Frank Gorshin, 72; Impressionist, Actor

Frank Gorshin, 72, the actor and impressionist best known for his Emmy-nominated role as the Riddler on the old "Batman" television series, died May 17 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Calif. He had lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia.

Despite dozens of television and movie credits, Mr. Gorshin will be forever remembered for his role as the Riddler, Adam West's villainous foil on "Batman" from 1966 to 1969. For the role, he wore a green suit pocked with question marks and bowler hat .

"It really was a catalyst for me," Mr. Gorshin said in a 2002 Associated Press interview. "I was nobody. I had done some guest shots here and there. But after I did that, I became a headliner in Vegas, so I can't put it down."

Mr. Gorshin received another Emmy nomination for a guest stint on "Star Trek" in a 1969 episode called "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield."

Mr. Gorshin most recently portrayed George Burns on Broadway in the one-man show "Say Goodnight Gracie." He used only a little makeup and no prosthetics.

"I don't know how to explain it. It just comes," he said. "I wish I could say, 'This is step A, B and C.' But I can't do that. I do it, you know. The ironic thing is I've done impressions all my life -- I never did George Burns."

Mr. Gorshin's final performance, in the CBS series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," will be broadcast tomorrow.

Mr. Gorshin, a Pittsburgh native, broke into show business in New York. He did more than 40 impressions, including Al Jolson, Kirk Douglas, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and James Cagney.

Later, he took his impressions to "The Ed Sullivan Show" on a memorable evening -- the same night the Beatles were featured. He did impressions in Las Vegas showrooms, opening for Darin and paving the way for other impressionists, including Rich Little.

Mr. Gorshin's movie roles included "Bells are Ringing" (1960) with his idol, Dean Martin, and a batch of B-movies: "Hot Rod Girl" (1956), "Dragstrip Girl" (1957) and "Invasion of the Saucer Men" (1957).

His other TV roles included "General Hospital, "The Edge of Night" and "The Munsters," as well as many guest appearances.

Survivors include his wife, Christina; a son; and a sister.