'66 movie: Sterling Holloway and other tidbits

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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High C
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'66 movie: Sterling Holloway and other tidbits

Post by High C »

Someone sent me some of Dozier's correspondence pertaining to the production of the movie, and I found it interesting that Sterling Holloway was supposed to appear as a character called 'Major Terry.' The late Holloway, 61 at the time, perhaps is most famous as the voice actor behind the animated character of Winnie the Pooh.

From what I can gather, his character apparently was to be a military man of some sort. His scene was scheduled to be filmed May 5, the same date as the two uncredited air traffic controllers (one of whom clearly was James O'Hara, who oftentimes played a GCPD cop on the show).

The Dozier memo indicated that director Leslie Martinson had expressed misgivings about the character. In any event, the character didn't appear in the movie, nor was Major Terry in the final shooting script by Semple, dated April 6, 1966.

Author Joel Eisner has some explanation of Holloway's role in this blog post:

http://tothebatpoles.blogspot.com/2011/ ... movie.html

Other tidbits, some of which some of you already may know:
  • 1. The dehydrated henchmen originally were supposed to be 'shrunken.' It appears it was deemed too expensive to film it that way.
    2. Schmidlapp originally was to be called 'Commander Redhead,' a takeoff on the 'Commander Whitehead' mascot of Schweppes beverages. (Schweppes was to be called Schleppes, sounds like a Stanley Ralph Ross Borsch belt pun via Semple). But Schweppes angrily threatened legal action when Dozier asked for permission and thus put the kibosh on it.
    3. Burgess Meredith was trying to get Dough-zier to help produce a film project of his. Dozier didn't bite.
    4. Despite all her screen time, Lee Meriwether was paid the least of the four villains, $5,500. Julie Newmar had signed on for $10K on April 1 before bowing out because of a back injury.
    5. Henchman 'Quetch,' played by George Sawaya, originally was supposed to be one of the five dehydrated henchmen. Perhaps it was decided his stuntman skills would be needed for the climactic fight. The final draft script says Quetch and 'four sailors' were to be dehydrated. They were not referred to as guinea pigs at that point.
    6. Penguin's line about the guinea pigs all having a mother is not in the final draft script, supporting Lee's quote that Meredith ad-libbed it.
'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
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BATWINGED HORNET
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Re: '66 movie: Sterling Holloway and other tidbits

Post by BATWINGED HORNET »

High C wrote: Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:33 am Someone sent me some of Dozier's correspondence pertaining to the production of the movie, and I found it interesting that Sterling Holloway was supposed to appear as a character called 'Major Terry.' The late Holloway, 61 at the time, perhaps is most famous as the voice actor behind the animated character of Winnie the Pooh.

From what I can gather, his character apparently was to be a military man of some sort. His scene was scheduled to be filmed May 5, the same date as the two uncredited air traffic controllers (one of whom clearly was James O'Hara, who oftentimes played a GCPD cop on the show).

The Dozier memo indicated that director Leslie Martinson had expressed misgivings about the character. In any event, the character didn't appear in the movie, nor was Major Terry in the final shooting script by Semple, dated April 6, 1966.

Author Joel Eisner has some explanation of Holloway's role in this blog post:

http://tothebatpoles.blogspot.com/2011/ ... movie.html

Other tidbits, some of which some of you already may know:
  • 1. The dehydrated henchmen originally were supposed to be 'shrunken.' It appears it was deemed too expensive to film it that way.
    2. Schmidlapp originally was to be called 'Commander Redhead,' a takeoff on the 'Commander Whitehead' mascot of Schweppes beverages. (Schweppes was to be called Schleppes, sounds like a Stanley Ralph Ross Borsch belt pun via Semple). But Schweppes angrily threatened legal action when Dozier asked for permission and thus put the kibosh on it.
    3. Burgess Meredith was trying to get Dough-zier to help produce a film project of his. Dozier didn't bite.
    4. Despite all her screen time, Lee Meriwether was paid the least of the four villains, $5,500. Julie Newmar had signed on for $10K on April 1 before bowing out because of a back injury.
    5. Henchman 'Quetch,' played by George Sawaya, originally was supposed to be one of the five dehydrated henchmen. Perhaps it was decided his stuntman skills would be needed for the climactic fight. The final draft script says Quetch and 'four sailors' were to be dehydrated. They were not referred to as guinea pigs at that point.
    6. Penguin's line about the guinea pigs all having a mother is not in the final draft script, supporting Lee's quote that Meredith ad-libbed it.
Thanks for the information. Of note:

Meredith film project? That's intriguing. I wonder if any of his biographies mentiin what kind of film idea that was, and why Dozier passed on it?

Interesting how Schweppes put their foot doen to Dozier. I take it they did not think any association with Batman would help their product--at least nt enough to have their name statirized in that way.

So, with Lee's pay, one could say Dozier thought she was half the Catwoman Newmar was. That makes me wonder what Eartha Kitt was paid for her Catwoman appearances.

Martinson not being hot on the idea of Sterling Hollway as Major Terry...I wonder if the role--considering who was supposed to play him--was too silly for the film?
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High C
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Re: '66 movie: Sterling Holloway and other tidbits

Post by High C »

BATWINGED HORNET wrote: Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:46 am Thanks for the information. Of note:

Meredith film project? That's intriguing. I wonder if any of his biographies mentiin what kind of film idea that was, and why Dozier passed on it?

Interesting how Schweppes put their foot doen to Dozier. I take it they did not think any association with Batman would help their product--at least nt enough to have their name statirized in that way.

So, with Lee's pay, one could say Dozier thought she was half the Catwoman Newmar was. That makes me wonder what Eartha Kitt was paid for her Catwoman appearances.

Martinson not being hot on the idea of Sterling Hollway as Major Terry...I wonder if the role--considering who was supposed to play him--was too silly for the film?
I can answer two of your questions, well, somewhat, anyway. The project Meredith wanted to get made was called 'Shrimpboat.' I do not know what it was about, but the screenwriters, a husband and wife team, were the same ones who wrote this movie:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurry_Sundown_(film)

Meredith appeared in that movie and coincidentally, Preminger directed it.

As for Lee's pay, I think a few things were at work here. First of all, she already was under contract to Fox at the time (The Time Tunnel series was soon to begin filming its one and only season), and even though Julie wasn't a movie star, she had more cachet than Lee at the time. And this is just a guess--I have no proof--but I'd be shocked if Julie wasn't paid at all considering she had suffered a back injury. I would suspect Greenway gave her some 'walking-away' money in good faith, knowing how much they intended on using Catwoman in season 2.

Eartha was paid the going rate for villains of $2K per ep in season 3.
'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
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Jim Akin
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Re: '66 movie: Sterling Holloway and other tidbits

Post by Jim Akin »

Facebook member "The Crimson Collector" posted images of the press kit for the Batman feature film, and it lists Sterling Holloway in the cast.

Those production decisions evidently were happening too fast for the publicity department to keep up.
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High C
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Re: '66 movie: Sterling Holloway and other tidbits

Post by High C »

Jim Akin wrote: Sun Jul 22, 2018 8:49 am Facebook member "The Crimson Collector" posted images of the press kit for the Batman feature film, and it lists Sterling Holloway in the cast.

Those production decisions evidently were happening too fast for the publicity department to keep up.
Thanks for the info. This board is incredible, but you all knew that already. More evidence here--an old thread in which someone posted a promo still of Holloway in his cut scene.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1558&p=16183&hilit= ... way#p16183
'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
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