| Adam West | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| Real name: | William West Anderson |
| Species: | Human |
| Homeworld: | Earth |
| Sex: | Male |
| Hair: | Brown |
| Eyes: | Brown |
| Height: | 6'2 |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Base: | California |
| Voiced/Played: | Himself Jack Brewer[1] |
Adam West (1928-2017) was a well-known television and film actor.
He was best-known for playing the role of Batman for television.
Powers and Abilities[]
Super Powers[]
None.
Abilities[]
- Charisma
Weakness[]
- Elderly: He was actually not a real superhero, he just played that on TV and film. In real life he was an old man, who finally died in 2017.
History[]
Earth-66[]
Technically, Adam West might have not existed on this Earth, however the character that he played on television, which was Batman, certainly did exist here.
Earth 1956[]
It's also quite likely that Adam West didn't exist on this Earth either, but the character of Batman, whom he provided the voice for in two different cartoon television shows, certainly did exist. He was very much a real person on this Earth, as was the entire Justice League, better known as the Superfriends and Super Powers Team.
Real World[]
On this Earth, or rather a similar one, Batman was a fictional character. Adam West played the role of Batman alongside Burt Ward, who played Robin, which was his sidekick.
But before all that occurred, West acted in Hawaii alongside Peaches, a chimpanzee on the The Kini-Popo Show. Some time later, Adam West talks to his agent about his interest in playing the role of Batman in his new TV show. His agent tells him it's a bad idea, mentioning George Reeves as Superman and Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger as examples of how once you play a role like that, you have no future in the business after that. Adam then told his agent that he liked the script enough that he was willing to take that risk.
West's agent then has a meeting with William Dozier who briefly discussed Adam West's role in some commercials which was a James Bond spoof for a kid's drink. He told him that he felt it was very clever. West's agent told Dozier that his Adam was a great actor who had been among Hollywood's top movie stars. He told him he had appeared in Perry Mason, Maverick and The Detectives. He then told him that he'd worked with Steve McQueen and Peter Fonda; and he even told him about Robinson Crusoe on Mars. Dozier then cuts him off and tells him he doesn't have to convince him that Adam West is good for the role, because he was already familiar with his talent and he loved his performance. His agent also told him that he needs to know if he's got the role or not, because he's got a big western offer so he needs to know by the afternoon. Dozier then asked if he could do the lines straight. Adam West then interrupts their meeting and says he can do anything. "Trust me," he says.
Sometime later, Adam West went in to do a screen test with Burt Ward. It was there he ran into Lyle Waggoner, who was also up for the role of Batman. Before meeting Burt Ward, Adam discussed his ideas for his character with Robert Butler, telling him that he thinks Batman is more than just some mere comic book character, and that should be incorporated into his portrayal. Robert mentioned how Batman hates crime, and Adam told him that he does for a good reason, since his parents were murdered in front of him. He goes onto tell him that he watched many old movie serials such as the Scarlet Pimpernel and Scaramouche due to the fact that they had dual identities just like Batman. Robert tells him that his ideas are great, but that night they're just trying to see how he and Burt Ward work together as a team. He then introduces Adam to Burt, who up until that time was simply going by the name Bert Jervis, Jr.; but decided that since his mother's name was Ward, he decided to make the change. At that, they played the role, and the decision was made to give them the role for the TV show.
Not long later, Dozier gives Adam and Burt a tour of the set of the Batcave. He told them the show was going to be a lot of work, since they were gonna be aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with cliffhanger endings to keep the audience coming back to watch more episodes. While this was going on, someone was lurking in the shadows, spying on this "Dynamic Duo."
Sometime later, Adam West is in his trailer getting ready for his first day of shooting a scene in Bronson Canyon. He was asked if he needed help putting on his Batsuit, but he declined the assistance, saying that putting on the costume was half of putting on the character. After coming out of his trailer, he sees Burt Ward in costume for the first time as well, and he later talks about how the Bat-Cowl impedes his eyesight, probably because he didn't have any lenses in his cowl like it was in the comics. But he admits that having that disadvantage could help contribute to his acting skills, saying that Batman probably needs to be a little stiff. Burt then told Adam that his costume was too tight, and that they itched. He also thought it was strange to wear underwear on the outside. Burt tells Adam that his cape pulls at his neck and his mask makes his ears stick out like Dumbo. Just then, their conversation is interrupted by the assistant director named Sam Strangis, who tells Burt there ready to shoot a scene with him. Adam stays in his makeup chair while Burt goes off to film the scene.
