Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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High C
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by High C »

Bob--When did that run and where?

Two things--Burt's first wife was Bonney (note spelling) Lindsey, and the blurb isn't quite correct. Bonnie was seen delivering a box with a cat in it to Gordon in The Purr-fect Crime, Catwoman's first appearance. It is a speaking part and she is referred to as Bonnie. It is the only time she appeared on camera, I believe.

It also is my understanding the inside joke referred to Dozier's OWN secretary, who later became Bonnie Strangis after marrying unit production manager and sometime director Sam Strangis (pronounced STRANGE-is).

Presumably, that's why the character's name wasn't changed.

EDIT: In fact, Bonnie Strangis was interviewed for STARLOG magazine, as noted in this linked-to blog, and talked about working for Dozier. It's on the fifth page of the STARLOG story, reproduced here. It was a feature on Sam:

https://bigglee.blogspot.com/2011/08/sa ... an-tv.html
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SprangFan
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by SprangFan »

It seems unlikely anyone in charge at "Batman" would've shared this kind of behind-the-scenes reasoning with a trade paper, though it's always possible someone further down the food chain had a big mouth.

What seems more likely to me is that someone somewhere got wind of the pilot/extended screen test produced with Yvonne and drew their own conclusions (ie: Burt is divorced, divorced men can be drafted, Batgirl has entered the scene, therefore ABC is afraid Burt is going to Vietnam).

In other words, the "sequence" in question is the "Killer Moth" footage we have all seen.

This article strikes me as the same sort of empty speculation and conjecture that finds present-day comic book news sites using a couple of leaked on-set photos to power extended articles full of groundless speculation on how the entire plot of a yet-unreleased film will play out. When nobody knows anything, the first person to speak up is the expert.
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"Or worse. Let's go..."
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BatMite
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by BatMite »

SprangFan wrote: Wed Dec 05, 2018 6:26 am In other words, the "sequence" in question is the "Killer Moth" footage we have all seen.
The article clearly states, however, that the sequence involved Dick going to college. That’s not part of the Batgirl pilot.
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SprangFan
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by SprangFan »

Yes, but you're assuming this publication knows what it's talking about. It also says Batman "hires" Batgirl, which is frankly beyond imagining.

My assertion is this publication learned exactly two actual facts: (1) something was filmed with a character named "Batgirl" and (2) an actress named Yvonne Craig played the part. Everything else they made up.

Entertainment media has a long and storied history of printing gossip, conjecture and deliberate lies going back to the days of Hedda Hopper and Luella Parsons, up to today's TMZ.
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
"Or worse. Let's go..."
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Keith Mayo
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by Keith Mayo »

SprangFan wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 4:04 am

Entertainment media has a long and storied history of printing gossip, conjecture and deliberate lies going back to the days of Hedda Hopper and Luella Parsons, up to today's TMZ.
And Fox and CNN and MSNBC and........................................ :-)
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SprangFan
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by SprangFan »

Well,I don't know how deep I want to get into that, but I will agree that the need to generate new content 24/7 for cable and internet has definitely led many of the more "mainstream" media outlets to adopt the "shoot from the hip" tactics of the old Hollywood tabloids. "Wait for the facts" definitely takes a back seat these days to "scoop the other outlets" and "keep that content coming."

But back to the gossip rags, how many times did we see an actor touted as "the new James Bond" because he happened to be in the same room with Cubby Broccoli? Or a "Beatle Reunion" in the offing because Paul and John were spotted in the same city on the same day?

If this information came from ABC or Greenway directly, I might give it some credence.

Interestingly, Dick Grayson did go off to Hudson University in Batman #217, cover-dated Dec. 1969 (actually written and drawn earlier, but not as early as January). If anything, I'd be interested to know if this article influenced that decision over at DC.
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
"Or worse. Let's go..."
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BatMite
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by BatMite »

SprangFan wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 4:04 am Yes, but you're assuming this publication knows what it's talking about.
Yes, but you’re assuming it doesn’t. We don’t know exactly what the original source was, so I’m not willing to discount it so quickly. You could be right...but the source could be right, too. It’s definitely something that deserves further research.
Mr.Freeze
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by Mr.Freeze »

Dec 8 marks 40th anniversary Vietnam movie Deer Hunter , supposedly de Niro was so nervous that he did not attend L.A premiere (they actually threw rocks or something at the producers)

Anyway , interesting article
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SprangFan
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by SprangFan »

Yes, but you’re assuming it doesn’t. We don’t know exactly what the original source was, so I’m not willing to discount it so quickly. You could be right...but the source could be right, too. It’s definitely something that deserves further research.
Hey, if somebody's willing to research it, I'm willing to read what they unearth. But I'd be astonished if there is or ever was an unseen sequence where Batman "hires" Batgirl to be his assistant because Dick's gone off to college.

I confess I have little interest in the third season in general, but it has always been intriguing that they'd sign on a third lead when every other decision they made involved slashing budgets, not adding to them. Then again, adding new characters is a long tradition for shows that struggle late in their runs, so I should at least be grateful that as this sort of thing goes, Batgirl worked out a million times better than, say, Scrappy Doo. :lol:
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
"Or worse. Let's go..."
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Dr. Shimel
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Re: Robin, Batgirl and Vietnam

Post by Dr. Shimel »

FWIW, this was the same time period that Muhammad Ali was fighting his re-classification.
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