Pat Hingle will no longer answer the Bat Phone...

Hey folks, Harry here... I'm tired of writing obituaries. It seems that we just continuously write about the passing of another cool figure of our collective pop culture existence passing. This time it is Pat Hingle, a lovable rotund character actor that's been showing up in film ever since he played Jocko in ON THE WATERFRONT, without credit we may note. You may remember him in SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS with Beatty or in THE UGLY AMERICAN with Brando or with Yul Brynner in INVITATION TO A GUNFIGHTER. Perhaps you recollect his stint as the judge in HANG 'EM HIGH or even better, the fucking fantastic work in Roger Corman's BLOODY MAMA! Or - if you're exceptionally cool, you'll remember him as Colonel Tom Parker opposite Kurt Russell's Elvis Presley in John Carpenter's ELVIS. Or perhaps it is RUNNING SCARED or BREWSTER'S MILLIONS or THE GRIFTERS or Raimi's QUICK AND THE DEAD or the remake of SHAFT. Perhaps you remember him from his endless characters on just about every TV show you can think of... But the first thing that probably pops into your noggin is PAT HINGLE was COMMISSIONER GORDON before Gary Oldman stole the role forever. I love Pat Hingle because everytime I see him in ANY of the films above that I mention I think... "Cool, Commissioner Gordon!" When I think Pat Hingle, I think of his waddling Gordon in the Acme Chemical Plant barking orders at Gotham's Keystone Cops. Pat was 84 years old and had made a significant mark in character actor history. He's just about as likable an actor as you can name. His presence on film and television made me smile and that he's no longer around to give us that feeling of warmth. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as we bid our dear Commissioner farewell.