Production dates for Batgirl Presentation Reel?

[Jim Akin]

I feel like this info must be available somewhere in the depths of the Board's collective knowledge, but my search efforts have come up empty.

When was the Batgirl presentation reel shot?

Yvonne used to sell autographed copies of a script dated January 16, 1967, and I'm wondering how soon after it was finalized that they were ready to shoot.

Also, I've read that there was coordination between Greenway and the DC/National comics editors on the development of the Batgirl character. Circumstantial evidence supports this, but is it documented in the Dozier papers (or anywhere else)?

Thanks,

Jim

[Ben Bentley]

I feel like this info must be available somewhere in the depths of the Board's collective knowledge, but my search efforts have come up empty.

When was the Batgirl presentation reel shot?

Yvonne used to sell autographed copies of a script dated January 16, 1967, and I'm wondering how soon after it was finalized that they were ready to shoot.

Also, I've read that there was coordination between Greenway and the DC/National comics editors on the development of the Batgirl character. Circumstantial evidence supports this, but is it documented in the Dozier papers (or anywhere else)?

Thanks,

Jim

Funnily enough this was a topic that Troy and I had looked into just two months ago...

So for the longest time the only documentation I had in my own collection of Dozier paperwork was a memo from Charles Fitzsimons pertaining to the Batgirl presentation cycle. It stated that the sequences featuring the cycle would be shot on Thursday 26th January, 1967.

Back in April I then accquired an additional and fairly substanstial (1000+) batch of scans from Dozier's archive. Some of it crossed over with documents I already had in my collection from the intial couple of sources that I had obtained years prior, but there was a reasonable percentage of documents that I didn't have - including a "Production Cost Report" for the Batgirl Presentation. According to the document, the BG Pres was a one day shoot that started and wrapped on Thursday 26th January, 1967.

What's interesting to note is that the Batgirl Presentation shoot was sandwiched right between "Catwoman Goes To College" which wrapped it's 6th and final day of shooting on Wednesday 25th Jan and just one day before "A Piece of The Action/Batman's Satisfaction" commenced it's shoot on Friday 27th January.

[Jim Akin]

Amazing, Ben! Thanks for nailing that down.

[Therin of Andor]

Cool to place it in a context.

Okay, so where does that timing fit with the episodes featuring molls in similar, purple lurex/fabric catsuits? Of which, at the time of their first screenings, audiences had no concept of the future Batgirl costume look.

[High C]

Great question, Jim, and thanks so much, Ben, for providing the answer AND the documentation. This stuff is so much fun and so fascinating.

[Scott Sebring]

Cool to place it in a context.

Okay, so where does that timing fit with the episodes featuring molls in similar, purple lurex/fabric catsuits? Of which, at the time of their first screenings, audiences had no concept of the future Batgirl costume look.

The moll purple outfits predate this. Moth is first season and Kathy Kersh in "The Impractical Joker" was earlier in the second season before "College". None were reworked to be Batgirl suits. Same material and tailoring practices for fitting but but none became the Batgirl suit. Colored stretch lame was used often in Batman throughout the series for various female characters.

[Ben Bentley]

Cool to place it in a context.

Okay, so where does that timing fit with the episodes featuring molls in similar, purple lurex/fabric catsuits? Of which, at the time of their first screenings, audiences had no concept of the future Batgirl costume look.

The moll purple outfits predate this. Moth is first season and Kathy Kersh in "The Impractical Joker" was earlier in the second season before "College". None were reworked to be Batgirl suits. Same material and tailoring practices for fitting but but none became the Batgirl suit. Colored stretch lame was used often in Batman throughout the series for various female characters.

As Scott said, they weren't the same suits, but for references' sake Ian, "The Impractical Joker" was shot between 16th and 22nd September 1966, a full three months prior to the Batgirl Presentation reel.

[High C]

Cool to place it in a context.

Okay, so where does that timing fit with the episodes featuring molls in similar, purple lurex/fabric catsuits? Of which, at the time of their first screenings, audiences had no concept of the future Batgirl costume look.

The moll purple outfits predate this. Moth is first season and Kathy Kersh in "The Impractical Joker" was earlier in the second season before "College". None were reworked to be Batgirl suits. Same material and tailoring practices for fitting but but none became the Batgirl suit. Colored stretch lame was used often in Batman throughout the series for various female characters.

As Scott said, they weren't the same suits, but for references' sake Ian, "The Impractical Joker" was shot between 16th and 22nd September 1966, a full three months prior to the Batgirl Presentation reel.

Screenshot 2020-06-22 at 11.07.08.jpg

And on Feb. 25, 1967, 'Robin' married 'Cornelia'...

[Therin of Andor]

The moll purple outfits predate this. Moth is first season and Kathy Kersh in "The Impractical Joker" was earlier in the second season before "College". None were reworked to be Batgirl suits. Same material and tailoring practices for fitting but but none became the Batgirl suit. Colored stretch lame was used often in Batman throughout the series for various female characters.

Yes. I knew it wasn't the same outfit, but likely to be off the same bolt of fabric. I was just curious on the timing. As a kid watching "Batman '66" in first-run b/w Down Under, the similarity was lost on me until at least 1975.