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He and the 3 other boys who made the first film also created the first Junior Achievement film production company in America while in tenth grade. They named it �Titanico� because the suburb Westerville gang were sure the inner city Columbus kids would sink it. (They did but not before Cromer produced his next super 8mm classic called Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde and Herbie.)
After six short years at the Ohio State University, Cromer earned his B.A. in Photography and Cinema. Inspired by Steve Martin, he took to the comedy stage in 1979 and later worked as a double act with a deranged pal (who hates being called deranged) as The Kamikazee Brothers.
In 1991 Cromer completed his first unpublished (as yet) comic novel TAKE A BULLET after spending two years as a private detective in Houston, Texas. He shot the comedy pilot of his soap opera satire Living for Today at Otterbein College. In 1996 he wrote and directed the comedy short Dead Girls Are Easy. (still unreleased)
From 1997-2000, Cromer wrote comedy bits for national radio�s American Comedy Network and "The Gary Burbank Show" (later producing a documentary about Burbank called INSIDE THE BBC). He also completed the script for PIGS in 1999 and was left at the altar twice: once by a Japanese studio and then in 2005 by a millionaire friend.
He landed in Los Angeles in July 2001 and produced WHAT�S YOUR BEEF? a live Hollywood show on cable access TV to no great response.
He made national news when he and two friends commandeered a 1957 stretch muscle-car limousine past hundreds of police and the FBI to ride up to the Oscar�s red carpet with a fake limo pass.
By 2006 Cromer wrote a buddy pic for Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams called Saving the Coot. Winters approved the script but Williams was in rehab and by the time he got out, JW backed out because of his frail health. On January 6, 2007 the Ohio Historical Society premiered Cromer's first feature film TV CLOWN: the True Story of Flippo, King of Clowns.
July 14, 2008 was when Conan O'Brien aired Cromer's first animation. In December 2008 Cromer optioned the book "Fouled Away: the Baseball Tragedy of Hack Wilson" and wrote the screenplay "The Slugger". Cromer has begun his second documentary feature "My Cartoon Life" featuring his original cartoons and clips from his early standup career.
"Breakfast With BUKOWSKI" won the 2012 Slamdance Social Shorties.
He is teaching "How to Be a Stand-up in a Sit-down World" for comedy virgins in Tucson, Arizona at the Unscrewed Theater and will author a book on the subject.
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Welcome to the Rileys (2010)
p e r f e c t movie
Realistic, hard-core, weepy, funny, stark! Tennessee Williams lives again in Ken Hixon! Perfect cast: James Gandolfini is fantastic as this big oaf sentimentalist who doesn't want to see his tombstone while he's still alive and so he lives every moment. Then there is his wife played by Melissa Leo, what she does in the driveway is laugh-out-loud funny. And finally, the great trio includes Kristen Stewart who is amazing (and whoever did her whore make-up--kudos!) as this worn-out sexual fighter who plays the lowest of the low with such warped dignity that I just want to hand her an Oscar now. And finally, New Orleans is the fourth character as a city that is also beat-up and striving for a rebirth, so I guess you could say she plays herself.
Ken Hixon, I pledge to watch every thing you create 'cause you are the snake's suspenders!
Young People's Specials: My Father the Clown (1985)
My Father the Clown starred "Flippo the King of Clowns"
This made-for-TV movie features the relationship of a clown and his daughter. It starred real-life clown "Flippo" of Central Ohio fame. The plot is predictable afternoon special fare: daughter who is ashamed/embarrassed by her father's profession but eventually overcomes the estrangement through her father's love.
This would have been much better if Bob Marvin had contributed his real life experiences with his own children. I believe he did it as a favor to Gene the producer.
To find out more about Flippo aka Bob Marvin aka Marvin Fishman, please go to his official site: flippotheclown.com Thank you, Frank Cromer The Clown's last manager and producer
Happy, Texas (1999)
Happy, Texas left me unhappy
Good premise, forced Zahn comedy, forced love stories, GREAT MACY as always. When I watched the 2nd time (yesteday), I found it even harder to get through. The Director/Writer special feature on the DVD was enlightening and will encourage any wannabee filmmaker.
The hard part to believe is that in 1999 this film made it to Sundance and was picked up by Miramax. This just needed a better script and less forced plot to be an interesting character film. Seems like everyone wants to make a quirky FARGO but ends up with broad, contrived, unfunny small-town characters.
I am currently in pre-production on my first feature film called "PIGS" and I base my own comedy on 2 things: real situations, fresh characters who are complex to the point that their inadequacies prompt conflict with other characters. Plus I've got a killer Amish sub-plot that is a twisted WITNESS tale. (Am I talking about my own film too much? It's only because I have to fill these 10 stupid lines and I've said everything about Happy.)