Remembered as one of Gotham City's finest, Weslaco High School grad Pat Hingle played many more roles than that of Commissioner James Gordon in the first four Batman movies.

Before Hingle racked up more than 50 years of performing on stage, TV and film, he hopped from school to school as his mother tried to support the two of them, eventually settling in the Rio Grande Valley for a few years. Following graduation, Hingle attended the University of Texas, but during World War II, decided to drop out and join the U.S. Navy.

After he came back from the war in 1946, the soon-to-be actor returned to college and joined a drama club upon noting that the prettiest women were in theater.

The stage seemed to be where Hingle belonged. Throughout his remaining three years in college, he acted in 35 plays. He then moved to New York, joined the Actors Studio and began an illustrious career in make-believe.

In 1955, Hingle was cast as Gooper in the original Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which was considered his big break. He continued his theater work in other plays such as The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, earning him a Tony award nomination, J.B., and Arthur Miller's The Price.

Hingle's performance in J.B. got the attention he needed to land the title role in the film Elmer Gantry, but a twist of fate changed his professional direction when he got stuck in a stalled elevator. Hingle tried to crawl out, but lost his balance and fell more than 50 feet, breaking his leg, hip, wrist, several ribs and fracturing his skull. He also had to have his left pinky finger amputated.

The long healing process prevented Hingle from taking the role that was offered to him, which instead went to Burt Lancaster. In the end, Hingle decided he preferred the stage anyway.

His many roles in TV included shows such as Twilight Zone, Route 66, The Untouchables, The Andy Griffith Show, Mission: Impossible and Bonanza.

He had a few memorable characters in film like Judge Fenton in Hang ‘Em High, Bobo Justus in The Grifters, General Luft in Muppets from Space and, most recently, Mr. Dennit Sr. in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Hingle died in January 2009 at his home in North Carolina after a battle with myelodysplasia, a type of blood cancer. He was 84.

____

Amy Nichol Smith covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4420.