Carl Ballantine, an actor, comedian and magician died on November 3, 2009, at his home in the Hollywood Hills, reportedly of natural causes. He was 92.

Although he had been performing live for many years, Ballantine became known to the larger public in the 1960s through his work as conniving seaman Lester Gruber on the television series McHale’s Navy.

But it was his combining of comedy and magic, in an act based on his limited skills as a magician, for which he is remembered as well.

Ballantine’s act relied as much on his wisecracking patter as on his acts of prestidigitation — many of which fell short of their intended result.

He was born Meyer Kessler on September 27, 1917, in Chicago. He is reported to have learned his early magic tricks from a barber who visited his family’s apartment to cut his hair. His early forays in vaudeville helped to support his family. He is said to have adopted the name Ballantine from a brand of scotch because it sounded classy.

By the time he was 18, Ballantine was living in New York City, where he performed in clubs and on television variety shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he scored the role on McHale’s Navy.

Other television work of note included episodes of such series as Car 54, Where Are You?, That Girl, The Monkees, Laverne & Shirley, Night Court and The Cosby Show.

He also appeared in several feature films, including The Shakiest Gun in the West, The World’s Greatest Lover and Mr. Saturday Night. His stage appearances included a supporting role in a 1972 revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Although he worked regularly as an actor, Ballantine’s persona a comic magician endured. His melding of humor and magic had a strong influence on many performers who followed, including Steve Martin, who, in 2007, presented Ballantine with the Lifetime Achievement Fellowship from the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

After his first marriage ended in divorce, Ballantine was married to Ceil Cabot, a cabaret singer and actress, for 46 years, until her death in 2000.

He is survived by a sister, two daughters, whom Ballantine, a horse racing aficionado, named for his favorite racetracks: Saratoga Ballantine, and Molly Caliente Ballantine.