Carl Ballantine

Carl Ballantine (born Meyer Kessler on September 27, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor, magician and comic.
Under the guise of "Ballantine The Great" or "The Amazing Ballantine," Ballantine's trademark involves magic tricks, which always flop in comedic fashion.

His most recent film appearance was in Aimee Semple McPherson , a 2006 biographical film about the fabled female evangelist. He is probably best remembered as "Gruber", one of the PT boat sailors in the television series McHale's Navy which aired in the 1960s.

Ballantine was the husband of actress Ceil Cabot (8 March 1927 - 24 January 2000) and is the father of actress Sara Ballantine.

Carl Ballantine was the first to have a rubber chicken created for his vaudevillian comedy act.