At stately Wayne Manor in Gotham City, home of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his youthful ward Dick Grayson, a bright red phone rings. The kindly butler Alfred notices the Bat phone ringing and alerts Bruce and Dick immediately. As quick as a flash the two push a secret button to reveal the Batpoles, leading them to the Batcave, for Wayne and Grayson are none other than the Dynamic Duo of Batman the Caped Crusader, and Robin, the Boy Wonder!
60 years ago, on January 12th, 1966, the television show Batman first aired. Starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, the show would go on for three seasons, 120 episodes, a theatrical film, and would make Batman the worldwide phenomenon he is today. Nowadays the show is seen as the campy, stupid version of Batman; while the show certainly is campy, and is also quite silly… It’s intentionally silly.
The man approached to produce the show, William Dozer, had never read a comic book in his life. While researching Batman to make the show, Dozer read a big stack of Batman comics, mostly from the 50s, and realized the comics weren’t intense action crime stories, but were instead bright, silly stories aimed towards kids. At the time, comic books had to follow strict guidelines to be approved by the Comics Code Authority. Parents were worried about violence in comics influencing their kids, so a set of rules were put in place to keep comic books from ever being too dark or violent. This resulted in Batman, and other comic books, to be much more silly, and much more stupid. Dozer knew that to make this show as accurate to the comics as he could, and to be able to entertain both a kid and adult audience, he couldn’t make the show a serious crime show. Instead, the show had to be a comedy.
West’s Batman was my first introduction to the character through the DVD rereleases of the show, and I adored it. When I was a young kid, I took everything that happened in the show super seriously. I was afraid for Batman every time he was stuck in a villain’s deadly trap, and cheered when he reached into his Utility Belt and pulled out the perfect gadget to free himself. Most episodes of the show were two parts, with the first part ending with Batman and Robin being in serious danger, making me eager to watch the next part to see if they end up okay. However when I got older and rewatched the show, I found myself laughing at the absurdity of the show. The comedy of the series is brilliant, as not only does it keep adults just as entertained by the show as kids, but it also is able to poke fun at the extremely silly comics that were being made at the time. 1966’s Batman manages to both be a genuinely engaging superhero show, while also being a complete satire making fun of the superhero genre.
At the center of the show is Adam West’s performance as Batman, which to me, is the greatest portrayal of the Caped Crusader of all time. While the world around Batman is colorful and strange, Batman will always keep a straight face. Batman has a wide array of extremely silly gadgets in his utility belt, yet he’ll always deliver their absurd names in a serious voice. Batman is known for being more serious than many other superheroes, and that stays true even in this more comical show.
Despite dedicating his life to fighting crime, Batman can have some fun too. Whether he is dancing his famous Batusi dance, or supporting a local restaurant selling “Bat-Burgers”, Batman is always willing to support his city of Gotham. But despite being able to act a little silly sometimes, West always makes sure Batman never appears vulnerable by keeping that stern voice, and calm demeanor. There are little things that do affect Batman on a deeper level though. When Bruce overhears a child booing a picture of Batman on the street, West gives a solemn look and tries to keep his composure as he expresses “No blow ever struck by any arch-villain has ever hurt me so acutely as that little boy’s boo.” Batman does his best to stand as a symbol of hope and safety for the citizens of Gotham, and while he is usually able to hide his emotions, one of his fellow citizens disliking him is the one thing that truly breaks him.
West also has great dynamics with some of the show’s other cast members. With Burt Ward’s Robin, Batman acts as a father figure. Even when fighting crime Batman will find a way to show Robin how to be a good hero and a good citizen of Gotham. Though I’d argue the performer West performs best with is Julie Newmar as Catwoman. The romance between Batman and Catwoman is a huge part of the story of Batman, and this was my introduction to their dynamic. While the acting may be over the top and cheesy, there always felt like a genuine connection between West and Newmar. Batman knowing he has to stop Catwoman but knowing she could genuinely change for the better, while Catwoman loves Batman but feels she’s too far gone and has to stop him. As a kid I always felt like the Batman and Catwoman episodes were the heart of the show, and to me it shows that while the show’s characters are silly, they’re not shallow.
1966’s Batman is not everyone’s vision of Batman, but for me Adam West is more of a Batman than many of the actors who have portrayed the character. He refuses to kill, he has a strong sense of justice, and he’s sympathetic towards his villains and believes in redemption. He’s without a doubt the most comic accurate Batman in terms of the comics from the 50s and 60s, and there’s no question the performances on the show have defined the characters in Gotham.