We've looked at Batman: The Movie from a director’s standpoint; this time, we look at it from a cinematographer’s. Howard Schwartz , Director of Photography on that film, published an article in American Cinematographer magazine’s June 1966 issue called Bat-motography, or Capturing Batman on Film , which not only tells us some of the issues that came up in terms of lighting the film, but also certain scenes in the first season, and plenty of other interesting tidbits. This time, we discuss the a...
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 151
One of our favorite Batman arcs growing up was the three-parter “The Zodiac Crimes” featuring the mind-blowing combination of Joker and Penguin ! But when Stephen Kandel wrote it, it was a two-parter introducing a new villain: The Astrologer . Why might it have been switched to a three-parter starring established villains? How much in the script did Stanford Sherman change when he was asked to rewrite it into what was broadcast? And, can a huge meteorite falling on you cause you to be… burned to...
Jan 07, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 150
Alan Napier was the third-billed star of Batman , and is, somewhat remarkably, the only series regular who has a memoir currently in print. The book, Not Just Batman’s Butler , was written by Napier around 1970, and writer James Bigwood has edited and annotated it. At some points, Bigwood has filled in some quite large gaps that Napier left concerning his acting career, as the actor tended to focus more on his personal life. Batman does get a chapter, but it’s among the shortest in the book. So,...
Dec 24, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 149
You know about the 1966 Batman at Washburn fan film, made by students at Minneapolis' Washburn High School . (If you missed it, listen to episode 146!) But questions remained unanswered. How did the students get the school to let them shoot the film at school? How did they come up with the idea, and determine the casting? Why did they go with original villains? Why is there no Batcave? And...what's with that funky orange wash on some of the shots? In this episode, we meet some of the stars of th...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 148
Most TV writers don’t become stars. If we’re fans of a show they wrote for, we probably know their names, but nowhere online can we find most writers’ photos or dates of birth, let alone anything about their inner thoughts. Especially not writers who did their work decades ago. Collector Mitch Kaba has come along to help us get some insight into one of the more prolific Bat-writers: Stanford Sherman . Courtesy of Mitch, we have some letters that Sherman wrote to his girlfriend in 1965-66, which ...
Nov 26, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 147
Breaking bat-news! The earliest-known Batman ’66 fan film has been revealed! It was made by students at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the spring of 1966. As Batmania raged nationally, these kids decided to celebrate their school by making a Batman film in and around their school, with the cooperation of the school, including screen appearances by the principal, Carl W. Anderson , and two teachers! In this episode, we meet collector Mitchell Kaba , who found the film on Goodw...
Nov 12, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 146
Director Leslie Martinson , in his TV Academy interview that we explored last time, kept coming back to the question “What is the director’s input” in a TV show or movie? When he pointed out his input to the famous “bomb” scene in Batman: The Movie , we became curious to see what other aspects of the film might show signs of “the director’s input.” So this time, we dig into the script of the Batman ’66 film to see where else Martinson’s fingerprints might turn up. ALSO: The Nostalgia Choir (?) v...
Oct 29, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 145
Leslie Martinson was the director of “The Penguin Goes Straight”/“Not Yet He Ain’t” and “Batman: The Movie.” He was a good friend of Adam West ’s (but thought Burt Ward was “adequate”). As a director, how much impact did he have on the Batman legacy? For one thing, he played a big role in shaping the “bomb” scene into a signature scene of Adam West Batman ! The TV Academy’s 2003 interview with Martinson reveals this (especially when we take a look at the movie’s script ), as well as some of Mart...
Oct 15, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 144
Nelson Riddle ’s score for Batman , including the 1966 film Batman: The Motion Picture , features energetic, swing-influenced cues that adhere to the action like a Carl Stalling Looney Tunes score, and opera-esque motifs for each villain and each Bat-vehicle. As incidental music tends to be, it’s probably the most underappreciated aspect of the series. In this episode, film music commentator Jeff Bond , who wrote the liner notes for Film Score Monthly ’s CD release of the Batman film’s music in ...
Oct 01, 2020•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 143
When you see a script marked “FINAL,” you probably assume that it’s word-for-word the same as what was shot. In the case of “The Penguin Goes Straight”/“Not Yet He Ain’t”, it’s not even the final script! It was followed by a “revised final” script, which still varies significantly from what was shot. Many lines are changed, scenes are tightened up, unnecessary scenes are cut. This time we take a look at both scripts in comparison with what made it to film, and contemplate the reasons for the cha...
