Neil Hamilton ( actor ) - wikipedia Neil Hamilton ( actor ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2015 ) Neil Hamilton Press photo of Hamilton ( c. 1931 ) ( 1899 - 09 - 09 ) September 9, 1899 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. September 24, 1984 ( 1984 - 09 - 24 ) ( aged 85 ) Escondido, California, U.S. Cause of death Asthma Nationality American Occupation Actor Years active 1918 -- 1971 Spouse ( s ) Elsa Whitmer ( m. 1922 -- 1984 ; his death ) ; 1 child James Neil Hamilton ( September 9, 1899 -- September 24, 1984 ) was an American stage, film and television actor, probably best known for his role as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman TV series of the 1960s. Contents 1 Acting career 2 Personal life 3 Partial filmography 4 References 5 External links Acting career An only child, Hamilton was born in Lynn, Massachusetts. His show business career began when he secured a job as a shirt model in magazine ads, similar to fellow silent film performer Reed Howes, who was known in advertisements as `` The Arrow Collar Man ''. After this, he became interested in acting and joined several stock companies. This allowed him to secure his first film role in 1918 in Vitagraph 's The Beloved Impostor, but he got his big break from D.W. Griffith in The White Rose ( 1923 ). In 1924, he traveled to Germany with Griffith and made a film about the incredibly harsh living conditions in post-World War I Germany, Is n't Life Wonderful. While filming America in 1924, a soldier 's arm was blown off. As fellow actor Charles Emmett Mack recalls, `` Neil Hamilton and I went to neighboring towns and raised a fund for him -- I doing a song and dance and Neil collecting a coin. '' Hamilton was signed by Paramount Pictures in the mid-1920s and became one of their leading men. He often appeared opposite star Bebe Daniels. In 1926, he played one of Ronald Colman 's brothers in Paramount 's original silent version of Beau Geste. In 1926, Hamilton played Nick Carraway in the first production of The Great Gatsby, a now lost film. He starred in John Ford 's Mother Machree with Victor McLaglen, and with John Wayne in an early bit role before he was well known, the title of which would coincidentally become sidekick Chief O'Hara's catchphrase in the Batman television show nearly four decades later. He was steadily employed in supporting roles, and worked for just about every studio in Hollywood. Neil Hamilton in Stars of the Photoplay, 1924. He made the transition to sound pictures at the end of the 1920s and continued appearing in noteworthy productions. In 1930, he appeared in the original production of The Dawn Patrol, playing the squadron commander, a role played by Basil Rathbone in the 1938 remake. Hamilton was billed above newcomer Clark Gable in the 1931 Joan Crawford vehicle Laughing Sinners, in which he plays a cad who deserts Crawford 's brokenhearted character. He originated the role of milksop Harry Holt, Jane 's fiance, in the 1932 film Tarzan the Ape Man, and he actually received top billing in the film. Hamilton reprised the role in the 1934 pre-Code sequel, Tarzan and His Mate, at Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer. He made 268 films, both silents and talkies. He made five films in England in 1936 and 1937. `` A '' - level work in Hollywood dried up for Hamilton by the 1940s, and he was reduced to working in serials, `` B '' films, and other low - budget projects. He starred as the villain in King of the Texas Rangers, one of the most successful movie serials on all time for Republic Pictures in 1941. In Since You Went Away, a 1944 epic about life on the home front in World War II, Hamilton is seen only in still photographs as a serviceman away at war. His family 's travails during his absence are the center of the movie. Hamilton reportedly shot scenes for the movie before filmmakers decided to keep his character off screen. He appeared in the 1944 film noir classic When Strangers Marry with Robert Mitchum. In a 1970s book interview for Whatever Happened To..., Hamilton said he had been banned from A level work for insulting a studio executive. A Roman Catholic, Hamilton said that his faith got him through the difficult period of late 1942 to early 1944, when he could not obtain film employment, and was down on his luck financially. When television came along, Hamilton hosted Hollywood Screen Test ( 1948 - 1953 ), co-starred in the short lived sitcom That Wonderful Guy with Jack Lemmon ( 1949 - 50 ), at the same time as Hollywood Screen Test, and did guest shots on numerous series of the 1950s / 60s such as seven episodes of Perry Mason, five episodes of 77 Sunset Strip, as well as Maverick, The Real McCoys, Mister Ed, Bachelor Father, and The Outer Limits. During the late 1940s and early 1950s Hamilton performed on Broadway in such shows as Many Happy Returns ( 1945 ), The Men We Marry ( 1948 ), To Be Continued ( 1952 ), and Late Love ( 1953 - 54 ). In 1960, actor Richard Cromwell was seeking a comeback of sorts in 20th Century Fox 's planned production of The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come but Cromwell died of complications from liver cancer. Producer Maury Dexter quickly signed Hamilton to replace Cromwell in the film, which co-starred Jimmie Rodgers and Chill Wills. During the 1960s, Hamilton appeared in three Jerry Lewis films : The Patsy, The Family Jewels, and Which Way to the Front ? Hamilton is best remembered as the somewhat pompous Police Commissioner Gordon in the campy Batman TV series ( 1966 - 68 ). He appeared in all 120 episodes of Batman. Yvonne Craig, who played Commissioner Gordon 's daughter Barbara, said Hamilton `` came every day to the set letter perfect in dialogue and never missed a beat -- a consummate professional. '' Personal life Hamilton was married to Elsa Whitmer from 1922 until his death in September 1984. They had one child. Hamilton was a Roman Catholic, and a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California. He died at the age of 85 in 1984 after suffering an asthma attack. His ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean after his cremation. Partial filmography Hamilton and Olive Borden in The Joy Girl 1927 The Beloved Impostor ( 1918 ) The Great Romance ( 1919 ) The White Rose ( 1923 ) as John White America ( 1924 ) as Nathan Holden The Sixth Commandment ( 1924 ) as Robert Fields The Side Show of Life ( 1924 ) as Charles Verity - Stewart Is n't Life Wonderful ( 1924 ) as Paul Men and Women ( 1925 ) as Ned Seabury The Little French Girl ( 1925 ) as Giles Bradley The Street of Forgotten Men ( 1925 ) as Philip Peyton The Golden Princess ( 1925 ) as Tennessee Hunter New Brooms ( 1925 ) as Thomas Bates Jr. The Splendid Crime ( 1925 ) as Bob Van Dyke Desert Gold ( 1926 ) as George Thorne Beau Geste ( 1926 ) as Digby Geste The Great Gatsby ( 1926 ) as Nick Carraway Diplomacy ( 1926 ) as Julian Weymouth The Music Master ( 1927 ) as Beverly Cruger Ten Modern Commandments ( 1927 ) as Tod Gilbert The Joy Girl ( 1927 ) as John Jeffrey Fleet The Spotlight ( 1927 ) as Norman Brooke Mother Machree ( 1928 ) as Brian The Shield of Honor ( 1928 ) as Jack MacDowell The Showdown ( 1928 ) as Wilson Shelton Something Always Happens ( 1928 ) as Roderick Keswick Do n't Marry ( 1928 ) as Henry Willoughby The Grip of the Yukon ( 1928 ) as Jack Elliott Hot News ( 1928 ) as Scoop Morgan The Patriot ( 1928 ) as Crown Prince Alexander Take Me Home ( 1928 ) as David North Three Weekends ( 1928 ) as James Gordon What a Night ! ( 1928 ) as Joe Madison Why Be Good ? ( 1929 ) as Winthrop Peabody Jr. A Dangerous Woman ( 1929 ) as Bobby Gregory The Studio Murder Mystery ( 1929 ) as Tony White The Love Trap ( 1929 ) as Paul Harrington The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu ( 1929 ) as Dr. Jack Petrie Darkened Rooms ( 1929 ) as Emory Jago The Kibitzer ( 1930 ) as Eddie Brown The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu ( 1930 ) as Dr. Jack Petrie The Dawn Patrol ( 1930 ) as Major Brand Anybody 's War ( 1930 ) as Red Reinhardt Ladies Must Play ( 1930 ) as Anthony Gregg The Cat Creeps ( 1930 ) as Charles Wilder Ex-Flame ( 1930 ) as Sir Carlisle Austin The Widow From Chicago ( 1930 ) as ' Swifty ' Dorgan Command Performance ( 1931 ) as Peter Fedor / Prince Alexis Strangers May Kiss ( 1931 ) as Alan The Spy ( 1931 ) as Ivan Turin Laughing Sinners ( 1931 ) as Howard ' Howdy ' Palmer The Great Lover ( 1931 ) as Carlo This Modern Age ( 1931 ) as Robert ' Bob ' Blake Jr. The Sin of Madelon Claudet ( 1931 ) as Larry The Wet Parade ( 1932 ) as Roger Chilcote, Jr. Are You Listening ? ( 1932 ) as Jack Clayton Tarzan the Ape Man ( 1932 ) as Harry Holt The Woman in Room 13 ( 1932 ) as Paul Ramsey What Price Hollywood ? ( 1932 ) as Lonny Borden Two Against the World ( 1932 ) as Mr. David ' Dave ' Norton The Animal Kingdom ( 1932 ) as Owen Fiske Terror Aboard ( 1933 ) as James Cowles The World Gone Mad ( 1933 ) as Lionel Houston The Silk Express ( 1933 ) as Donald