Batman at the Boxoffice
Moderators: Scott Sebring, Ben Bentley
Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
I have to say I was 12 when the movie came out, I saw it in the theater and loved it . To see Batman and Robin in color(we had a black and white tv as many people did) on a big screen was fantastic. I think to analyze it now with almost 50 years of hindsight is somewhat unfair. I think they did the best they could with what they had and the amount of time they had. They wanted to strike while the iron was hot and even with that said it seems they were just about too late. My all-time favorite actor and show is Guy Williams/ Zorro. Disney released a Zorro feature in 1960 which was merely a compilation of edited tv episodes. Compared to that, what Fox did with Batman was tremendous. Appreciate it. As an aside, I saw Adam and Burt in person with 10,000 other fans at the Walt Whitman shopping center in Huntington , New York when they were promoting the film. I will never forget it.
- Progress Pigment
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
You're right! And they are correct. I like that too. But scary would have been better.High C wrote:Actually, the phrase was 'not as crazy.'Progress Pigment wrote:I like that he said it's "not as scary" as a movie as it is on TV. Hardly anyone remembers the series had scary moments in the first season, by 1960's standards anyway.
Next week, the Dynamic Duo meets the Clock King!
Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
Same here. Thank you for posting.Gleeps, it's Batman wrote:Thanks for posting the review, chrisbcritter.
Doc, I didn't forget you as well. Thank you.
Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
I will agree though that S1 was scarier than the movie, other than the 5 guinea pigs blanking out of existence.Progress Pigment wrote:You're right! And they are correct. I like that too. But scary would have been better.High C wrote:Actually, the phrase was 'not as crazy.'Progress Pigment wrote:I like that he said it's "not as scary" as a movie as it is on TV. Hardly anyone remembers the series had scary moments in the first season, by 1960's standards anyway.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
Lord Death Man wrote:Off the top of my head, all I can think of is the Viewmaster set, the novelization of the movie, and (for Adam West) the 2nd paperback, Batman Vs 3 Villains of Doom. The LP with their voices and the photo cover.
There were also trading cards that used scenes from Batman: The Movie.
http://www.dfandownunder.com/classic-batman-1960-s-tv
Those are lobby cards for theaters, yes? If so, they would not be for sale to the public and in theory used for exhibition purposes only (many from that era will even have instructions printed on them to either return them to the issuer or destroy them so they would not be resold).
Thanks gosh for websites like web archive.org and cached pages.com. Because i was going to post a link to this article ages ago, but i kept forgetting to do so.I can't remember but i first saw them or cards like these in an article about the history of Batman merchandise. I would post a link to that article but it now unfortunately cannot be viewed anymore.
Anyway here is the aforementioned article about the history of Batman merchandise.
http://web.archive.org/web/201401112355 ... llectibles
Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
Holy thumbnail history, Batman! but thanks for the link.
John
John
Music. BAT! Music.
- Bob Furmanek
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
I just found an interesting article with a precise timeline of how quickly this film was put through production. Click to enlarge.
- Ben Bentley
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
Great find with that article, Bob. Thanks for sharing!Bob Furmanek wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2017 6:42 pm clipping_10740258.gifclipping_10740068.gifI just found an interesting article with a precise timeline of how quickly this film was put through production. Click to enlarge.
Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
I missed this thread the first time around-- very interesting stuff here. Nice work all.
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- Therin of Andor
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
Those are lobby cards for theaters, yes? If so, they would not be for sale to the public and in theory used for exhibition purposes only (many from that era will even have instructions printed on them to either return them to the issuer or destroy them so they would not be resold).
Correct. Here are the "Bat Laffs" movie cards, released by Topps (1966, USA) and Scanlens (1967, Australia):I can't remember but i first saw them or cards like these in an article about the history of Batman merchandise. I would post a link to that article but it now unfortunately cannot be viewed anymore.
http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dan/R710-16c/go.html
There was a second US set by Topps, the so-called "Riddler Back" cards (with red "photo corners"), that came with a decoder:
http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dan/R710-16f/go.html
"Holy nostalgia, Batman!"
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
- Therin of Andor
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
I have been able to establish that, in Australia, the movie did not actually open in the Sydney CBD, but went straight to suburban cinemas during school holidays. The show didn't start on Australian TV until the end of June 1967. (I can't find the premiere date for the movie. EDIT: August 25, 1967.) What would have made the movie of great interest to Aussie batfans is that we didn't get colour TV until 1975. Sadly, my parents didn't take me to see it at the movies.
When the Scanlens' reprints of the Topps' "Bat Laffs" cards came out, many of us were puzzled about how Catwoman, Joker, Riddler and Penguin appeared in scenes together, particularly with all the signage in their hideout. I do have a vague memory of seeing revivals advertised on local cinema noticeboards in the 70s. I finally caught the film on TV, and was able to videotape it off-air in 1984 - and wow! it was like the Holy Grail of my geekiness!
