Pat Hingle, 1924-2009
AP News reports that Pat Hingle, the actor whose career included a recurring role as Commissioner Gordon in four Batmanfilms from 1989 to 1997, died at his home in Carolina Beach shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday after battling blood cancer. He was 84.
His career in movies and television spanned six decades, and he was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1958. Hingle’s last movie was "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which was released in 2006.
I was lucky enough to see him perform on Braodway a decade ago, playing Ben Franklin in 1776 opposite Brent Spiner as John Adams. And much to my surprise, he was the original choice to play Elmer Gantry in the movie, before an accident knocked him out of the role and handed it to Burt Lancaster.
He will be missed.
Who will tell us about the oranges now?
Congratulations, you've stumped the band with that subreference. Oranges?
Pat Hingle played Bobo Justus in The Grifters. He had one scene, but he stole the film. And this is a film that featured Annete Bening naked.He asks Angelica Huston to explain what oranges are used for. They are used to simulate injuries gained in a car accident. The subject is beaten with a towel filled with oranges. If done "right", the process leaves huge bruises. If done wrong, it causes permanent gastrointestinal damage, or as he puts it, "You never crap right again".That was the film that made him stop being "Commissioner Gordon" in my head.
Aha. I was reminded to see that film by the passing of Donald Westlake last week (he wrote the screenplay and got an Oscar nomination for it), now I have another reason.
Hingle could light up the screen with intense critique of the character he was addressing–while he was tearing the butt off someone starting with the phrase "who do you think you are…" you knew you were in for a treat…his sincerity and believability stopped the movie…when he sends cops up to the Joker's lair in Batman 1989–he says "be careful" in a way that just stops the flick…he will be missed….
Pat Hingle Played Mr Hendershot On Maximum Overdrive This is going to be a bad time for all you Maximum Overdrive Fans.