Second Season Villains

[Bob Furmanek]

On the front page of Variety: April 13, 1966

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[High C]

It still boggles my mind that James Mason was interested in portraying a villain, and they had Rudy Vallee play Ffogg instead. I know Ffogg had just been in the movie version of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, after being in the Broadway production, but still. What a poor choice by Dozier and friends.

[Ben Bentley]

Always dig seeing these vintage clippings. Thanks for sharing as always, Bob!

[Bob Furmanek]

Thank you Ben, it's my pleasure!

[BATWINGED HORNET]

Yes Bob, thank you for your tireless research and posts!

Like High C, I would have preferred James Mason to Vallee (and anyone else named in the article), as he had the range to play any kind of character you could imagine. Even Maurice Evans was not so versatile.

[Bob Furmanek]

When the third season began production, James Mason was not available. He began filming DUFFY in Spain on August 8, 1967 for Columbia.

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Here are some villains announced for the third season. Interesting that Julie Newmar was slated to return. I wonder what villainess they had in mind for Eartha Kitt?

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[High C]

Bob, what is the date of the second story above, the one announcing the third-season villains?

[Bob Furmanek]

June 14, 1967

Is there anything in Dozier's papers about the role originally considered for Eartha Kitt?

[High C]

Is there anything in Dozier's papers about the role originally considered for Eartha Kitt?

It's unclear. A shooting schedule dated July 21, 1967 for Ring Around The Riddler lists Siren as being played by Ertha [sic] Kitt. But the shooting sked dated July 27 for Wail of The Siren correctly lists Joan Collins.

Scripter Stanley Ralph Ross once said in an interview that he wrote The Siren specifically for Collins. Granted, such recollections can be 'mis-remembered' as we've seen many times, but his original treatment for 'Wail' describes Siren as having a terrible 'normal' singing voice. That would describe Collins; it would NOT describe Kitt, who was a tremendously talented singer, of course.

So I'd say the evidence is inconclusive.

It's also possible Horwitz was fibbing and knew darned well Newmar was coming back but didn't want to say it at that point considering how important she had been to season 2. It's possible they still were trying to get Newmar to come back--I believe there was a small window in her schedule between Mackenna's Gold and the ill-fated and eventually unfinished Monsieur Lecoq.

One educated guess I will make based on that story--I have to think Greer Garson originally was penciled in to play opposite Vallee in the Londinium trilogy.

[Bob Furmanek]

Very interesting.

Vallee was riding high at the time with his success in HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING.

[Bob Furmanek]

On July 17 - 22, Eartha Kitt's pre-Broadway tour of "Peg" was at the Valley Forge Music Fair and then moved to the Camden County Music Fair from July 24 - 29. She opened at the Westbury Music Fair on August 1.

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She was not available so that can explain why they scrambled to get Joan Collins as the Siren and put Kitt into Catwomen's boots when she was available and Newmar was busy.

[Bob Furmanek]

She collapsed in Baltimore on September 1 and was rushed to a hospital. The remaining tryouts of "Peg" were canceled along with a three-city tour in Australia. She returned to Beverly Hills on September 5.

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The announcement of her playing Catwoman appeared on October 2, 1967.

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[High C]

I don't have a copy of it, but records show Dozier sent a letter to Kitt on Sept. 19, 1967. Presumably to express get-well wishes and to ask for her to let him know when she was sufficiently healthy to film her episodes.

[Bob Furmanek]

Joan Collins was announced for the role on August 4.

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[High C]

Joan Collins was announced for the role on August 4.


Batman Joan Collins 8.4.67.JPG

Interesting. They announced it somewhat late. Joan was on her third out of five days of shooting on Aug. 4, 1967.

She filmed her 'Ring' scenes on Aug. 2-3, and Wail was shot on Aug. 4, 7 and 8. (Aug. 5 and 6 fell on a Saturday and Sunday.)