The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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Bob Furmanek
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The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by Bob Furmanek »

In case you're wondering what Adam and Burt were up to professionally leading up to and during the four month layoff between the second and third seasons.

February 5: Adam West tapes his appearance on the Dean Martin show. He sings "Call Me" and a duet with Dean.

February 17: Adam West will avoid hurry-up features during the "Batman" hiatus. Rather than play a pressured pic, West will accept video guestings around the world - such as a Sportsman show.

February 25: MARRIAGES Kathy Kersh to Burt Ward, Feb. 25, Las Vegas. Bride is a singer; groom plays Robin in tv's "Batman" series.

March 17: Ward, West, Kersh Doing Circus Acts

Burt Ward and wife Kathy Kersh will work 10 nights in Al Dobritch's Circus starting Friday, March 17. Ward will perform stunts and sing with his spouse. Adam West will ringmaster show opening night at the Shrine.

March 16: It was the promised presence of "Batman" Adam West, who launched the proceedings to a deafening welcome, but the crowd excitement continued throughout the more than three-hour performance. Packed practically to the roof of the Sport Arena, where show remains through tonight (Mon.) and then moves to Coliseum through March 26.

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April 25: Adam West will face a mob of 85,000 English, anxious for their first "live" peek at "Batman" May 7 at the Duke of Bedford's annual charity bash (Boys' Town of Britain).

April 28: Adam West to Rome to sign Phillips Records contract.

May 6: Adam West joins Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida to meet the Pope.

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May 9: Burt Ward opens for 3 weeks in "Harold' at the Pheasant Run Playhouse in St. Charles, ILL.

May 12: Adam West in London for a week of radio-tv and press promo for Batman. Actor is also shooting a road safety film during his stay.

From Tony Crawley: "A neighbour of mine in Kennington worked for the COI, Central Office of Information. And got an agreement with West, who was coming to London, to shoot a Road Safety commercial for kids. He asked me to write it. Which I did (I don't have the script anymore, or a copy of the film) They shot it a street away from where we lived, and I naturally took my young son to the shoot." His young son Nic Crawley became President of International Marketing and Distribution at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, where he helped make Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles such box-office champs.

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May 21: Adam West appears at "A Night of Hope" benefit for the Santa Monica Hospital.

June 7: Burt Ward and Kathy Kersh file a lawsuit in Detroit against Dobritch International Circus for $17,000 they claim is owed to them from the March engagement in Los Angeles.

June 14: Guest lineup with Merv Griffin this stanza includes Melina Mercouri and Adam West.

July 5: Yvonne Craig has been added to series as a regular, cast as Bat-girl. She joins Adam West and Burt Ward in series, which goes into production today at Desilu Culver. All guest stars have been set for initial 17 segments.

Here's a circa 1967 open-end interview that Adam did with Dick Strout for this "Famous American Stars" series. http://teksitio.com/storage/01%20Adam%2 ... Strout.mp3
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High C
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by High C »

Epaddon found this a few years ago:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=7 ... 335,672129

If you can get past the headline, which seems like it was written by somebody in the Greenway camp, it's an interesting interview with Yvonne. She claims her character has a crush on Batman and dates Bruce Wayne casually. I guess they were shown together in one episode, but nothing really came of it. I can't tell if this is what she really believed at the time would happen with her character or if it was what she was told to say by Fox/Greenway.
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Bob Furmanek
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by Bob Furmanek »

Has the road safety film ever surfaced?
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chrisbcritter
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by chrisbcritter »

Hi Bob,
As you requested:
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(Big fan of your work with the 3D Film Archive and film preservation, by the way. Tell our mutual friend Matt Spero I said hi!)
"To the medical eye, such childish claptrap means only one thing, young man: You need some sleep."
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BatMite
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by BatMite »

Great info, Bob. Thank you.

To the best of my knowledge, the road safety film has not surfaced.
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logar2
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by logar2 »

This is great inside info, Bob. Thanks for posting it. Where did you find it?
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Ben Bentley
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by Ben Bentley »

Bob Furmanek wrote:Has the road safety film ever surfaced?
This is another great thread full of great trivia! I love it.

With regards to the road safety film; I have been trying to tracking it down for a number of years now. Someone at the ITV archive house here in the UK put me in contact with a private collector whom he believed owned the original reel (or did at some point). Alas the collector has not returned any of my attempts to communicate with him. It's around two and a half years since my trail went cold. I am not totally convinced that the collector is still alive.
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Bob Furmanek
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by Bob Furmanek »

logar2 wrote:This is great inside info, Bob. Thanks for posting it. Where did you find it?
Thank you! Just through digging in Variety and a few other trade journals.

Please keep trying to find that road safety film. Bat-fans need to see it!
blackkeno
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by blackkeno »

I can't tell when Burt produced Kathy's "Hurt So Bad;" perhaps it was during this same summer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4HpgO2DDGs
elmrgraham
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by elmrgraham »

Not too bad at all.
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chrisbcritter
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by chrisbcritter »

That arrangement with its languid organ sounds a lot like what we would be hearing from El Chicano in a few years... niiiice.
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Progress Pigment
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by Progress Pigment »

I immediately assumed it would be terrible, and Burt was throwing his money away. But no, she was a quite good singer! She had an interesting sound. If produced by an actual label -- she might've gone somewhere. And now enjoy her equally talented husband, Burt Ward!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmfJ9ULutQ4
Next week, the Dynamic Duo meets the Clock King!
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I act the riddler
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Re: The Summer of Love for the Dynamic Duo

Post by I act the riddler »

Thanks for posting.Interesting stuff.
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