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New Batman cartoon staring West and Ward!

I've just been reminded of one more surviving Bat-villain. Today is the 85th birthday of John Astin, who took over the role of the Riddler in one second-season story. Granted, he wasn't very good as the Riddler, since he was trying to act like Gorshin rather than bringing his own strengths to the role; but he was a Bat-villain nonetheless, and he's still with us. (And I bet he's feeling much better now!)

Also, Van Williams, the Green Hornet, is still alive. As are three of season 3's original villainesses: Joan Collins (the Siren), Barbara Rush (Nora Clavicle), and Zsa Zsa Gabor (Minerva).
 
I've just been reminded of one more surviving Bat-villain. Today is the 85th birthday of John Astin, who took over the role of the Riddler in one second-season story. Granted, he wasn't very good as the Riddler, since he was trying to act like Gorshin rather than bringing his own strengths to the role; but he was a Bat-villain nonetheless, and he's still with us. (And I bet he's feeling much better now!)

Also, Van Williams, the Green Hornet, is still alive. As are three of season 3's original villainesses: Joan Collins (the Siren), Barbara Rush (Nora Clavicle), and Zsa Zsa Gabor (Minerva).

You're right. I also thought of Astin when I saw it was his birthday.

Still, of the big four villains (the Penguin, the Riddler, the Joker, and Catwoman), we only have two Catwomen left . ...
 
The last things I've seen and read about Zsa Zsa Gabor are so sad I think it might be better if she weren't still with us.
 
^Still, it's impressive that all three Caped Crusaders are still with us.
That threw me until I realized you were talking about Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. Isn't "Caped Crusader" specific to Batman, while collectively they're the Dynamic Duo or the Terrific Trio?
 
^I am pretty certain I've heard both Batman and Robin referred to collectively as the Caped Crusaders, at least within the context of the '66 series. And Batgirl wears a cape and participates in the crusade against crime, so there's no reason she couldn't be included in the phrase as well.

Besides, it would've been too cumbersome to say "the Dynamic Duo and the Dominoed Daredoll."
 
Adam West and Burt Ward return in a new Anime-version of "Knightfall!" Starring the bone-crushing, back-breaking Bane!

I kid, but I like the idea of an animated Batman '66. That book is a hoot.

It's my 9 year old son's current favourite bedtime story whenever the latest issue is out. We've also started making our way through the Blu-ray box set "Santa" brought the two of us (probably the last gift he'll have believed was from Santa). I'm thoroughly enjoying the trip down memory lane (along with him reading the 50s/60s Hardy Boys titles I grew up with).
 
I think Corey Burton could do a good William Dozier impression. He is great at mimicking specific deceased voice actors. Particularity for Disney in animation and at their theme parks. When they have wanted to maintain a continuity in narrator and announcer voice styles.
 
^Yeah, I figured if you wanted to impersonate the original voices, you'd get Corey Burton in there somewhere. And he does have a voice quality that could work for "Desmond Doomsday" (Dozier's narrator persona), I guess. He might work for Romero's Joker as well, or maybe Alfred or O'Hara.

I bet James Arnold Taylor could do a good Burgess Meredith impression. Maybe Gorshin too.
 
Batman '66 should always have been made as a cartoon.

It essentially was a cartoon, just in live action. And really, that was the point of it -- to create kitsch by translating comic-book art and dialogue to live action as literally as possible. If it had been an actual cartoon, the spoof/kitsch element wouldn't have really been there, and that was the whole driving force behind the project. Note that we did get a cartoon from Filmation just months after the live-action show ended, and it was played much more straight.
 
^Yeah, I figured if you wanted to impersonate the original voices, you'd get Corey Burton in there somewhere. And he does have a voice quality that could work for "Desmond Doomsday" (Dozier's narrator persona), I guess. He might work for Romero's Joker as well, or maybe Alfred or O'Hara.

I bet James Arnold Taylor could do a good Burgess Meredith impression. Maybe Gorshin too.

You never know. Maybe, rather than try to get impersonators, as an homage to the original series, they'll cast different celebrities-modern equivalents to the originals-as special guest villains. ;)

Benicio DelToro as the Joker....Gary Sinese as the Penguin...etc
 
I could see Senise maybe, but I there is noway DC would use somebody of Benicio Del Toro's high profile in one of their animated movie. The movies usually seem to mostly TV Stars, like Lucy Lawless, Nathan Fillion, and Neil Patrick Harris.
 
Batman '66 should always have been made as a cartoon.

Oh, I really have to disagree there. Part of the charm was seeing something so cartoon-esque realized as live action. I'm afraid that Julie Newmar just wouldn't have been the same as a cartoon.

Seeing the costumes in live action was highly influential to me as a child. Mom sewed my brother and me Batman and Robin costumes patterned after theirs specifically.
 
I could see Senise maybe, but I there is noway DC would use somebody of Benicio Del Toro's high profile in one of their animated movie. The movies usually seem to mostly TV Stars, like Lucy Lawless, Nathan Fillion, and Neil Patrick Harris.

There have been some more prominent names: Kyra Sedgwick in The New Frontier; Alfred Molina and Oliver Platt in Wonder Woman; Rosario Dawson in WW and Justice League: Throne of Atlantis; Bruce Greenwood and Jason Isaacs in Under the Red Hood; Bryan Cranston in Batman: Year One; Peter Weller in The Dark Knight Returns; etc. Of course, most of those are actors who've done a lot of TV as well, but the idea of movie acting being a separate and more prestigious thing than TV acting is really ceasing to exist these days, as lots of prestigious movie actors are now starring in TV series.

Anyway, all those movies are from the 70-minute DVD-movie line, and the news is that this is a 90-minute feature, so it's not just more of the same. The longer running time presumably means a higher budget. So we could see some more expensive names in the cast, potentially.
 
In particular I can imagine that some actors who grew up watching West and Ward might jump at the chance to 'appear' in a Batman film with them - even if technically they're not appearing.
 
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