The assistant director then brings him to the '55 Lincoln Futura concept car that they were using as the Batmobile thanks to George Barris, who modified it to have a "bat-like" appearance. He then instructs him to get in the car, and so he sits down inside, with a stunt double filling in for Adam, who was in the driver seat. Burt was kind of confused as to why he was filming a scene with a stuntman when he's the actual actor, but he doesn't say anything about it, instead he asks Adam's stuntman if his work is ever dangerous, to which he answers affirmatively. This makes Burt a little worried, and as the car's engine starts, he asks the director if he has a stunt double, since Adam does. He then tells him that he certainly does, and that he's the guy drinking coffee with Adam. Burt then asks why he's not filming this scene instead of him. He is then told that since the camera will be facing him when the Batmobile drives by, his face will be in full view, and so the audience would know it wasn't actually him if they used his stunt double instead. Because he was shooting a scene that his stunt double should've been doing, he then dislocated his finger. And on a number of occasions, he continues to get injured during filming, while Adam continues playing the role unscathed. Frank Gorshin, who played the Riddler; even made fun of Burt from time to time, telling him that if he doesn't survive the shoot then he might end up being the star of the show, since he believed that the best characters were the villains anyway. Due to all of Burt's mishaps on the set, he got the nickname "Sparky." Still, he did make it through his first week of work alive. The next week of filming wasn't much better though.
While spending time with his kids at the beach, building sand castles. Adam asked his son and daughter what they think of him playing Batman. His son said he thought it was cool, since he got to fly. He told him that Batman actually doesn't fly, he only swings on Bat-Ropes. His daughter then asked if the character he played was married or if he was divorced like him and her mother. He told her he was too busy crimefighting to get married. She then asked him if he was lonely. Adam then has a sad look on his face, and before he can answer his little girl's question, a Chevrolet Bel Air pulls up and honks the horn. It was Adam's ex-wife, who then calls out to her children. She tells them they've had enough sun for one day.
The kids then climb into her car, and she asks him how things are going, and he tells her he loves his work, and she tells him that she's aware of that, considering that he puts that first in his life. He then tells her that's not true. She then smiles and sits down behind the steering wheel, and asks him if he has plans for watching the television premiere tomorrow night. She tells him he can come over if he'd like. He then told her "I'm gonna fix a steak here. You know how I get." She then puts on her sunglasses and drives off. He was apparently worried about the show. The test screening for the show didn't go so well, being described as the "worst test scores in television history."
The next night, Adam is sitting on his couch watching a commercial for his show on TV, telling the viewer to stay tuned. He's drinking his beverage from a mug while eating steak and a baked potato. Later, Adam and Burt make a public appearance in full costume and sign autographs for fans of the show. He tells them that the show isn't actually campy, but it fits more into the category of farce or lampoon; going on to describe it as a "social satire with an Oscar Wilde flavor. A young boy asks if it's true that their show is number one, like his brother told him. Burt tells him as long as it's number one for fans like him, then they've done their job. A woman then asks Adam to sign his autograph on her breast. He told her that it was a permanent marker, but she was fine with that. They then receive a lot of "female attention," and they decide to run away. The women and the kids give chase.
Sometime later, Adam is in the Wayne Manor set getting help to put on a jacket for his suit. He sees that there's Latin writing on it and asks what it says, he is told by Jack the Wardrobe Man that it means "Art, nonsense and money." He told him it was a joke in wardrobe. Burt is set to do a scene where he is gonna be kissing a girl but he isn't so sure he should actually do it. Adam tells him it's only a kiss, but Burt knows it'll piss off his wife. He then goes off to talk with her privately, telling her she has no reason to be jealous, because it's only acting. She then tells him that she had heard about all of the women that Adam had sex with, but he tells her it's different for him, since he was single, and since Burt was married to her she had nothing to worry about. She asked him how long it would be before that changes. She then shrugs her shoulders and tells him to do what he wants. Burt then returns to the set to shoot the scene. His wife decides not to stay and watch though.
Later, Burt talks to Adam about how he loves his wife, and that they're still young and that there's a lot they haven't experienced. He even tells him that she's the first girl he ever dated. Adam then tells her it takes a while to know what you really want. Just then, the actress playing Catwoman walks by, as Adam gazes upon her with lust in his eyes. He then tells her he's still learning himself. Burt then asks Adam "what if we're not meant to be together?" Adam tells him that even if he does divorce her, it's not the end of the world. He then walks away, telling him "see you later." He then walks over to his motorcycle, but he is followed by Burt Ward, who asks him if he gets lonely sometimes, or at least if he misses being married. He then admits that he does. Burt tells Adam it's never too late to fix that. He then walks back to his car. Adam then puts his sunglasses on, starts his bike's engine and rides off.