Kilgore As the Devil Commands ( 1933 ) as Dr. David Graham One Sunday Afternoon ( 1933 ) as Hugo Barnstead Ladies Must Love ( 1933 ) as Bill Langhorne Mr. Stringfellow Says No ( 1934 ) as Jeremy Stringfellow Tarzan and His Mate ( 1934 ) as Harry Holt Here Comes the Groom ( 1934 ) as Jim Blind Date ( 1934 ) as Bob Once to Every Bachelor ( 1934 ) as Lyle Stuart One Exciting Adventure ( 1934 ) as Walter Stone Two Heads on a Pillow ( 1934 ) as John C. Smith By Your Leave ( 1934 ) as David McKenzie Fugitive Lady ( 1934 ) as Donald Brooks Mutiny Ahead ( 1935 ) as Kent Brewster Honeymoon Limited ( 1935 ) as Dick Spencer Gordon / Gulliver Keeper of the Bees ( 1935 ) as James ' Jamie ' Lewis McFarland The Daring Young Man ( 1935 ) as Gerald Raeburn Parisian Life ( 1936 ) as Jaques Southern Roses ( 1936 ) as Reggie Everything in Life ( 1936 ) as Geoffrey Loring You Must Get Married ( 1936 ) as Michael Brown Secret Lives ( 1937 ) as Lt. Pierre de Montmalion Mr Stringfellow Says No ( 1937 ) as Earle Condon Lady Behave ! ( 1937 ) as Stephen Cormack Hollywood Stadium Mystery ( 1938 ) as Bill Devons Army Girl ( 1938 ) as Capt. Joe Schuyler The Saint Strikes Back ( 1939 ) as Allan Breck Queen of the Mob ( unbilled ; 1940 ) as First FBI Chief Federal Fugitives ( 1941 ) as Capt. James Madison / Robert Edmunds They Meet Again ( 1941 ) as Gov. John C. North Father Takes a Wife ( 1941 ) as Vincent Stewart Dangerous Lady ( 1941 ) as Duke Martindel King of the Texas Rangers ( 1941 ) as John Barton Look Who 's Laughing ( 1941 ) as Hilary Horton The Lady Is Willing ( 1942 ) as Charlie ( uncredited ) Too Many Women ( 1942 ) as Richard Sutton X Marks the Spot ( 1942 ) as John J. Underwood Secrets of the Underground ( 1942 ) as Harry Kermit Bombardier ( 1943 ) as Colonel ( uncredited ) All by Myself ( 1943 ) as Mark Turner The Sky 's the Limit ( 1943 ) as Navy Officer on Train ( uncredited ) When Strangers Marry ( 1944 ) as Lieutenant Blake Brewster 's Millions ( 1945 ) as Mr. Grant Murder in Villa Capri ( 1955 ) as Police Capt. Brady The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come ( 1961 ) as Gen. Dean The Devil 's Hand ( 1962 ) as Francis Lamont The Bellero Shield ( 1964 ) as Larry Boling The Patsy ( 1964 ) as The Barber The Family Jewels ( 1965 ) as Attorney Madame X ( 1966 ) as Scott Lewis ( uncredited ) Batman ( 1966 ) as Commissioner James Gordon Strategy of Terror ( 1969 ) as Mr. Harkin Which Way to the Front ? ( 1970 ) as Chief of Staff References Jump up ^ Barry Monush. Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors : From the Silent Era to 1965, p. 308 ^ Jump up to : Neil Hamilton on IMDb Jump up ^ Tildesley, Alice L. ( July 1926 ). `` Prop Boy to Star ( Continued ) ''. Motion Picture Classic. Chicago, IL : Brewster Publications. Retrieved September 3, 2015. Jump up ^ Cassell, Dewey ( February 2010 ). `` Growing Up Gordon : The Early Years of Batgirl ''. Back Issue !. TwoMorrows Publishing ( 38 ) : 70. Jump up ^ Church of the Good Shepherd : Our History, goodshepherdbh.org ; accessed October 31, 2015. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Neil Hamilton ( actor ). Biography portal Neil Hamilton on IMDb Neil Hamilton at the TCM Movie Database Neil Hamilton at the Internet Broadway Database 1966 Batman TV Heroes -- Neil Hamilton 1941 They Meet Again -- Neil Hamilton as Governor John C. North -- at Internet Archive Photographs of Neil Hamilton Neil Hamilton at Find a Grave VIAF : 24802545 LCCN : n85273998 ISNI : 0000 0001 1609 3780 SUDOC : 142932566 BNF : cb140408749 ( data ) IATH : w6km0740 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neil_Hamilton_(actor)&oldid=795520620 '' Categories : 1899 births 1984 deaths American male film actors American Roman Catholics American male silent film actors American male television actors Actors from Lynn, Massachusetts Deaths from asthma Disease - related deaths in California 20th - century American male actors Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from October 2015 All articles needing additional references Use mdy dates from August 2014 Articles with hCards Turner Classic Movies person ID not in Wikidata Articles with IBDb links Find a Grave template with ID same as Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano Português Simple English Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 14 August 2017, at 19 : 25. 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Question: who played commissioner gordon on the batman series
Answer: James Neil Hamilton