As much as Batman’s really come a long way in recent years, there’s no way I’d ever criticize the 1966 TV show.
For years, fans would deride it as being too campy, and that the caped crusader should have been taken much more seriously, but the reason so many of us love Batman is from growing up, watching the show, and loving it. (And it would also be nice if Fox and Warners would settle their differences and let an official DVD / Blu-Ray of the show come out. Not only would the fans love it, but it could mean even more bat-dollars for the franchise).
If anyone knows actor Adam West from anything today, it’s from Batman, and now he’s getting a star on Hollywood Boulevard.
By the time you read this Adam will have his place on the legendary tinseltown street, because the ceremony took place Thursday, April 5 at 11:30 a.m.
As Lerron Gubler, who is the President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce said in a press release, “Adam West fired up the billion dollar Batman franchise: the golden years and the classic Batman, the Bright Knight. He deserves his place of honor on your famed Walk of Fame.”
The press release also retold West’s history, for those unfamiliar with how he broke into the biz, like myself. Apparently Adam West, a native of Walla Walla Washington, was first a DJ and TV show host, before making his way to Hollywood as a contract player with Warner Brothers, ironically the future home of Batman. His first film, The Young Philadelphians, also starred Paul Newman, and he did a number of TV appearances on shows like Maverick, Bonanza, and The Outer Limits.
Of course, his career took a fateful turn in 1965 when he was hired on to play Bruce Wayne for Batman, which ran on ABC for three seasons and 120 episodes. Many fans from many generations love Batman from the re-runs, and for many, like myself, the TV Batman was our first exposure to this great superhero, who’s now the biggest, and best known comic book crusader in the world.
West has also had a second life as a voice talent on Family Guy, and don’t forget he had a great voice cameo on the Mr. Plow episode of the Simpsons. Homer was clearly a big fan of the TV show, and when West mentioned Batman and Robin, Bart asked, “Who the hell’s Robin?”
So w hether we see the Batman show officially available for home viewing any time soon or not, the ‘60’s incarnation of The Dark Knight, and Adam West, will certainly continue to live on in our hearts and memories, and we at TG congratulate him for his star on the Walk of Fame.
