Cesar Romero's first performance as the Joker three weeks into the series stands as one of its best episodes.
Here we saw the Joker break out of jail, erect a statue of himself, pose as Pagliacci and more (in a plot based on one of the classic comic book issues).
It was a tour de force, and he was the first actor to turn the Joker into the role of a lifetime.
I'm glad to see Cesar's performance leaping off the screen to new viewers. When I was a kid I sent him a "face in the mirror" drawing when he was at our local dinner theater and he sent me a very graciously inscribed 8 x 10 photo that I still display. These new props he's getting are very well-deserved.
That performance is amazing...especially seeing it in Blu Ray with not only the colors but the nuanced facial expressions with all that glorious detail. He's a force of nature, and it has to be the most inspired bit of unlikely casting ever.
Any Batman snobs who don't count him or the show among the highlights of the franchise need to take a look at this new release.
Personally, it's hard for me not to put his debut episode at the top of my Top Five. An outstanding portrayal of the character and one that still sets the standard. When he's in the prison yard in regular clothes and not laughing, he's downright creepy.
The rest of his performances (across all his episodes) perfectly capture how deranged someone like that would really be. He moves in and out of maniacal and eerily calm so smoothly that it seems both real and terrifying.
“What's important is that the world know that all visitors to these teeming shores are safe, be they peasant or king.”
You're so right...that prison yard debut is extra creepy. His makeup only goes to his neck, not his chest, so you wonder exactly what's going on with this guy. And I love the way he plays it when he's being angry or reflecting/thinking, like on the pitcher's mound. Cesar modulated his voice down to a gutteral gangster growl that transports him to any film noir classic, yet he's got that crazy makeup on.
The fact that we're introduced to him in this way sets up the character very effectively...you never think he's just a buffoon. (My choice of avatar reflects that side of his Joker that I love!)
Like I said, I'm glad he's being noticed. The people who turn the noses up at his Joker are scoffing at the entire series. They need to give it and him a second look. Or, I'd be willing to bet, in many cases a first look.
Hands down Cesar's Joker is the most solid, creepy and out-there villain in the series. I loved him as a kid and I love him now.
Wit wise- it's hard to match King Tut's ad libs, but in a series with a LOT of great villains, Cesar remains the King (IMO).
I think Cesar's Joker is the second best villain in the series--and it's hard to say that, but then I remember Frank's Riddler.
His Riddler seethes with palpable menace; a true psychotic. I believe that he will kill. Frank's performance is less broad than some others: I think his Riddler would work as a formidable foe against darker versions of Batman!
Followed by Cesar's Joker and Meredith's Penguin, they truly are the terrifying trio.
I agree. Frank is the best villain from the show. The clear standout. He made that character into what it is today. I also agree he felt truly unhinged, almost not even like a performance but legit craziness. Someone so swept up in his genius.
But indeed, Cesar would be the second best villain in the show, closely followed by Meredith's Penguin. What I appreciate about Cesar's Joker is how he's all about the joke. About people not getting the joke or seeing the world how he does. A trait which is somehow underplayed in some versions of the character, where it becomes a bit too focused on his violence.
Meredith also put so much into Penguin which is still felt today. The waddle, the voice. And the perfect blend of slimy criminal but also gentlemanly when needed. That's an important thing to note.
Such solid representations of the characters, no matter what era.
I watched the first Joker adventure tonight on my DVD set. One thing that really struck me about these episodes is that there is hardly anything remotely camp about them. They are just two well-acted, well-written crime stories that, but for the costumes the 3 principals wore, could have compared favorably to any stories featured on crime or detective shows of that era.
What really sets these episodes apart, though, from your standard crime show is Cesar Romero's shrieking performance as the Joker. There's nothing camp or silly about his performance (unlike later episodes, which weren't his fault.)
Yes I agree. Watching his series debut in glorious 1080p really adds to his craziness. My top 3 villains for the series are Frank's Riddler, Joker, and False Face. Also a bonus favorite would have to be Egghead. He is eggcellent
Edward Nigma wrote:I watched the first Joker adventure tonight on my DVD set. One thing that really struck me about these episodes is that there is hardly anything remotely camp about them. They are just two well-acted, well-written crime stories that, but for the costumes the 3 principals wore, could have compared favorably to any stories featured on crime or detective shows of that era.
What really sets these episodes apart, though, from your standard crime show is Cesar Romero's shrieking performance as the Joker. There's nothing camp or silly about his performance (unlike later episodes, which weren't his fault.)
I have to agree. I don't think Cesar's Joker pulling a gun and entering Wayne Manor was out of place either. I still believe he's capable of such violence, given he thinks nothing of putting Batman and Robin into deathtraps.
