their songs, with titles like "That a Lawnmower Can Do All That," are unintentionally hilarious. Chuck becomes suicidal, but just when it seems they'll never strike it rich, the boys are offered a shady gig at a North African hotel, entertaining U.S. troops stationed in the tiny nation of Ishtar. On their way to accept the job, Lyle, Chuck, and their blind camel are sidetracked by a mysterious woman (Isabelle Adjani) and a scheming CIA agent (Charles Grodin), who are involved in a rebellion against the country's emir. The memorable songs crafted by Chuck and Lyle were written by actor and composer Paul Williams. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Starring:: Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, (more)

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Abe Kroll Movies

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