Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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Progress Pigment
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Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by Progress Pigment »

Bill Dozier produced the famously failed "Tammy Grimes Show". I mean, up there with "My Mother The Car!" Is this West with Tammy Grimes? Would a cameo have helped, like it did not the failed and much maligned Green Hornet? Is this Tammy Grimes, or am I nuts? And the picture certainly illustrates why Adam West was the perfect Batman. A chick enveloped in Batman's cape is the safest person on earth!

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High C
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by High C »

Yes. that is Tammy Grimes. Good catch.

And, no, a cameo probably wouldn't have helped because the show came and went in the blink of an eye. It was cancelled after only four episodes, which isn't unusual now but was in 1966. Usually shows would run a minimum of 13 weeks before being whacked because the sponsors, who had much more control then, already had paid for the show.

And once the show was over, Dozier basically took none of the blame and put most of it on Tammy in newspaper interviews, so there was little chance of her doing a cameo or anything else. It's unfortunate, because she had an off-beat, quirky vibe, and I believe she could have made a much better villainess than a Bankhead or a Carolyn Jones. Jones was a versatile, terrific actress, but she mugged and played to the camera on Batman too much for my tastes. I'm sure the camp crowd likes Marsha, though.
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Keith Mayo
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by Keith Mayo »

In a 1967 interview, executive producer William Dozier called the series an "organized disaster". He added, "It was the wrong idea for the wrong person at the wrong time. Movies were not for Mary Martin; television was not for Tammy Grimes."[
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clavierankh
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by clavierankh »

Interestingly Tammy Grimes was the first choice for Samantha on Bewitched
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High C
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by High C »

Keith Mayo wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 6:55 am In a 1967 interview, executive producer William Dozier called the series an "organized disaster". He added, "It was the wrong idea for the wrong person at the wrong time. Movies were not for Mary Martin; television was not for Tammy Grimes."[
Here's a story with those quotes:

https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/ ... imes-show/
'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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High C
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by High C »

clavierankh wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 7:36 am Interestingly Tammy Grimes was the first choice for Samantha on Bewitched
Correct. According to numerous reports, the character was named 'Cassandra' at that time, not Samantha. Also, many of those same sources say Dozier had a hand in coming up with the original concept of the show.

Personally, I think the show would have been more interesting had Grimes been the lead rather than Elizabeth Montgomery, just because Grimes was quirkier and would have better sold the notion of a 20th-century witch in suburbia. That said, I kind of agree with Dozier--Grimes probably wasn't the kind of performer the average viewer wanted to invite into his/her living room every week, so it likely wouldn't have been a monster hit with Grimes as it was with Montgomery.
'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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chrisbcritter
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by chrisbcritter »

The show, in a nutshell:
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:mrgreen:
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Therin of Andor
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by Therin of Andor »

Or that time when Tammy teamed up with Nora Clavicle. ["Can't Stop the Music"]
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Dan E Kool
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by Dan E Kool »

Progress Pigment wrote: Sat Oct 27, 2018 10:00 pmWould a cameo have helped, like it did not the failed and much maligned Green Hornet?
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LittleLouisGroovy
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by LittleLouisGroovy »

Great photo. I assume it was taken somewhere on the Fox lot. I like the idea of them hanging out when they weren't needed on their respective sets.

I've seen two episodes of "The Tammy Grimes Show," on YouTube, and found the show to be funnier than I expected. Of course, I have a weakness for madcap heiresses, so...

Interesting that Tammy's co-star was Dick Sargent (listed in the opening credits as Richard Sargent), who went on to replace Dick York on "Bewitched".

Fun to imagine Tammy as a Special Guest Bat Villainess. I wonder what sort of character the creative team would have come up with for her to play.
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Progress Pigment
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by Progress Pigment »

Lord Ffogg's niece?! Her scenes with Batman could've taken the place of all the God-awful eye-rolling "pipe of fog" scenes we all dislike so much! That might've made a not terrible 3rd season episode fairly decent.

Ffogg, yer wasting ale!

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epaddon
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by epaddon »

Tammy I think would have been great for the show.

There is a "Get Smart" episode from 67-68 with Geraldine Brooks guest starring as a "madcap heiress" who is really a KAOS agent out to kill Maxwell Smart that I recently realized was meant to be a purposeful send-up of Tammy's short-lived sitcom. Brooks in fact affected a clear imitation of Tammy's vocal delivery when playing the part.
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AndyFish
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by AndyFish »

I've never heard of her.
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epaddon
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by epaddon »

Became nationally famous for originating the title role in the musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" (passed over for the film for Debbie Reynolds). Primarily a stage performer with occasional TV guest shots. Married in the late 50s to Christopher Plummer and the mother of his only child, actress Amanda Plummer.
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Progress Pigment
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Re: Batman with Tammy Grimes?!!!

Post by Progress Pigment »

High C wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 8:43 am
clavierankh wrote: Sun Oct 28, 2018 7:36 am Interestingly Tammy Grimes was the first choice for Samantha on Bewitched
Correct. According to numerous reports, the character was named 'Cassandra' at that time, not Samantha. Also, many of those same sources say Dozier had a hand in coming up with the original concept of the show.

Personally, I think the show would have been more interesting had Grimes been the lead rather than Elizabeth Montgomery, just because Grimes was quirkier and would have better sold the notion of a 20th-century witch in suburbia. That said, I kind of agree with Dozier--Grimes probably wasn't the kind of performer the average viewer wanted to invite into his/her living room every week, so it likely wouldn't have been a monster hit with Grimes as it was with Montgomery.
I could not agree more. Immediately I thought she'd be fantastic on Bewitched! But Montgomery tended to ground a show full of quirky characters. Grimes was far too quirky to do the same. But she could have been wonderful as Samantha's crazy sister. Montgomery playing both parts is just painful. Difficult to watch. So I don't.

Here's Serena pretending to be Samantha doing the 'iffin" song. Anybody got any pepto bismol?

[youtube]https://youtu.be/bLEOlNJ_TCI[/youtube]
Next week, the Dynamic Duo meets the Clock King!
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