Age, Biography and Wiki
Carl Ballantine was an American actor, comedian, and magician. He was best known for his role as Lester Gruber on the 1960s television series McHale's Navy. He was also known for his comedic magic act, which he performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and other television programs.
Ballantine was born Meyer Kessler in Chicago, Illinois, on September 27, 1917. He began performing as a magician and comedian in vaudeville in the 1930s. He served in the United States Army during World War II, and after the war, he continued to perform in nightclubs and on television.
In 1962, Ballantine was cast as Lester Gruber on the television series McHale's Navy. He appeared in all four seasons of the show, and also appeared in the 1964 film adaptation. He also appeared in numerous other television shows, including The Lucy Show, The Munsters, and The Love Boat.
Ballantine was married to actress Selma K. Ballantine from 1945 until his death in 2009. He died on November 3, 2009, at the age of 92.
| Popular As |
Meyer Kessler |
| Occupation |
actor,soundtrack |
| Age |
92 years old |
| Zodiac Sign |
Libra |
| Born |
27 September, 1917 |
| Birthday |
27 September |
| Birthplace |
Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Date of death |
3 November, 2009 |
| Died Place |
Hollywood Hills, California, USA |
| Nationality |
United States |
We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 27 September.
He is a member of famous Actor with the age 92 years old group.
Carl Ballantine Height, Weight & Measurements
At 92 years old, Carl Ballantine height is 6' 2" (1.88 m) .
| Physical Status |
| Height |
6' 2" (1.88 m) |
| Weight |
Not Available |
| Body Measurements |
Not Available |
| Eye Color |
Not Available |
| Hair Color |
Not Available |
Who Is Carl Ballantine's Wife?
His wife is Ceil Cabot (1955 - 24 January 2000) ( her death) ( 2 children)
| Family |
| Parents |
Not Available |
| Wife |
Ceil Cabot (1955 - 24 January 2000) ( her death) ( 2 children) |
| Sibling |
Not Available |
| Children |
Not Available |
Carl Ballantine Net Worth
His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. So, how much is Carl Ballantine worth at the age of 92 years old? Carl Ballantine’s income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. He is from United States. We have estimated
Carl Ballantine's net worth
, money, salary, income, and assets.
| Net Worth in 2023 |
$1 Million - $5 Million |
| Salary in 2023 |
Under Review |
| Net Worth in 2022 |
Pending |
| Salary in 2022 |
Under Review |
| House |
Not Available |
| Cars |
Not Available |
| Source of Income |
Actor |
Carl Ballantine Social Network
| Instagram |
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| Linkedin |
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| Twitter |
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| Facebook |
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| Wikipedia |
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| Imdb |
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Timeline
Performed his magic act for the last time at the "It's Magic" show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood during the fall of 2008, broaching age 91.
So successful was he, in fact, that in 2007 actor/magician Steve Martin presented Carl with the Lifetime Achievement Fellowship from the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
Long married to actress Ceil Cabot, their 45 year marriage ended with her passing on January 27, 2000. They had two daughters, Molly, and actress/voice artist Sara Ballantine.
Saturday Night (1992) with Billy Crystal.
Carl also was part of the regular cast on the sitcoms The Queen and I (1969) and One in a Million (1980). Every now and then his magician alter ego would reappear on such shows as "Fantasy Island," "Night Court" and "The Cosby Show". In later years Carl made a strong dent in the cartoon voice-over field and lent his voice to hundreds of regular commercials, including one for the California Raisins.
Carl also was featured in such film comedies as The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) with Don Knotts, The World's Greatest Lover (1977) with Gene Wilder, Just You and Me, Kid (1979) with George Burns and Mr.
Acting-wise, he is still best remembered for his co-starring role as sailor Lester Gruber of the PT 73 on the hit sitcom McHale's Navy (1962) starring Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway.
Part of the motley crew commandeered by Ernest Borgnine on the popular 1960s TV series McHale's Navy (1962), tall, gangly, beady-eyed, bulb-nosed comic actor Carl Ballantine was better known in other ports as the ultimate "magician". Billed as "The Amazing Ballantine," "The Great Ballantine" and "Ballantine: The World's Greatest Magician" during his long career, Carl made a comedy career out of being inept -- the magician who could never finish a trick or get the trick right in the first place.
Carl began showing up as an actor in the early 1960s, appearing on such comedy shows as "Car 54, Where Are You?" (recurring role) before hitting the big time with McHale's Navy (1962), which was similarly styled to Phil Silvers' service comedy "Sergeant Bilko". He played crewmen Lester Gruber for four seasons.
The act also made its way to the small screen, becoming a popular time-filler on the TV variety circuit during the 1950s and 1960s.
Changing his name to the more agreeable marquee moniker ("Ballantine") in the early 1940s, it took Carl some time to refine his act as a "bad" magician but eventually he found a successful formula. He later went on to perform at such top establishments as the Palace Theatre in New York, as well as a number of Las Vegas niteries (the first "magician" to do so).
The Chicago native was born Meyer Kessler in Chicago on September 27, 1917, and became fascinated by the magic tricks his barber use to show him at a young age. He immediately began studying the art. Deciding to legit as a magician, he gradually realized that his potential as a comic was much better than as a magician so he decided to spoof his magic act -- pulling up laughs instead of rabbits out of a hat.