Sep 17, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 142
This time we resume reviewing the Batman '66 comic book series, with issues 3 and 4, featuring Joker, the Red Hood (huh? Isn't that Joker?), Egghead, the Mad Hatter, and Clock King. We discuss why Robin had two "holys" in a row, the mysterious floating egg-hat, Londinium suddenly becoming London, an unexpected kinship between villains, and more. Plus, Hefti's "Batman" theme performed by Eddie Vedder and daughter Harper , and your reaction to episode 138's "Batman Forever" discussion!...
Sep 03, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 141
Julie Newmar appeared as Catwoman in six two-parters during the first two seasons of Batman . During that time, the show and her character evolved, and while some might not agree with the direction they took, it’s hard to deny that Julie did both the evil, whip-snapping Catwoman and the Batman -besotted, comic Catwoman-of-a-thousand-disguises very well. Then in season three, she was gone and Eartha Kitt took her place. Do many of us find ourselves dissatisfied with Kitt’s very satisfactory versi...
Aug 20, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 140
Batman Meets Godzilla issue 2 is out! You may recall we previously reviewed issue 1 of Eric Elliot ’s labor-of-love project, with contributions from numerous artists (including Ian Miller , who drew the above panel), to bring life to a movie pitch from the ‘60s. Issue 2 manages to noticeably top issue 1 in numerous ways. In this episode, our review. As 20th Century Fox and Greenway Productions were putting together the pilot two-parter of Batman , some problems arose with George Barris and his c...
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 139
Is Batman Forever a comedy? Or is it an action movie with a few funny parts? Is it a throwback to the ’66 series, or a blend of every iteration of Batman ? Is it camp? And the cut scenes regarding Bruce ’s memories of his father’s diary prompt us to consider: is it better to have a lame payoff, or no payoff at all? Meanwhile, “Holy Deja Vu!” is back, and Paul fills us in on character actor of Karnaby Katz fame, Robert Long ! Plus, your mail about episode #135 Batman ’66 Comics, the Gray Ghost, a...
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 138
Yvonne Craig ’s memoir, From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond , poses quite a contrast to those by Adam West and Burt Ward . Batman takes up much less space in it, and recountings of sexual adventures take up no space at all. What emerges is a very practical woman who sees herself as a geek, is surprised to find herself typecast as “sexy” as she approaches 40, has plenty of amusing anecdotes (Hollywood-related and otherwise), and would be a joy to sit down to coffee with. We’ve read the book and...
Jul 09, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 137
Penguins live where it’s cold, but somehow the pairing of the Penguin and Mr. Freeze never came about on the TV show. But Jeff Parker made it happen in the second issue of the Batman ’66 comic book! In the same issue, he gave us another logical pairing, Chandell and the Siren . This time, we review the issue. Also, we take a closer look at the 1966 memo from William Dozier to Howie Horwitz , which laid out ten rules of thumb for the making of the show. Were all the points good ideas, and were th...
Jun 25, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 136
This episode: BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT! We discuss two topics often suggested by listeners: In 2013, not long before Batman finally came to home video, DC Comics began the Batman '66 comic book series with Jeff Parker and Jonathan Case 's "The Riddler's Ruse." In a comic whose main reason for existence is nostalgia, is it forgivable to take advantage of the comics medium to do things the TV show never could have? Does the art invoke nostalgia - and if so, is it the right kind? Then we consider th...
Jun 11, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 135
Scripts are back! After many months resting our script-research muscles, we're back to tackle the first two drafts of Robert Dozier 's The Joker is Wild — originally called The Joker's Utility Belt , after the comics story the script is based on. Oddly, this first draft seems to also have scenes that are based on Lorenzo Semple 's Hi Diddle Riddle ! Holy carbon copy! As usual, draft first-season batscripts tell us much about the show finding and defining itself, and also help us notice some impe...
May 28, 2020•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 134
Hey Batfans! Want details on what kept the show out of home video for so long? Want to know where the building called Gotham Plaza was, and what other shows that same structure was used for? Wondering about the background on the missing narration at the start of Hi Diddle Riddle ? Have questions about the history of the all-seeing, all-knowing 66 Batman message board ? There's only ONE MAN (OK, maybe two men) we can call: Scott Sebring ! He joins us this time to discuss all this and more. "We do...
May 14, 2020•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 133
TV in the '60s was, of course, dominated by male characters. It'd be tough to find a series that would pass the "Bechdel Test." How does Batman fare from a woman's point of view in the year 2020? To help us investigate this question, we invited novelist Nancy Northcott to join us this time and screen selected episodes from the first season. Plus, Tim and Paul have identified five "rules" for how women (molls in particular) are portrayed on the show . Also, "Bat Attack '89" (a Keaton-cash-in-cove...