Later, Adam is pouring a glass of red wine from a bottle for his ex-wife while they have a romantic candle-light dinner. She comments favorably about his good china and her favorite flowers. She then believes that he wants something. He tells her it's just dinner. She then tells him that they made the right decision before; to get divorced and just be friends. He asks her about the possibility of more. He tells her he just might get lonely with coming home to his house every night. She tells him "something tells me you're not alone all that much," implying she heard about his reputation as a lady's man. He tells her not to believe everything she reads. She then tells Adam that she knows him to well, and that even if he's being sincere in this moment there's no guarantee that tomorrow he'd want something or someone else. She told him he's always been that way, and always will be that way. He then asks her where that leaves them. She then tells him that they can still eat the dinner so as to not let the food go to waste.
Sometime later, Adam is with Burt filming a Batclimb sequence. An elderly woman[2] then looks out the window and complains about people walking up the wall. The director then calls: "Cut! That's a print." After that, Burt learned that his wife wants a divorce. Not long later, Adam West comes to visit Burt Ward, who just got a new house and car. Adam told him he might want to set some money aside, because no employment lasts forever. He also brought him a bottle of sparkling cider, so as to wish him good luck moving into his new place. Burt apologizes to Adam since he can't pour any glasses since his ex-wife took them all in the divorce. Adam told him that he heard about her divorce in the headlines and how she got half a million in the divorce settlement.
They later sit outside on a beach in Malibu and Burt tells Adam that he doesn't really care about the money, he knows he has enough, but he just hopes he made the right decision. Adam tells him he just needs to give it some time, and live every day like it's his last. Just then, two beautiful girls in bikinis walk up to greet them. They ask them what they're doing there, and they said they are working undercover. They then tell them they're their biggest fans. They then stare intently at their luscious breasts. Adam and Burt are quite horny at this point.
Time passes, two days after the first season of the show wrapped, filming of the "Batman" movie began, which featured Cesar Romero as Joker, Frank Gorshin as Riddler, Lee Meriwether as Catwoman and Burgess Meredith as the Penguin. Speaking of Cesar Romero, on the first day of shooting with him, Adam asked him if he was going to shave his mustache. He told him he had it his entire career and he wasn't getting rid of it. Adam asked the man applying his makeup if he thinks he could cover it. He said no. Nevertheless, the makeup was applied to his face, and after seeing it, Adam said it worked, capturing the spirit of the show.
Later, Adam meets with Burgess Meredith, asking him if he really is interested in doing this after being a movie star for so long. Burgess told him that nothing is better than women smiling at him kids keep their distance, referring to it as "the best of both worlds." He then told Adam that people might think of Penguin as a cartoon, but he considered it one of the hardest roles he's ever played. Burt Ward then asks him why, and he tells him that for one thing, he hadn't smoked in twenty-five years, making the cigarette holder a bit hard to get used to. He even tells him it irritates his throat. Still, Burt noticed that he did pretty good sounding like a penguin. Adam then shows Burgess all of the different Bat-Devices in his Bat-Belt. Burgess then shows Adam his Trick Umbrella.
Later, at the Wayne Manor set, while going over some script changes to suggest that Catwoman is in love with Batman, the actress thinks the idea is a mistake, telling her that her feelings for Batman are played purely to decieve him. It's all about seduction and then when the time is right, she scratches him with her claws. And she bites too. But she never loses her heart to him, and she never sleeps with him. Of course as she says all this she's getting very fresh with Adam. Adam then says: "Never?" She then gets up off his lap and says: "See what I mean?" Adam is then addressed to see if he agrees with her. He admits that she causes mysterious stirring in his utility belt.
Sometime later, Adam and Burt are playing in a scene as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, where they are going up against Egghead, played by Vincent Price. After the scene was over, Vincent starts throwing eggs around the set. Adam tells him that playing the character has gone to his head. The actor then starts tossing eggs at Adam and Burt. This erupts into a massive food fight.
