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_67280_2009-10-28-10-44-47.055.JPG "Pittsburgh TV Examiner")
Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed for Retro Flashback Friday!
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Adam West and Burt Ward of TV's "Batman"
Although Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale and company have combined to create what I think (so far) is the definitive Batman, back in the late 60s (and throughout the 70s thanks to syndication), fans had to settle for Adam West in the role with his ward, Dick Grayson (aka Robin, aka Burt Ward) at his side.
Oh who am I kidding? We didn't "settle". We loved every campy minute of the series!
And how could anyone blame us? With colorful sets, action packed episodes and guest stars galore, Batman was the show to see!
And be seen in in the eyes of Hollywood!
Back then, snaring a guest spot on Batman was all the rage. Every generation has a show where actors lobby for a role just because they: 1) think the show is fun and want to make an appearance or 2) keep themselves fresh in the eyes of the audience.
When you think about the cavalcade of guest stars in either one shot or recurring roles as scenery chewing villains, it can make your head spin. Until the late Heath Ledger made the role his own, Cesar Romero was by far the best Joker! I can rarely watch any of the Rocky films without picturing Burgess Meredith waddling around as the Penguin. And Frank Gorshin truly camped it up in style as the Riddler (though the role would also be played by Addams Family star John Astin who was good, but nowhere near as much fun). Finally, Catwoman would be played by a bevy of beauties including Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt and even Lee Meriwether (though only in the feature film).
In addition to the main villains, favorites like Vincent Price (Egghead), Victor Buono (King Tut), Art Carney (The Archer), Milton Berle (Louie The Lilac), Joan Collins (the Siren) and even Tallulah Bankhead (in her final on screen appearance as Black Widow) were more than happy to pop up to be a thorn in Batman's side. Here's a nice little showcase of familiar faces as "Bat-villains":
Batman evoked the innocence and wonder of the comic book age of the time. Yes, it was corny, but it was played for pure fun and entertainment. I can still remember racing home to watch the episodes after school, much to the dismay of my grandmother who couldn't understand why Batman and Robin were climbing those walls while celebrities like Jerry Lewis popped their heads out to talk to the heroic duo.
I recently watched The Dark Knight again and am still struck by how much we've matured as an audience. The film was a gritty look at what a real world might be like with human heroes and villains facing off against one another and how society might view them. Comics have grown up and I'm certainly glad that the changes are reflected in other mediums as well.
But every now and again...I just can't help but wanting to catch an old episode of the show to see the Joker and Batman pitted against one another in a "surf-off" or watch Adam West do the Batusi.
That's the stuff that dreams are made of!
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