Neil Hamilton (actor)

James Neil Hamilton (September 9, 1899 – September 24, 1984) was an American actor famous for his role as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman TV series of the 1960s.

Early life

As an only child, he was born in Lynn, Massachusetts and raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic household.

Career

1920s-1960s

His show business career began when he secured a job as a shirt model in magazine ads. After this he became interested in acting and joined several stock companies. This allowed him to secure his first film role in 1918, but he got his big break from D.W. Griffith in The White Rose (1923).

After performing in several more Griffith films, Hamilton was signed by Paramount in the late 1920s and soon became one of that studio's most popular leading men. He was steadily employed in supporting roles, and worked for just about every studio in Hollywood.

Another break

In 1960, Hamilton got another break later in his career when he suddenly replaced Richard Cromwell, who was planning a comeback of sorts. Hamilton was quickly signed by producer Maury Dexter for 20th Century Fox's planned production of The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come co-starring Jimmie Rodgers and Chill Wills because Cromwell took sick and died on October 11, 1960 of complications from liver cancer. Hamilton, a distant cousin of Margaret Hamilton, "went on with the show".

Work on Batman

He is probably best known to audiences, however, as Police Commissioner Gordon in the Batman TV series. He played the character of Commissioner Gordon very strait-laced though he thought highly of Adam West's Batman. Hamilton appeared in all 120 episodes of Batman.

In relation to John Hamilton

Contrary to a very popular rumor, he is no relation to John Hamilton, best known for playng the role of Perry White, the editor of the Metropolis Daily Planet, on the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves in the title role.

Death

Hamilton died on September 24, 1984 after suffering an asthma attack. He was 85 years old. His ashes were scattered at sea after his cremation.

Selected filmography

• Mother Machree (1928)
• The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929)
• The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (1930)
• Laughing Sinners (1931)
• This Modern Age (1931)
• Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
• Blind Date (1934)
• They Meet Again - as Governor John C. North (1941)
• The Patsy (1964)
• Batman (1966)

External links

• 1966 Batman TV Heroes - Neil Hamilton
• 1941 They Meet Again - Neil Hamilton as Governor John C. North - at Internet Archive
• Photographs of Neil Hamilton