Apr 30, 2020•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 132
The 1964 "New Look" facelift and, of course, our beloved 1966 TV show created a boom in Batman comics... briefly. The sales numbers dropped to their lowest point yet after the show was cancelled. Meanwhile, diehard fans of the comics, whose vision of Batman couldn't have been farther from how he was portrayed on the show, were fed up and demanding a darker version of the character, a return to his roots. These fans, many of whom read, and wrote for, the Batmania fanzine, were cheering for the da...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 131
In 1966, one sure way to make money was to tie your product to the Batman TV show in some way. Bill Adler was an expert at riding the latest wave, and in that year he released Bill Adler's Funniest Fan Letters to Batman , a collection of real (?) fan letters sent by fans (mostly kids) of the Caped Crusader 's TV show and comic books. In this episode, we discuss this book and read some of our favorite letters from it. Then Ben Bentley of 66batman.com (AAA-aa, AAA-aa) stops by to fill us in furthe...
Apr 02, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 130
At last, we're back! Week-to-week Neilsen ratings info isn't easy to come by, but some research on the ratings has been shared on the all-seeing, all-knowing 66 Batman message board by Bob Furmanek . This time we examine Bob's research and how it puts another nail in the bat-coffin of the pervasive fourth season myth . 2015 4th season myth thread 2018 4th season myth thread 2018 4th season smoking gun? Also in this episode: A prince getting weighed ? Holy Deja Vu! A review of the first issue of ...
Mar 19, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 129
Tim and Paul explain why the next episode will be delayed a bit. Also, how you can put yourself in a drawing to win a Batman meets Godzilla T-shirt !
Feb 01, 2020•4 min
This time, a double-header! First, we finish what we started by discussing Legends of the Superheroes: The Roast . Was it a great achievement by West and Ward ? (Um…) Was Frank Gorshin probably better off for having skipped it? Was the inclusion of Ghetto Man racist? Is it really a roast at all? Is it, you know, funny at any point? We discuss all these questions, the big and small names that appeared in the credits, and more. Then, we talk to Eric Elliott , who's in charge of a project to turn a...
Jan 23, 2020•2 hr 14 min
In January 1979, Adam West, Burt Ward, and Frank Gorshin reprised their '66 roles in two specials that barely registered in the Nielsen ratings. The first was "Legends of the Superheroes: The Challenge," in which Batman, Robin, and other DC Comics heroes went up against a group of villains (including the Riddler) who, for no clear reason, were plotting to destroy the world. Adam looked sub-par in his "gila cowl," and all three struggled with a script that only the laugh track found funny. In thi...
Jan 09, 2020•1 hr 40 min
We've finished season three (and the series), so it's time to examine the final year of Batman . It's not a task we relish; so much of season three is a disappointment, from the writing to the production values, the head-scratching cliffhanger-free episode tag scenes to the phoned-in acting. And then there's the introduction of Batgirl . While Yvonne Craig was always a delight, the execution of introducing Barbara Gordon /Batgirl into a show that had just been cut back to once a week, and someti...
Dec 26, 2019•2 hr 3 min
And so we arrive at the last episode of Batman . Of course, the show didn't get a spectacular sendoff; they didn't even give us any of the major villains. Instead, Zsa Zsa Gabor , who had twice almost appeared on the show, finally gets her turn, as (relatively?) evil spa owner Minerva . ("How could she be evil? She's so beautiful!") What's perhaps more notable is the amount of self-parody in the episode, including appearances by executive producer William Dozier and producer Howie Horwitz ! Join...
Dec 12, 2019•1 hr 33 min
How might a longtime Batman comics reader in 1966 have reacted to Burgess Meredith 's portrayal of the Penguin ? That's the question our friend Kyle hit on a few months ago, and in this episode he joins us to read pre-'66 Batman comics to compare how similar Meredith's Penguin was to the character in stories by Bob Kane , Bill Finger , Sheldon Moldoff , France Herron , and the like. How similar are the two versions, and where are they different? Plus, your mail about our discussion of The Joker'...
Nov 28, 2019•2 hr 4 min
As Batman neared the end of its run, the budget situation got worse (occasioning the need for an invisible fight), and the writers threw caution to the wind: witness at least half a dozen double entendres in "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra" — this at a time when most viewers who were old enough to get these naughty jokes had already bailed. In this episode, we examine this, this final episode written by Stanley Ralph Ross . PLUS: Lily Munster has a deja vu episode, John Burgess sends us his own ta...
Nov 14, 2019•1 hr 49 min
