Commissioner Gordon, Pat Hingle dies.
Pat Hingle appeared in all four of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman movies and despite the respective writing teams not really knowing what to do with his Commissioner Gordon character, Hingle astonishingly always carried a presence when he would turn up onto the scene. Albeit belatedly onto the scene, it has to be said. Hingle was a good enough character actor to make more out of the small role through his movement and tone than what was written, at least he did for my young mind when watching BATMAN and BATMAN RETURNS continuously in the mid 90's Of course much older and wiser, and in the post-Gary Oldman era of the character when you see how good a performance is possible from the role, Hingle's Gordon looks like a bumbling fool. But somehow, call it nostalgia maybe, I like seeing his Gordon on screen when I re-watch those movies. Hingle had a great authoritative presence, a voice that belonged in John Ford Westerns of the 30's and 40's. It's no wonder he played so many cops or gunslingers with power. Actually another memory of mine is Hingle playing in Sam Raimi's THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, the kind of supporting role he suited down to the ground late in his career. But even in 1994, before the third and fourth Batman, I couldn't shake him off as Gordon.
Many of the Obits I have read online point to SPLENDOR IN GLASS (a 1960's Warren Beatty drama) and INVITATION TO A GUNFIGHTER as some of his finest works. Movies I have yet to encounter but you know if I ever do, I will be thinking "there's Commissioner Gordon".
For me and my generation, that's who he will forever be.
Pat Hingle died aged 83 on January 3rd at his home in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.