Adam West, TV's campy Batman in 1960s series, dies at age 88

[rooster59]

Adam West, TV's campy Batman in 1960s series, dies at age 88

By Will Dunham

 

Actor Adam West, who portrayed the title character in the 1960's television series "Batman," poses atop the original Batmobile used in the hit series during an appearance at the first annual RetroFest in Santa Monica, California, U.S., August 14, 1999. REUTERS/Staff/Files

 

REUTERS - Adam West, who earned a place in American pop culture history with his campy portrayal of the title character in the classic 1960s TV series "Batman," has died at age 88, his family said on Saturday.

 

West, who was so closely identified with Batman for the rest of his life that it was both a blessing and a curse for him, died on Friday evening after a short struggle with leukemia, his representative told Variety.

 

"He was the greatest. We'll miss him like crazy," his family said on the actor's Twitter page.

 

The live-action "Batman" show, starring West along with Burt Ward as his sidekick Robin and a collection of colorful villains, was inspired by a long-running comic book series. It ran only three seasons from 1966 to 1968 on the ABC network, but became a television phenomenon and cult classic. It also spawned a "Batman" feature film in 1966.

 

West portrayed Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne as painfully earnest, straight-laced, clean-cut and trustworthy. The darker aspects of the Batman character - mined so successfully in later film versions - were ignored.

 

The show's various memorable villains - Cesar Romero as the Joker, Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin and Julie Newmar as Catwoman - were allowed to chew the scenery. Numerous Hollywood luminaries stepped in to play Batman's demented adversaries in the show's 120 episodes.

 

"He was bright, witty and fun to work with," Newmar said on Saturday in a statement. "I will miss him in the physical world and savor him always in the world of imagination and creativity."

 

After the cancellation of the series, West found it difficult to land other acting jobs, even though he was an established film and TV actor, because he had become so linked to the Batman role.

 

Eventually he came to accept that his identity was closely intertwined with the masked crime-fighting hero in the black cape whether he liked it or not. He often was hired to play a comically fictionalized version of himself in live-action and animated roles and became a successful voice actor.

 

On the long-running animated series "Family Guy," he provided the voice of the character Mayor Adam West. He played himself for years on the animated "The Fairly OddParents" and appeared on the venerable animated series "The Simpsons." West also voiced the Caped Crusader and other characters in numerous animated incarnations of Batman.

 

'CURIOUS STIRRINGS'

 

"We had some very good writers for the original show," West said in a 2010 interview with the Slice of SciFi website. "They saw the craziness, the comedy. You know, just as he's about to put her in (jail), Batman says to Catwoman, 'You give me curious stirrings in my utility belt.' That's funny stuff."

 

In protecting Gotham City from super criminals, Batman and Robin invariably would find their lives threatened in some fiendish trap, only to escape using their endless ingenuity.

 

For example, Robin was once nearly swallowed alive by a giant clam in an episode with the Joker. Batman and Robin were nearly turned into frozen desserts - Frosty Freezies - in an episode with famed film director Otto Preminger as Mr. Freeze.

 

Like some other actors who became inseparable in the minds of fans from a character they played - Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock on "Star Trek" is another example - West long resented his association with Batman but learned to like it.

 

"I think it was a very simple deduction. I think any intelligent person would come to the same conclusion," he said in 2010. "And that is: if I am being turned down for other roles because of my association with Batman, then maybe what I should do is really embrace Batman. Pursue it and keep it alive, which is what I've been trying to do for 30 years."

 

Bob Kane, who created Batman in 1939, seemed to agree. West kept a drawing of Batman by Kane, who inscribed it: "To my buddy, Adam, who breathed life into my pen and ink creation."

 

While struggling to land post-Batman acting roles, West turned to making personal appearances wearing the Batman cape and cowl - some rather undignified, as when he appeared on a Memphis pro wrestling program opposite wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler.

 

West was born as William "Billy" Anderson in Washington state in 1928. He took the name Adam West when he came to Hollywood in 1959.

