Bob Hastings

**Robert Francis Hastings** (April 18, 1925 – June 30, 2014) was an American radio, film, and television character actor. He also provided voices for animated cartoons.[2] He was best known for his portrayal of annoying suck-up Lt. Elroy Carpenter, on *McHale's Navy*[3] and voicing Commissioner James Gordon in the DCAU. Hastings started in radio on "Coast-to-Coast on a Bus" (NBC). Hastings served during World War II in the United States Army Air Corps. After serving in World War II as a navigator on B-29s, he played the role of Archie Andrews in a series based on the Archie comic book series on NBC Radio from 1945-53. Archie Andrews was sponsored by Swift & Company food products.

Hastings moved to television in 1949, performing in early science-fiction series, including *Atom Squad*. In 1954, he was the featured pitch-man (acting as an amateur magician) for Bakers Instant Cocoa Mix television commercials. His first recurring role was as a lieutenant on Phil Silvers' *Sergeant Bilko* series in the late 1950s. At that time he also guest-starred on Walter Brennan's ABC sitcom *The Real McCoys*, in an episode titled “How to Paint a House”. He appeared as well in a few episodes of *Captain Video* playing the brother of "The Video Ranger", who was in turn played by Hastings' brother, Don Hastings. Most of his career was spent in television, including two episodes of CBS's *Green Acres* as an Air Force officer and as a sheriff. Hastings was cast as Lt. Bolt in the 1960 episode "Space Man" of the CBS military sitcom/drama *Hennesey*, starring Jackie Cooper. Hastings guest-starred in the ABC/Warner Brothers sitcom *Room for One More*, starring Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay, on the Robert Young CBS sitcom/drama *Window on Main Street*, as Russian pilot Igor Piotkin on Hogan's Heroes, and on the NBC police sitcom *Car 54, Where Are You?*.

Hastings in 1962 played a railroad executive in the episode "Substitute Sheriff" of the NBC western series *The Tall Man*.

He appeared five times on CBS's *Dennis the Menace*, with Jay North, most notably as Coach Gilmore in the 1963 episode "The Big Basketball Game".[6] He appeared three times from 1961 to 1962 on the CBS sitcom *Pete and Gladys*, with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams.

Hastings portrayed the aide to Captain Binghamton (Joe Flynn), the yes-man Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter on ABC's *McHale's Navy*, humorously called "Carpy" and "Little Leadbottom" by McHale and his men. Hastings played Captain Ramsey on ABC's *General Hospital*. He was also the voice of the Raven on episodes of CBS's *The Munsters*. He briefly hosted the game show *Dealer's Choice* and had a recurring role as bar owner Tommy Kelsey on *All in the Family*.

After *McHale's Navy*, Hastings was a regular on the Universal Studios lot, where Universal paid actors during downtime to be on the grounds and talk to tourists. According to an interview,[7] he got along so well with the people that he became one of the few regulars on the tour.[*citation needed*]

Hastings was in the 1968 Universal film *Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?* starring Bob Denver, as well as *The Bamboo Saucer* (1968), *Angel in My Pocket* (1969), *The Love God?* (1969) starring Don Knotts, and *The Boatniks* (1970). In 1971 Hastings was cast in the comedy movie *How to Frame a Figg*, also starring Don Knotts, and also had roles in *The Poseidon Adventure* (1972), *The All-American Boy* (1973) and *No Deposit, No Return* (1976). Hastings also was in the 1978 movie *Harper Valley PTA* in which he played Skeeter Duggan, a member of the PTA board who had been kidnapped at the orders of its dishonest president to commit election fraud, and played "Cousin Phantom of the Opera" in the 1981 television movie *The Munsters' Revenge*.[*citation needed*]

Hastings also portrayed Tommy Kelcy, a recurring character in *All In the Family* who owned Kelcy's Bar, Archie Bunker's preferred watering hole.

In 1967, Hastings recorded an LP for Home Records Incorporated, one titled *Bob Hastings Sings For The Family* (HR-101), with 12 songs arranged and conducted by Bob Caudana.[*citation needed*]

Hastings has also done voice work for animation and commercials, including Beany on *Beany and Cecil*, The Raven on the *Munsters* series, Superboy in *The New Adventures of Superboy* cartoons of the 1960s, D.D. on Hanna-Barbera's *Clue Club*, and the voice of Commissioner Jim Gordon in the popular *Batman: The Animated Series* and its various spinoffs in the DC animated universe, such as *Batman: Mask of the Phantasm*, *Superman: The Animated Series*, *The New Batman Adventures*and several Batman video games.[2]

His earlier work in animation includes doing the voice Henry Glopp on Hanna-Barbera's animated series *Jeannie* in 1973 and additional voices on *Challenge of the Superfriends*.