Pat Hingle dies at 84

[blogslut]

Source: L.A. Times

Pat Hingle, the veteran actor with more than half a century of impressive work in theater, film and television who was perhaps best known to a generation of movie fans as Commissioner James Gordon in the first four "Batman" films, has died. He was 84.

Hingle died Saturday night of myelodysplasia, a type of blood cancer, at his home in Carolina Beach, N.C., according to Lynn Heritage, a cousin who was acting as a spokesperson for the family.

He wasn't a household name, but his solid, broad, hang-dog screen face became a household image. On film, he worked with stars ranging from Clint Eastwood to the Muppets. He was Sally Field's father in "Norma Rae" and Warren Beatty's in "Splendor in the Grass." He played the bartender who needles Marlon Brando about his former prize-fight style in "On the Waterfront," and he was the sadistic crime boss who terrorizes Anjelica Huston with a bag of oranges in "The Grifters."

Hingle had an illustrious Broadway career and was in the original casts of some of the great plays in American theater, including "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" and "J.B."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-hingle5-2009jan05,0,3930028.story

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I always loved him. He was just so fine.

[sutz12]

1. Great character actor that brought something to every role.

Best wishes to his family.

[Oceansaway]

2. R.I.P. Commissioner Gordon...n/t

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Great actor - very underrated...

Rest in peace, Pat.:(

[AllieB]

4. What a great actor.

He was great in 'The Grifters'.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh

Smiling and putting Anjelica Huston's character at ease and then putting his cigar out on her hand.

The most malevolent single act in any movie I've ever seen, and I never saw it coming.

Brilliant actor. I had no idea he was that old. And a WWII and Korea veteran, too.

Quite a guy.

[islandmkl]

5. he was SO good at his characters....

he had a fine career, which is near impossible for professional actors...

[louis-t]

6. Was he in a M*A*S*H episode?

April Fools joke where he pretended to have a heart attack? I'll look.

[waiting for hope]

8. Yes - he did:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638248/

On Edit - posted wrong link

[louis-t]

10. Thanks, I was wading through all the episodes.

Couldn't find a list of actors, even though I found the episode.

[Dennis Donovan]

9. OMG - a CLASSIC M*A*S*H episode!

:rofl:

[waiting for hope]

7. They had a really nice tribute on

WECT this morning - Carolina Beach is a stones throw for me. The blurb on the website is small to what they had to say this morning - http://www.wect.com/global/story.asp?s=9617262

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Pat was smooooth

Sad news indeed.

[Lautremont]

13. He was great in Maximum Overdrive, of all things.

"I gotta wipe everyone's ass around here!"

[Bette Noir]

14. RIP.

Every Boomer knew and loved him.

[NBachers]

15. Our trails have crossed many times . . .

I checked him out in IMDB - Boy, he goes all the way back . . .

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0385757/

[redirish28]

16. First catwoman now Commissioner Gordon....very sad.

[Libertas1776]

17. The curtain falls on a distinguished life...

A truly great actor!

Everyone especially remembers him as Commissioner Gordon in the batman movies...but I remember seeing his great work as far back as an old episode of the Twilight Zone.


He will me missed :cry:

[PSPS]

18. Great role as the sheriff in the "Amazing Stories" episode called "Santa '85"