Batman-TVBatman, starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin the Boy Wonder, premiered on Wednesday night, Jan 12, 1966 on ABC. The next day kids made capes from towels and old sheets and their parents were laughing about the show at work. Batman was TV that children and adults could both appreciate. Children enjoyed the action, complete with comic book balloons (BAM! POW! ZAP!). For adults, it was campy comedy. Batman was one of the most successful TV series of the 1960's and one of the most remembered of all time. Batman was written in the style of the Batman comic books. The target audience for those comics was pre-teen boys. It aired twice a week in prime time, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Wednesday show always ended with Batman and Robin in an impossible predicament. Soon after the beginning of Thursday night's episode, they would wiggle out of harm's way, usually with the aid of a gadget attached to one of their utility belts. This formula worked well for two seasons. The producers at ABC must have thought that Batman burn-out was inevitable. For the third season, Batman aired only once each week. During the last couple minutes of each episode, next week's villain was introduced. This tactic didn't totally abandon continuity, nor did it test the attention span of the series' core audience, children. By the third season the novelty had worn off for many adults, but the production team was able to keep some adults viewers with big name guest stars, cameos, and villains. The enormous success of Batman was both a blessing and a curse for Adam West and Burt Ward. Before Batman, West had some minor film roles. Ward had virtually no acting credits before Batman. Batman made them stars, but also typecast them as the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. Ward and West eventually accepted the fact that neither were going to be taken seriously as actors again, so eventually they embraced their Batman legacy. Both have hit the fan fests and conventions. They even teamed up again as Batman and Robin in 1977, lending their voices to the animated series "Adventures of Batman" (CBS, 1977-1981). Signed photos of Adam West, as Batman, sell in the $25-$30 range. Signatures sell for $10-$15. Autographs can be purchased directly from West at www.adamwest.com. He sells copies of his signed book "Back to the Batcave" for a very reasonable $25. Burt Ward, as Robin, photos sell in the range of $25-$30. Signatures sell for about $10. Alfred the Butler was played by Alan Napier (1903-1989). Napier was the great-great grandson of author Charles Dickens. He was an accomplished actor, appearing in the movies Johnny Belinda, Macbeth, My Fair Lady and Marnie, just to name a few. Signed photos of Napier sell for $75 - $100. Signatures sell around half that. Aunt Harriet was Madge Blake (1989-1969). She was also well known as Margaret Mondello, Larry's mother in the classic 50's sitcom "Leave It To Beaver." She appeared in dozens of other film roles. Signed photos of Madge Blake are hard to find and would sell for $250+. Signatures should bring at least $100. Commissioner Gordon was played by Neil Hamilton (1899-1984). Hamilton began his acting career during the silent era. His most famous role was the character of Nick Carraway in the Great Gatsby, 1925. Expect to pay $150+ for one of his signed photos. Signatures would sell for $75+. Stafford Repp (1918-1974) played Chief O'Hara. Repp was a supporting actor prior to Batman. One of his best roles was as a detective in I Want to Live starring Susan Hayward. His photos are very hard to find. Expect to pay $250+ for signed photos. Signatures would start at about $75. The autographs of Madge Blake, Neil Hamilton, and Staford Repp, and to a lesser extent Alan Napier, are hard to find in dealer's catalogues, so a selling price is hard to attach. Their autographs are more likely to show up as signatures in old autograph albums. More likely as not, the seller has no idea who these actors are. It pays to search eBay for signatures like these (check title and description.) Many dealers condemn eBay, but eBay is where a lot of dealers shop. What would Batman be without the villains? They were as over-the-top as Batman and Robin, and a vital part of the series. The main villains were The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, and Catwoman. Cesar Romero (1907-1994) always did a great job playing The Joker. Romero was a Hollywood star before assuming the role. When a movie called for "Latin Lover," Romero was often the first choice. Romero played the villain, opposite William Powell, in the Thin Man. Other well remembered movies he had a part in were Around the World in 80 days and Ocean's Eleven. A signed photo of Cesar Romero is in the neighborhood of $75. Signatures sell for about half that. Burgess Meredith (1907-1997) played the part of The Penguin. Meredith was a heavy hitter for decades in Hollywood, mostly in supporting roles. One of his best loved roles was as Henrie Bemis in the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last." He was the quiet fellow who loved to read so much that he was happy to be the last man alive on Earth, alone with his books - then he broke his glasses. Meredith is also remembered as Rocky Balboa's trainer in Rocky." Meredith was a responsive signer both in person and through the mail. Signed photos sell for around $50, and signatures for about half that. Two actresses played Catwoman, Julie Newmar (1935-) and Eartha Kitt (1927-2008). Two actors played The Riddler, Frank Gorshin (1933-2005) and John Astin (1930-). John Astin had a starring role in the 1960's comedy series, "The Addams Family." Eartha Kitt was a renowned singer and cabaret star. Orson Welles called her "the most exciting woman in the world." Welles gave her her first starring role in Helen of Troy in 1950. Kitt has won an Emmy and received three Tony nominations and two Grammy nominations. A signed Eartha Kitt photo sells in the neighborhood of $25. Signatures sell for as little as $15. Julie Newmar, Frank Gorshin and John Astin have signed tons of autographs over the last few decades, largely due to the continuing popularity of the Batman character. It is very easy to find photos of all of them in their Batman roles. Signed photos of any of the three can be found for less than $25. Signatures sell for about a half that. The four main villains were in about half of the episodes. Actors wanted to be a part of the Batman craze so it was very easy to recruit big names as guest villains. I have included a complete list of villains for those who would like a real challenge. It would be a quite an undertaking to begin a search for all of the autographs of everyone who had a part in Batman. It would keep the collector busy for quite awhile. It is almost certain that Batman will be collected for many years to come, and a well assembled autograph collection will grow in value. Complete List of Batman Cameos Bob Kane, the Man Who Created Batman
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