Neil Hamilton
Police
Commissioner Gordon
Neil
Hamilton
I don't know who he is behind that mask of his but I do know when we need him.... and we need him .. now ! ( batphone )
The
Commissioner, a man who was no nonsense. When there is trouble he was
always the one to jump on the Batphone and get Batman and Robin on
the way to Police headquarters. He didn't know it but his daughter
was also a bat - Batgirl !
In the series, The commissioner was played by Neil Hamilton. He was, like his character very serious and no nonsense. He was trained in stock companies before he made his film debut in 1918. He then went on to land leading roles in many films and became one of the most popular silent screen actors for those days. A very dependable actor, Neil was a star by 1924. He starred as Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby in 1925. He had a very pleasant voice and when many actors and actress were having problems switching to sound pictures, He was able to make the transition with ease. In one of his starring roles a then unknown, John Wayne, was an extra in the film. Unfortunately, he came across slightly stiff in the new talking medium so a silent star was shifted from once stardom to being the "other man " assignments such as Tarzan and His Mate (34) His situation was worsened when he lost a great deal of money in the 1929 Stock Market Crash
He was cast as the villain in The Saint Strike Back (39). By the early 1940's Neil had lost both his fame and fortune and as he'd ruefully observe later, most of his so call industry friends. In 1939 he invested in a failed exhibit at the Worlds Fair which finished off his finances. He was at the point of desperation and had planned to end his life. In a twist of fate, as he went to jump to his death, he met a priest and that, he said, changed his life forever. ( See article below) Only the love of his wife and his rock solid convictions saw him through his darkest days.
By the late 40's his luck had started to change and he also was discovered by a new fangled invention, Television. In 1948 He landed a role as the host of Hollywood screen Test.
He made a comeback as a character actor, playing mostly business types in TV series such as Perry Mason and Fireside Theater.
In this photo, Neal appeared in Perry Mason with a new young actress, Yvonne Craig in 1958 !!!!
In Gordon's Office as He calls for Batman
(video link )
In 1966 at the age of 67, He landed the role of
Commissioner Gordon
in Batman.
He never was one to cut up and took his role very seriously on the
Batman
set. He detested wearing make
up and in his role, he never felt it was a comedy.
He
sometime became angry at Stafford Repp when he felt his Irish brogue
was a little too thick or Adam West for laughing at a line. Neil
always was the polished professional and in his portrayal, he was one
of the few who could sound believable in some of the funny lines he spoke.
After
Batman , Neal appeared two more times on film, Strategy
of Terror
(69) and his last performance was in a Jerry Lewis comedy ,
Which
Way to the Front
in 1970.
Age
started to get the best
of
him and in the 80's he was confined to a wheelchair.
He
sadly passed away September 24, 1984 in Escondido, California.
He has no grave as his ashes were scattered at sea per his last request.
Classically handsome film leading man Neil Hamilton was trained in stock companies before making his 1918 film bow. He rose to stardom under the guidance of D. W. Griffith, who cast Hamilton in leading roles in The Great Romance (1919), The White Rose (1923), America (1924) and Isn't Life Wonderful? (1924). In an era when sturdy dependability was one of the prerequisites of male stardom, Hamilton was one of the silent screen's most popular personalities, as well suited to the role of faithful Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby (1925) as he was to the Foreign Legion derring-do of Beau Geste (1927). His pleasant voice and excellent diction enabled Hamilton to make the transition to sound with ease. Unfortunately, he always seemed a bit of a stick in his talkie portrayals, and it wasn't long before he found himself shunted off to "other man" assignments (Tarzan and His Mate) and villainous characterizations (The Saint Strikes Back). By the early 1940s, he had lost both fame and fortune -- and, as he'd ruefully observe later, most of his so-called industry friends. Only the love of his wife and his rock-solid religious convictions saw him through his darkest days. Hamilton made a comeback as a character actor, playing brusque, businesslike types in TV series like Perry Mason and Fireside Theatre. From 1966 through 1968, Neil Hamilton co-starred as poker-faced Commissioner Gordon on the TV series Batman. -- Hal Erickson, All-Movie Guide
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