Lost British crossing safety spot found

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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batfatty
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Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by batfatty »

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Ben Bentley
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by Ben Bentley »

I can’t tell you how exciting this is! Over the last decade i’ve spent a lot more time trying to track this footage down. Two seemingly solid leads both dried up after a 16mm print of the film disappeared after a private collector passed away back in 2009.

I’m just thrilled that 1) The film does still exist and 2) That Kaleidoscope will be archiving it properly.
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John Mack
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by John Mack »

I can't tell you how exciting this is. I've stared at that photo since I was like 12, always wondering what the footage was like.
There's also some footage of Adam as Batman warning children that Batman can't fly, after children had gotten hurt (or worse) jumping from rooftops and whatnot. Maybe that will surface someday as well.
Music. BAT! Music.
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chrisbcritter
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by chrisbcritter »

Fantastic! Was it shot in color or black and white?
"To the medical eye, such childish claptrap means only one thing, young man: You need some sleep."
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A. Pennyworth
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by A. Pennyworth »

Been saving photos of this event for years!!
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Kensington, London, 1967
London, May 12, 1967
Adam West as Batman filming a road safety advert, 1967.”
Adam West, as Batman, makes a road safety film with child actors in Kensington, London May 12, 1967
Then there was the road safety ad for British television. It was May 1967, while Adam West was visiting the UK to promote the tv show, he was contacted by the British government's Central Office of Information to appear in a road safety ad, sponsored by the Ministry of Transport, highlighting the dangers of crossing the road without looking to UK children. May 12, 1967 Kensington, London
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BatMite
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by BatMite »

Now online!!!

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Bob Furmanek
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by Bob Furmanek »

Fantastic discovery!

Can anyone tell what Bat-device he is holding in that first shot?
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mwilbury
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by mwilbury »

So great to finally see this!

How about that cowl? Is it just the quality and (lack of) color to the clip, or is it different cowl/covering/paint? I'd never noticed anything 'off' about it in the still images, so maybe it's the former?
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Ben Bentley
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

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mwilbury wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 8:46 am So great to finally see this!

How about that cowl? Is it just the quality and (lack of) color to the clip, or is it different cowl/covering/paint? I'd never noticed anything 'off' about it in the still images, so maybe it's the former?
The film was supposedly shot in London on August 7th 1967, just a few days after Adam wrapped shooting "Ring Around The Riddler", so it makes sense that the cowl we see here is an early S3 one, complete with the hard-hat rigging that lifted that season's cowls higher on Adam's head. Chuck?
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Confusingly however, according to shooting schedule documents for the show, "Wail Of The Siren" was shot that same week between 4th and 8th August 1967 which seems to contradict the caption from the photograph below via Alamy:

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Aug. 08, 1967 - Batman Makes Road Safety Film: Batman - Mr. Adam West in person, spent yesterday - the first day of his London Holiday, making a one-minute road safety film for the central office of information. With a supporting cast of child actors and no special equipment he showed a complete mastery of Kerb drill. Photo Shows Adam West teaching the technique of road safety in Kensington, London, yesterday.
1708-Ep97.jpeg
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Bob Furmanek
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by Bob Furmanek »

It appears to have been filmed on May 7, 1967. Here's a clipping from Variety:


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A. Pennyworth
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by A. Pennyworth »

Some Gettyimages photos!
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Bob Furmanek
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by Bob Furmanek »

He met with the Pope (along with Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida) on May 6 and returned to LA on May 19.

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Jimmy L. 66
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by Jimmy L. 66 »

What a great Find!
Now stay on track citizens, which episode is that wonky cowl from?
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High C
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by High C »

GREAT pix! Thanks so much for sharing.

I apologize for being a Debbie Downer (BTW, It's too bad Adam never hosted Saturday Night Live), but it bothers me that Adam was in London three months before they shot the Londinium trilogy and Greenway couldn't scrape up a few bucks to maybe send a second-unit crew with him to at least film some 'B-roll' and stock shots for those episodes. It would have gone a long way toward livening up a dull three-parter and at least would've made it look like not all of those episodes were shot in southern California.
'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
eewdoc
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Re: Lost British crossing safety spot found

Post by eewdoc »

That cowl is from late season two, My least favorite of all the cowls. He also wore it in the Batgirl pilot.
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