Secrets About ‘Batman’ You Didn’t Know

There have been many Batman films and television shows but none quite as powerful as the original Batman and Robin. That’s right, the 1960’s dynamic duo that was Adam West and Burt Ward will always be our favorite spandex suited heroes. Take a trip down memory lane but with some surprising new facts that were kept under wraps all these years. Check it out!

Sing a Song

Pay attention. Turns out that every single villain on the show had their very own theme song for the title sequence so they could make it crystal clear to the audience who would cause trouble in every episode.

Holy Moly

At the time, due to censorship, no one was allowed to swear on air. Especially not Batman and Robin themselves. Ergo – they used a staggering 352 variations of the word “holy” used as a swear word.

Oh, That’s Not Good

Before the series was ever broadcast, it was shown to a select test audience who were actually less than impressed with what they saw. In fact, the opening episode received the lowest ever audience score in ABC’s history. However the network had already invested a ton of money into the series, and they lacked alternative programming, so they decided to air it regardless.

The Riddler

Here’s a fun fact – in the original comic books, The Riddler only had a minor role, but the series flipped the basis and turned him into a starring character.

Cutting It Close

Adam West secured the role of Batman…but by chance. Despite being an up and coming young actor, he was facing serious competition. However the scales turned in his favor and all because of a Nestle Commercial. William Dozier saw West portraying a James Bond-esque character and he desperately wanted him for the part.

Big B’s

According to actor Adam West, his Batman character is part of the three ‘Big B’s’ of the 1960’s. The other two: The Beatles and Bond, James Bond. Makes sense.

Ouch!

Robin was played Burt Ward, and in case you forgot, Robin is Batman’s trusty sidekick. The stunts that were performed on the series were extremely difficult and dangerous, so much so that Ward ended up in the hospital on more than one occasion.

The Big Debut

On January 6th, 1966, the original television series aired but catch is, it screened two years before with a totally different cast. Once negotiations between CBS and Ed Graham Productions fell apart, DC Comics stepped up and repurchased the rights to the ‘Batman’ character.

Comic Book, Anyone?

The producer William Dozier was hired on due to his huge reputation and exceptional skill behind the scenes BUT there was one small, well not so small, problem. Dozier had never, ever read a Batman comic. That’s why when he started doing research, he made the decision that the show should be cast as a campy comedy instead of the typical stoic Batman that the comics portrayed.

Safety First

The National Safety Council quickly approached producers and demanded to know why the Batmobile wasn’t outfitted for safety and lacked seat belts. In turn, the producers wrote a scene showing the duo buckling up as they tore out of the bat cave. This was of course intended as a joke on the ‘goody two-shoes’ but in reality, the moment was praised by parents for encouraging such safe practices.

Let the Sparring Begin

Turns out that Burt Ward and Bruce Lee actually sparred together on and off set! The pair were in fact neighbors living in the same apartment complex, but Lee also had a reoccurring role on the show as the villain Kato. Now that’s just awesome.

Bat Girl

Yvonne Craig was added to the cast in the third and final season of Batman. She portrayed the newest addition to the crime fighting team, Bat Girl. Although many die-hard fans will tell you that adding her killed the show. Ouch.

A Fan

Everyone knows Hugh Hefner as the Playboy Magazine Mogul, but almost no one knows that he adores comic books. In 1965, Hefner even threw a Batman themed party to celebrate his favorite characters and in attendance was an ABC executive producer who was inspired by the party so much that he took the idea to ABC studios, and that’s how the Batman TV series was born. Crazy!

Work, Work, Work

Batman was in fact aired on two different nights in the week and required the actors to keep a rigorous production schedule. A whopping 34 episodes were produced in just four short months!

The Original Catwoman

Julie Newmar portrayed the original Catwoman. With the whole getup, fake lashes, winged eye shadow, and a skin tight leather get-up (basically what people wear today but that’s another story). She played the temptress villain for just one season in 1966-67.

How About That?

Cesar Romero will always be remembered for his portrayal as the despicable Joker. What with his incredibly thick white makeup and wild hair, but turns out that the role could have been portrayed by another. Rumor is that Frank Sinatra wanted the part, the rumor was started by the former Catwoman actress, Julie Newmar.

Catwoman II

The popular singer, Eartha Kitt, took over the role of Catwoman in the third and last season of the show. Her portrayal was regarded as much more mysterious and ruthless then that of Newmar. Kitt’s portrayal didn’t offer the same romantic charisma between Batman and Catwoman that had developed in earlier seasons.

The Batcave

After the series was canceled, the producers of the show tried to get picked up by another network. However no one did. So they actually bulldozed over the Batcave, only for NBC to then give them an offer. Yikes.

Good Ol’ Alfred

Alfred is the heart of show. He’s the loyal and very resourceful butler to Bruce Wayne, everyone loves him and relates to his character. Well, Alfred had been killed off in the comic books before the series ever premiered, but the production team insisted on having Alfred appear regularly. Therefore he was conveniently brought back to life for the show and in the comic books as well!

Let’s Talk Makeup

Cesar Romero portrayed the extremely diabolical Joker. As the Joker, he covered his face with heavy white makeup and the ghoulish red lipstick. This is his character’s trademark look and many actors who have gone on to star as the Joker, have adopted the same makeup tricks. At the time, Cesar had a very thick mustache and outright refused to shave it for the character. He actually painted over it daily for filming.

The Dough

Even though the show filmed twice a week to audiences, Burt Ward only earned $350 a week during the first season of Batman. Whoa.

Bond, James Bond

Due to the show’s growing popularity, Adam West was eventually offered the opportunity to play James Bond! Instead, he turned the role down because he believed the role belonged to a British actor.

Crossover

During the 1960’s, a lot of television shows shared studio space, props, and even actors. Most of the minor characters also had small roles on other shows at the time. Like Star Trek or The Wild Wild West.

Switch Up

The Riddler would be replaced by The Puzzler due to a hefty contract dispute. Frank Gorshin didn’t show up to set for an episode and the producers immediately replaced him with John Astin.

Light It Up

Neil Hamilton portrayed the mighty Commissioner Gordon for all three seasons. However, he had no idea that his daughter Barbara Gordon is secretly Bat Girl.

Close Call

Actor Mickey Rooney was initially offered the role of The Penguin but he turned it down. Bit of a mistake on his part, he could have been a huge cult TV show star.

Mr. Freeze

Out of all the characters on the show, Mr. Freeze was replaced the most. Actors George Sanders, Eli Wallach, and Otto Preminger all played the chilly bad guy over three seasons.

Quak

Burgess Meredith portrayed The Penguin, who was the bad guy with a characteristic ‘quak’. The quak was actually the result of The Penguins’ trademark cigarette which irritated Meredith’s throat and caused him to croak often.

Gotham City Map

If you remember, the “Giant Lighted Lucite Map of Gotham City” is an exact replica of layout of St. Louis but its just reversed. All of St . Louis’s major roadways and landmarks are included, such as Forest Park, Tower Grove Park, and Fairground Park.

Girl Power

Yvonne Craig was quite the powerhouse woman during the show’s run. She insisted on doing all of her own stunts as Bat Girl, including riding her custom made motorcycle.