The '60s 'Batman' Movie Just Turned 50 And Attention Must Be Paid

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The 1966 film Batman: The Movie was shot between the first and second seasons of the television show. It used the same sets as the TV show, the same characters, costumes, the same story formula, and — most importantly — adopted the same tonal jiu-jitsu: high silliness executed with grave seriousness.

Some of us, like me, are old enough to remember Batman when it was a TV show. Back then, it was more than a little over dramatic, silly and just plain corny. [ "Holy over acting Batman!!" ]
But we were young, Batman was cool, so we were glued to that TV, biffing, bopping and whamming the bad guys right along side the Dynamic Duo. You have to understand, this was not the Batman you see today. This was not the violent Dark Knight. No Batplane with sidewinder missiles, Gatling guns or explosive toys in the utility belt. This was the Batman that followed the law, climbed walls like a fly and the worst he ever did was punch the villain. He always saved the day, but somehow, the bad guy escaped, only to come back next week.
I'm not embarrassed to say, I was a super fan. I. Was. BATMAN. I went everywhere with a towel pinned around my neck, trying to make Batarangs and never could climb that damn wall. [ yes I know the camera trick they used ] My water gun was Batspray, used on anything my imagination could turn in to a bad guy. The cat did not appreciate his role in all this. Neither did some of the adults come to think of it.
But, nothing could stop me from being The Caped Crusader. My nickname, that stuck for years even after I outgrew Batmania, was....you guessed it..Batman. No one yelled "David", it was "Hey! Batman!, commere!". My wife [ ex ] and sister even had a running joke about owning a Batman cape.
[ No, I don't ]. But.... if I could have that original cowl and cape?....damn right I'd try it on at least once.

There are those of us who still like to watch an old episode from time to time. Just to go back, if only for half an hour, to a time when the worst we had to worry about was a bad guy on TV and if Batman was going to escape the clutches of the Penguin.
Tune in next week!
Same Bat time!
Same Bat channel!

You sold a nuclear submarine to a man named P. N. Gwin and you didn't check credentials!?

a reply to: DAVID64

Ha...that's priceless...my 7 year old boy enjoys watching the show and he has a bit of a crush on Lady Kitka who shockingly turned out to be Cat Woman...Poor Bruce Wayne..

I watch this hilarious tribute video at least every day, twice on sundays...

a reply to: Bluntone22

a reply to: DAVID64

and who would've thought the Penguin would go on to train Rocky... Now that I think about it, he does kind of look like a fight promoter.

Holy batcrap Batman (says Robin)

originally posted by: Bluntone22
You sold a nuclear submarine to a man named P. N. Gwin and you didn't check credentials!?

Really giggled out loud on that one...priceless..thanks for that...

so many great shows back then. glad i was a kid at that time.
i was also a big fan of batman, never missed an episode.
my second favorite has to be voyage to the bottom of the sea.

a reply to: autopat51

I always loved that opening theme

How will the dynamic dunderheads get out of this one? Tuned in every week.

My favorite scene was when theres a bomb about to go off (it does). When the smoke clears they're still standing. Batman says, lucky I was able to reach my anti blast bat spray, just in time. He's got a spray can in his hand.

Back then clowning superheros was unheard of, just like today. Back then they were comic books, today they are worshipped by movie goers.

a reply to: DAVID64

At that time i was getting the " Hots " for Emma Peel to even bother about Batman.

a reply to: DAVID64
The Best Batman. My fav.

Awesome series. Hilarious, too. Kids could watch it and enjoy it in a semi-serious manner (which kids tend to take all superhero stories in, regardless of camp factor,) while adults could appreciate the camp and even borderline "adult" humor.

Also, for my money, it's still the coolest Batmobile ever on screen.

Peace.

P.S. Always remember your Bat shark repellent when swimming.

Don't forget Wonder Woman and the other super heros of the time. It seemed that nobody died in those old shows that kids watched back then. Now, kids are shooting opponents in video games, heck we never did stuff like that. We went out and shot at each other with dart guns and squirt guns. Now they want to take away those toys and stick the kids on the internet shooting each other with assault type weapons. Nobody cries in video games, there is no personalization there. When you hurt your friend you learn it hurts him and don't do that again. Then you get spanked when you go in by your dad for playing dangerously.

Society sure has changed, our new system actually promotes violence way more than it did in the sixties. Back in the early sixties, cowboy shows were on and we were acting a little more agressive because killing of criminals was always happening. Now, criminals win or get off without getting punished most times on television. Lawyers will take care of you and get you out of trouble is the name of the conditioning.

Cesar Romero: Best Joker Ever.

Julie Newmar: Best Catwoman Ever.

Yvonne Craig: Marry me please.

I liked how the villains were always laughing and joking around. What's the point in being a villain if you don't enjoy your job?

The Batman series did have one negative effect, though. I kind of ruined Lost in Space. The early episodes of LIS had a much more serious and darker tone than what the show is known for. The Dr. Smith character wasn't the bumbling coward he became in later episodes. Originally, he was very smart, devious, and ruthless. In addition to being the one who sabotaged the Jupiter 2, he re-programed the Robot to act as his personal muscle.

But after seeing the success of Batman, the producers of LIS felt that campy was the way to go. They had an episode where Dr. Smith was talking to himself and decided to try to trick the Robinsons by acting the fool to put them off their guard. He would strike when the time was right. But from then on the bumbling coward character stuck, the aliens became outrageous caricatures, and the plot lines became as campy as Batman.

I just think that Lost in Space could have been a much better show without the camp. Props to Johnathan Harris, though, for being able to play the character either way.

at 3:00, the dance at the end.... priceless
I love the innocence and silliness of it all, when tv was supposed to entertain you, not scare you to death and give you nightmares.

Batman's the best.

I still have a copy of that movie (on VHS!). One of my all time faves. Watched it every chance I got as a young fella. Had a complete set of the trading cards! How I wish I still had them...

Adam West! What can you say? Awesome job as the Caped Crusader, and still relevant as Mayor West on Family Guy. That's a 50 year career on TV. Not many of those. He has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, don't ya know.
A true classic, that Batman.

"Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb!"

a reply to: DAVID64

I used to watch the 60s show in spain since it was one of the few that occasionally was broadcast in english with spanish subtitles.

I loved it. I would go on about the batmobile, bat bikes, bat copter, all of it. It was cool.

Then 90s rubber batman came out and I realized just how goofy the original was..lol

Still, its priceless and deserves a gander by those who have never seen it.

S&F

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