Batman (1966)

Director:

Leslie H. Martinson

Writers:

Lorenzo Semple Jr. (written by)
Bob Kane (characters)

Release Date:

5 October 1966 (France)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Family

Tagline:

He's Here Big As Life In A Real Bat-Epic

Plot:

The Dynamic Duo faces four super-villains who plan to hold the world for ransom with the help of a secret invention that instantly dehydrates people.

Plot Keywords:

Secret Identity | Henchman | Good Versus Evil | Black Cat | U Boat

Awards:

1 win

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 30

3:45 AM

AMC

Cast

Adam West	...	Batman / Bruce Wayne
Burt Ward	...	Robin / Dick Grayson
Lee Meriwether	...	The Catwoman / Kitka
Cesar Romero	...	The Joker
Burgess Meredith	...	The Penguin
Frank Gorshin	...	The Riddler
Alan Napier	...	Alfred
Neil Hamilton	...	Commissioner Gordon
Stafford Repp	...	Chief O'Hara
Madge Blake	...	Aunt Harriet Cooper
Reginald Denny	...	Commodore Schmidlapp
Milton Frome	...	Vice Admiral Fangschliester
Gil Perkins	...	Bluebeard
Dick Crockett	...	Morgan
George Sawaya	...	Quetch

Also Known As:

Batman: The Movie (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-8 (re-rating) | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | Italy:T | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (35th anniversary special edition) | USA:PG (Certificate No. 21297) | Netherlands:6 | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Brazil:Livre | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | France:U | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:U | West Germany:6 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

380 South San Rafael Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Julie Newmar (Catwoman in the TV series) does not appear in this film because she did not know about it and had signed to do another project. By the time she was informed, she could not get out of the other commitment in time to do this movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Robin climbs down to Batman to help him fight off the shark, the rope which moves it is visible.

Quotes:

Riddler: This bird has flown around the bend.
Joker: Too cuckoo to land!
Catwoman: Riddler! Joker! Do something! We weren't meant for a watery grave, DO SOMETHING!
Joker: Now hear this! Now hear this! Blow all tanks! Surface! Surface!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994)

Brilliant parody of 1940's serials

I'm dismayed by the reviewers who compare this with the bloated, boring Batman movies of 1980-90's. It was always intended as comedy, and the special effcts, acting, etc., were designed to that effect. Maybe it's okay in comic books but can anyone take seriously a bunch of crazy hero/villains running around in capes and tights? You have to look back to those 13 chapter sci-fi serials of the 1940's to get the show/movie: each chapter ended with the heroes getting blown up, then the next chapter showed the last 5 minuts of the previous chapter except with the added footage showing the hero's escape. Then another 5 minutes of the characters recapping the entire story for the benefit of the audience if they hadn't seen the previous chapters. Quite amusing to watch today (I would recommend "Lost City of the Jungle" which loosely inspired Indiana Jones, and has those credits that stream up the screen like in Star Wars). That's why the Batman series were always 2-parters with ridiculous cliff hanger endings, with Batman uttering "If I can only reach my utility belt..." Adam West's performance can only be characterised as sublimely surreal: he really deserves an award. The only thing that comes close to this is Mystery Men, which many also unfortunately don't seem to get.