In the late 80s, Sydney had a tour of the TV Batmobile and a midnight revival of the movie - and my friends and I were asked to perform a "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-esque performance in costume, in return for free tickets and some cinemas passes (to other movies).
Shark fin prop by Ian McLean, on Flickr
"Holy nostalgia, Batman!"
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
- Frenchy1939
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
I love the movie! I saw it first on a Saturday morning when we were about to go somewhere. I turned it on when they were talking about the UN stuff...My Dad chuckled and shook his head about ridiculous "United World Organization on Gotham East River". We had to leave to do errands and Dad had to drag me away from the movie.
A few years later, around the mid-'70's, the movie came to theaters and I finally got to see it in its entirety. I recall I was slightly disappointed with the boring parts (Bruce and Miss KITKA) but was still excited. I put the movie on sometimes and still get a kick out of it....I had it playing this morning while I was cleaning the house! It'll put anybody in a good mood!!!
A few years later, around the mid-'70's, the movie came to theaters and I finally got to see it in its entirety. I recall I was slightly disappointed with the boring parts (Bruce and Miss KITKA) but was still excited. I put the movie on sometimes and still get a kick out of it....I had it playing this morning while I was cleaning the house! It'll put anybody in a good mood!!!
- Therin of Andor
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
Oh!Therin of Andor wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2017 1:50 am In the late 80s, Sydney had a tour of the TV Batmobile and a midnight revival of the movie - and my friends and I were asked to perform a "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-esque performance in costume, in return for free tickets and some cinemas passes (to other movies).
Shark fin prop by Ian McLean, on Flickr
I found the pics sent to me from the Sydney retro-premiere night in 1987:
Batman night at Hoyts by Ian McLean, on Flickr
The Batman costume (rented) is worn by Fox/Columbia's Dale who organised the season. The guy in the pith helmet was the interviewer from TV's "Sounds", a long-running Saturday morning music program.
We each ran across the screen for the opening credits, I also ran by with my "fin on a stick" just before the rubber shark scene. We also passed black balloons around the cinema - "Sometimes you just can't get rid of a bomb!" - and, on cue, everyone burst them!
Batman night at Hoyts by Ian McLean, on Flickr
The TV interviewer (in pith helmet) said to our Lois: “Lois Lane! Aren’t you in the wrong theatre?” And then Lois swung her handbag at him.
Batman lobby cards by Ian McLean, on Flickr
I recently found an article about a screening of the movie in the 60s, in country NSW, Australia.
Batman in Western Herald April 18, 1968 for 25-26 Wonderland Theatre by Ian McLean, on Flickr
"BATMAN": "Burgess Meredith is celebrating his 30th year as one of America's most distinguished actors. He's having fun as the Penguin in 'Batman', 20th Century Fox's feature-length comedy adventure, in widescreen and DeLuxe color, starring at the Wonderland Theatre on Thursday and Friday, 25th and 26th April [1968]. He joins forces with the Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), the Joker (Cesar Romero) and the Riddler (Frank Gorshin) to get rid of Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) in this production of William Dozier's Greenlawn [sic] Productions based on the National Periodical Publications comic strip.
"The supporting feature will be 'Carry On Admiral', starring David Tomlinson."
The Wonderland Theatre was in Bourke, NSW.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/37898
"Holy nostalgia, Batman!"
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
- Therin of Andor
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
I did some digging this week about Australian premieres, because IMDb was lacking Aussie dates for both the TV series and the movie. IMDb has allowed me to add a premiere date for the movie (Yay!), but the TV series comes up with a null field when editing. Weird.
Sydney TV premiere wasn't until June 25, 1967, with the followup episode on the Tuesday (June 27). (We had had the release of the movie-compile of the first b/w serial in May 20, 1966, following the highly-publicised success of the Chicago Playboy release!) Then we finally got the 1966 "Batman" feature on a double-bill (with the 1966 "Smoky"), from August 25 - September 7, 1967, ie. the New South Wales school holidays. (I think my parents assumed it was just episodes from the TV on the big screen? We went to "Winnie-the-Pooh and the Honey Tree" on a double bill with "The Ugly Dachshund" instead. Sigh.)
Although it was a short first-run, the 1966 "Batman" movie would continue popping up for two-day runs in Australian suburban and country cinemas over the next decade!
"Holy nostalgia, Batman!"
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
- Therin of Andor
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Re: Batman at the Boxoffice
Double yay! I worked out how to edit the premiere date of a TV series on IMDb. I had to go to the individual listing for Episode 1 and add the Sydney premiere date there. Then it turns up on the main info.Therin of Andor wrote: ↑Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:38 pm IMDb was lacking Aussie dates for both the TV series and the movie. IMDb has allowed me to add a premiere date for the movie (Yay!), but the TV series comes up with a null field when editing. Weird.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059968/releaseinfo
"Holy nostalgia, Batman!"
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)