Carl Ballantine was born in the "Windy City" in 1922. His first gig was in Chicago at age 18 at The Devil's Rendezvous. Here he performed his magic act that he had been rehearsing since age 7. He did well, but felt it needed pizzazz.

For the next 3 years, he performed around the Chicago area. Then, one night at the Statelake Theater in Chicago, he would decide to add some comedy to his act. After that, he was the talk of the town!

Shortly after, he moved to New York City and was signed by MCA. Billy Rose saw him and had to have him in his show. His career was on a rocket ride.

As quickly as it took off, that rocket ride came to a stop. Carl was diagnosed with tuberculosis and he rode out the next 3 years in the hospital. When Carl recovered, times had changed and he had been forgotten.

He could not accept this, so he got himself booked in Miami and the rocket ride started again! Carl was the very first magician to play Las Vegas in 1940 at the Last Frontier.

He resided in NYC until 1962, when he was cast as Lester Gruber in the sitcom, McHale's Navy, prompting his relocating to Los Angeles. He enjoyed a 5 year stint with co-stars Ernest Borgnine & Tim Conway.

Carl has starred in movies with Shirley Temple all the way to Gene Wilder and everyone in between. He has appeared on nearly 50 TV sitcoms and shows, as a featured star, guest star and regular, as well as in over 15 movies.

This man still can't go to the grocery store without being recognized & appreciated. Such greats as Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, to name a few, have told Carl to his face that he was an inspiration to them and one of the main reasons they got into showbiz.

Carl is in great shape and as witty and funny as ever! His eyes still twinkle with the mischief that only a true comic genius has.

Carl Ballantine tells it this way: He aspired to be a famous magician, but was capable only of arousing laughter from his audiences. Making a lemon from lemonade, Ballantine developed an act based upon his ineptitude as prestidigitator. As "The Great Ballantine," he showed up on such 1950s and 1960s TV shows as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show, delivering a steady stream of sarcasm and self-deprecating patter as all of his tricks and sleight-of-hand demonstrations went hilariously awry. 

Carl Ballantine's other big-screen credits include Penelope (1968), The World's Greatest Lover (1977) and Just You and Me, Kid (1979).

MCHALE'S NAVY