 

Pre-"Batman," he co-starred in the 1965 Three Stooges feature film "The Outlaws Is Coming" and the 1964 sci-fi film "Robinson Crusoe on Mars." But it was his performance in a TV commercial that caught the notice of the "Batman" producers.

 

"They'd seen a series of commercials I'd done for Nestle Quick instant milkshake in which I did a kind of spoof on the James Bond character," West told Bizarre magazine in 2004. "They saw the commercials and thought, 'Hey, maybe this is the guy that can play the character in the way that we envision it.'"

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-11

[ezzra]

One of the many Memorable quotations of an icons... RIP....

 

Bruce: "Yes, Dick, your bird calls are close to perfect. If more people practiced them, someday we might have a chance for real communication with our feathered friends."
Dick: "In that case I think I'll polish up my ruby-crowned kinglet and my rose-breasted yellow-tailed grouse-beak calls."

 

[gk10002000]

yeah.  a classic. I actually remember him from the sci fi movie "Robinson Crusoe on Mars"

[steven100]

Holy suffering catfish batman,  what do we do now   !!

Don't worry robin ....   we'll use the batbomb to blast our way out  ....  

[bannork]

I loved Batman and Robin back in the 60s. As mentioned, they seemed so straight and honest, Robin always came across as too earnest and naive. The adversaries were hilarious. Great stuff for kids

'Holy cow, Batman!' 

 

 

[Silurian]

Ah, Batman was campy fun. Adam West will always be Batman!

 

But his sense of humor shined on Family Guy. So long Mayor West. Take care on your next journey.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by Silurian

[Crossy]

There was only ever one real Batman.

 

RIP Adam

[Cats4ever]

He was great and had a terrific script to work with. My circle of latish teen friends ran lines past each other all the time.

[Usernames]

Another generation passing.  Now, we're down to the very last of the TV and film stars of the 1960s.

[nausea]

And another one of my childhood icons bites the dust; made myself a utility belt as a kid; duh, duh, duh, duh , ... , BATMAN!

[hawker9000]

7 hours ago, bannork said:

I loved Batman and Robin back in the 60s. As mentioned, they seemed so straight and honest, Robin always came across as too earnest and naive. The adversaries were hilarious. Great stuff for kids

'Holy cow, Batman!' 

 

 

I was actually a big fan of the Catwomen, esp Julie Newmar!

Edited June 11, 2017 by hawker9000

[peterpaintpot]

I can assure all that it wasn't only kids that enjoyed Batman. In the UK it was on tv in the 70s and I think that I enjoyed it more than my kids.

 

It was camp, it was terrific entertainment, though I am sure the kids missed the innuendoes. Sean is James Bond for me and Adam West was Batman.

 

The whole cast were fantastic and fitted bin to the concept beautifully.

[evadgib]

As a kid I had no idea what 'comic timing' was but this programme had it in spades :)

[ballpoint]

 

[ballpoint]

And more...

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Never saw the series, but loved the movie he made.

RIP.

[telldem]

RIP

[anon4546543]

I was a 13 yo when I first saw Batman. My mother, a serious Christian fundamentalist disapproved. She could see that I did not understand the "camp" aspect of the shows nor the innuendo.

I loved the tv series. It took some ribald jokes to explain to me later in life just how camp the series was.

But I will remember it always as good clean fun where the good guys always won over evil. RIP. 

[Prbkk]

 

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-11/batman-actor-adam-wests-top-scenes-as-caped-crusader/8607864

[Thechook]

A bit before my time so checked a couple of shows on youtube.  So lame and poor acting, how did people watch it? Apparently for those times he was a brilliant actor and my condolences and may he R.I.P 

[evadgib]

3 hours ago, Thechook said:

A bit before my time so checked a couple of shows on youtube.  So lame and poor acting, how did people watch it? Apparently for those times he was a brilliant actor and my condolences and may he R.I.P 

I doubt if 50 years from now anyone will be talking about any actor or character from today in the same way that we are lamenting the demise of Adam West.