LOS ANGELES — Carl Ballantine, the “amazing” comedy-magician and character actor who was part of the World War II P.T. boat crew on the 1960s sit-com “McHale’s Navy,” has died. He was 92.
Ballantine died Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood Hills, his daughter said.
As an actor, Ballantine was best known for playing the supporting role of crew member Lester Gruber on “McHale’s Navy,” the popular 1962-66 series that starred Ernest Borgnine.
“He was a natural; everything to him had humor,” said Tim Conway, who played the bumbling Ensign Parker on the show, where he first met Ballantine.
“I only knew him from seeing him on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,’ which I thought was the funniest thing I ever saw, the magic act that wasn’t working.”
Indeed, it’s as a comically inept magician variously billed as “The Amazing Ballantine,” “The Great Ballantine” and “Ballantine: The World’s Greatest Magician” that he made his biggest impact as a performer.
Ballantine appeared in a number of films, including “The Shakiest Gun in the West,” “The World’s Greatest Lover” and “Mr. Saturday Night.”
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