RIP Carl Ballantine

November 9, 2009 9:53 AM

Carl Ballantine passed away at age 92.

He was probably most famous for his role in McHales Navy. And with appearances in TV and movies too numerous to mention - a favorite of mine was a cute movie called "Just You and Me, Kid" (George Burns, and a young Brooke Shields) as Reinhoff the Remarkable. But I loved him as the bumbling magician, "Ballantine The Great" (I hope that YT link works - I'm at work and can't tell).

posted by ObscureReferenceMan (14 comments total)

That obit in the LA Times is very sweet. It sounds like he enjoyed a pretty great life, with a very loving family.

I love this quote from the end of the obit:

"He wanted to have his ashes scattered over Santa Anita racetrack," said Saratoga Ballantine, who was named after the racetrack in New York; her sister Molly's middle name is Caliente, after the track in Tijuana.

"He loved the ponies," she said.

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posted by mosk at 10:29 AM on November 9

The YT link worked, but its video quality was awful... which is not good for even an intentionally bad magician...

Some clearer looks at his 'magic' act performed for Bill Cosby and Donny & Marie (from the cheesy TV files)...

...waiting for Mark Evanier's obit post (because he's the on-line master).

Until then,

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posted by oneswellfoop at 10:37 AM on November 9

I remember him from the McHale's Navy show.

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posted by Drasher at 10:49 AM on November 9

Thanks, oneswellfoop! Any other YT links would be appreciated.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 10:50 AM on November 9

Here you go, oneswellfoop (and followup)

My first exposure to Ballantine was in his guest role in Night Court as, you guessed it, a down and out magician. ("I tossed my magic chest into the East River... and it sank. Now that's magic!")

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posted by evilcolonel at 11:29 AM on November 9 [1 favorite has favorites]

Sad news.

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posted by Thorzdad at 11:51 AM on November 9

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posted by doctorschlock at 12:09 PM on November 9

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posted by jquinby at 12:43 PM on November 9

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It always makes me sad to see so few posts in obituary threads of people who are not so well-known, so here's an extra

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for Mr. Ballantine
posted by chara at 3:40 PM on November 9

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posted by pmurray63 at 4:05 PM on November 9

. indeed. (Hard to believe it's almost 50 years since McHale’s Navy appeared. He certainly was excellent on that show.)
posted by LeLiLo at 4:06 PM on November 9

A few clips of the Great Ballantine:
On the Cosby show
On Donny and Marie
Puppet Ballantine
And something I don't know what it is
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 5:01 PM on November 9

There's a certain kind of voice, face and personality that you just don't see anymore. Mr Ballantine had it.

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posted by SPrintF at 7:45 PM on November 9

I was always a big fan; sorry to hear.

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posted by nonliteral at 8:03 AM on November 10