Robert Francis Hastings (April 18, 1925 – June 30, 2014)[1] was an American actor.[2] He was best known for his portrayal of Lt. Elroy Carpenter on McHale's Navy and voicing Commissioner James Gordon in the DC Animated Universe.[3] Bob Hastings was also in episode season 1 Adam-12 episode 13- log 122: Christmas- the yellow dump truck.
Early life
Hastings was born in Brooklyn, New York to Charles and Hazel Hastings. His father was a salesman.[4] He started out as a boy singer on National Barn Dance,[5]: 251-252 Doug Gray's Singing Gang and Coast to Coast on a Bus.[6] He also portrayed Jerry on the radio program The Sea Hound.[5]: 298
Career
Hastings as Archie Andrews in a 1946 publicity photo
After Hastings returned from military service, he played the role of Archie Andrews in a series based on the Archie comic book series on NBC Radio from 1945 to 1953.[5]
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 in The Real McCoys episode "How to Paint a House".[citation needed] He also appeared in Captain Video playing the brother of "The Video Ranger", who was, in turn, played by Hastings' brother Don.[7]: 162 Hastings portrayed Edward Foyle in the NBC drama Kitty Foyle (1958).[7]: 568
1960s–1970s
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 Bros. 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?. In 1962, he 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, most notably as Coach Gilmore in the 1963 episode "The Big Basketball Game". He appeared in three episodes of the sitcom Pete and Gladys.
Hastings portrayed the aide to Captain Binghamton (Joe Flynn), the yes-man Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter on ABC's McHale's Navy,[7]: 673 humorously called "Carpy" and "Little Leadbottom" by McHale and his men. Hastings played Captain Ramsey on ABC's General Hospital. He hosted the game show Dealer's Choice[7]: 245 and had a recurring role as bar owner Tommy Kelsey on All in the Family.[7]
The older brother of longtime As the World Turns star Don Hastings, Hastings married Joan Rice in 1948. They were married for 66 years and, at the time of his death, the couple had four children, 10 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.[8]
Death
Bob Hastings died on June 30, 2014, from prostate cancer at age 89.[8] His funeral mass was held in Burbank, California's Saint Finbar Catholic Church.[1]
^ abcdefghij"Bob Hastings (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 8, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bob Hastings.
