Neil Hamilton (actor)
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| Neil Hamilton | |
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 Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon in the Batman TV series (1966) |
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| Born | James Neil Hamilton September 9, 1899 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 24, 1984 (aged 85) Escondido, California, U.S. |
James Neil Hamilton (9 September 1899 – 24 September 1984) was an American actor famous for his role as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman TV series of the 1960s.
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[edit] Early life
As an only child, he was born in Lynn, Massachusetts and raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic household.
[edit] Career
[edit] 1920s-1960s
His show business career began when he secured a job as a shirt model in magazine ads. After this he became interested in acting and joined several stock companies. This allowed him to secure his first film role in 1918, but he got his big break from D.W. Griffith in The White Rose (1923).
After performing in several more Griffith films, Hamilton was signed by Paramount in the late 1920s and soon became one of that studio's most popular leading men. He was steadily employed in supporting roles, and worked for just about every studio in Hollywood.
[edit] Another break
In 1960, Hamilton got another break later in his career when he suddenly replaced Richard Cromwell, who was planning a comeback of sorts. Hamilton was quickly signed by producer Maury Dexter for 20th Century Fox's planned production of The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come co-starring Jimmie Rodgers and Chill Wills because Cromwell took sick and died on October 11, 1960 of complications from liver cancer. Hamilton, a distant cousin of Margaret Hamilton, "went on with the show".
[edit] Work on Batman
He is probably best known to audiences, however, as Police Commissioner Gordon in the Batman TV series. He played the character of Commissioner Gordon very strait-laced though he thought highly of Adam West's Batman. Hamilton appeared in all 120 episodes of Batman.
[edit] In relation to John Hamilton
Contrary to a very popular rumor, he is no relation to John Hamilton, best known for playng the role of Perry White, the editor of the Metropolis Daily Planet, on the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves in the title role.
[edit] Death
He died in 1984 after an asthma attack.
[edit] Selected filmography
- Mother Machree (1928)
- The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929)
- Laughing Sinners (1931)
- This Modern Age (1931)
- Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
- Blind Date (1934)
- The Patsy (1964)
- Batman (1966)
[edit] External links
- Neil Hamilton (actor) at the Internet Movie Database
- 1966 Batman TV Heroes - Neil Hamilton
- Photographs of Neil Hamilton