Adam and Burt later are talking with Dozier about his irritation about the show being censored because of all of the sexual innuendo. This worries him that they could get shut down as a result, which could lead to the show getting canceled. He then tells Adam he has to stick to the script, to which Adam argues that he does it word for word...aside from the occasional adlib. Dozier tells them he does it in a way that he can't edit it out. Adam says that's years of experience. He then critiques their choices, Burt's as well. Burt tells him that the kids get the jokes and the action while the adults get the show on a whole other level. The conversation continues by the Batmobile, when Dozier tells them that the National Safety Council, who was also pissed at them because they're characters never wear their seat belts. Adam says that they should just write it into an episode that the Batmobile has modern features that make seat belts unnecessary. Dozier told him he thinks it'd be better to just make them buckle up from now on. Adam agreed, telling him that could be fun. Another complaint was from the Catholic Legion of Decency regarding the "bulge" in Robin's shorts. He was then given prescription medication so that he could "shrink" his stuff.
While preparing to shoot a scene in the Batcave, Adam and Burt are present and the camera is directed at Robin's shorts so as to see if his junk isn't noticeable. Burt tells Adam that he's not planning on taking the pills for more than just that one episode. He goes on to state that it's bad enough that they have to deal with that "other problem." Adam then asks him what problem he's talking about. It's uncertain if Burt answered him.
Still, not long later, Adam quickly learns that there's a great deal of people that think that Batman and Robin...or at least Adam and Burt are gay. Adam learned from Frank Gorshin at a bar that Doctor Fredric Wertham made a big deal out of it in the senate. Frank tells him it makes sense, after all Bruce Wayne is an unmarried man and he takes in Dick Grayson as his ward but doesn't bother adopting him as his son. He tells him there's not a female figure around, but Adam argues that there's Aunt Harriet, who would never allow such a thing. Frank then told her she was in the dark about their secret lives. He then talks about how gay their outfits are and how the Bat-poles are just clear phallic imagery. He then tells him that Batman and Robin have a strange and unnatural relationship. Adam tells him he doesn't know what's so strange about two guys who run around in tights and live together. Suddenly he realized what he was saying...and he came close to admitting that he could see his point...although he doesn't. Just then, a couple of very sexy girls are laughing and asking if that's Adam West from a nearby booth. Frank then tells him he could put those rumors to rest by having sex with the girls over in the booth. Adam then waves at them with a flirtatious smile.
Back on the set, Adam and Burt are checking out one of the guest stars wearing white tights, and Adam tells Burt that fame is an aphrodisiac and that he should enjoy it while he can. The woman then walks up to him and hands her a piece of paper so that they could go on a date. Later, they go to bed together and have sex. But he quickly leaves afterward since he has to go. This makes her angry and she takes a butcher knife and tries to kill him, but he escapes.
The next day, she's back on the set and approaches Burt, acting as if the whole thing was a joke and commenting how fun it was last night, comparing her experience to how Tony Perkins must have felt in Psycho. She tells him that they need to do it again soon. Naturally Burt is a bit fearful by his experience, and still a bit freaked out by what just happened.
Later, in New York, Adam is having a threesome with a couple of girls who were excited to "spend the night with Batman." One of the girls asks him who is guarding Gotham City while he's having sex with them. He tells her it's Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara. He then tells her that the only crime happening is right there in the bed. The same girl tells him she doesn't mind doing "hard time." She then kisses him on the lips. The other girl also begins kissing him. Just then, his alarm clock screeches and he remembers that he has to get ready for the press, who were going to be there in an hour's time. He then tells them to go ahead and put on some clothes while he goes down stairs for coffee. He then goes downstairs naked in a towel and sees that the press conference was way earlier than he thought it was...because all of the journalists were already there. His female friends he just had sex with followed him down as well, which was noticed by many of the journalists. He then introduces them as Lucy and Ethel. He then jokingly asks them if anyone has seen his Batsuit.
Sometime later, at the Batcave set, Adam and Burt are in character as the Dynamic Duo. Burt is irritated with Adam because he's hogging screen time by talking slowly. Adam tells him he's just talking Bat-Speak so as to exaggerate the absurdity of the moment. Burt then tells him that he's tired of him interrupting him all the time. Adam tells him that Robin always gets to solve all of the puzzles, to which he tells him he's not the Boy Wondering, but the Boy Wonder; so that's what he does...that's what he brings to the team. Due to their argument, a decision is made to take a break. Adam then takes off his Bat-Cowl. Burt then complains about the way that Adam blocks Burt from view of the camera with his Bat-Cape all of the time. Adam tells him that's just the way Batman moves his cape, and that if he can't find a way to stay on camera, that's not his concern.
Later, while in his trailer, Burt is asked to return to the set, and he tells him he'll come to the set when Adam is there, and not before. Adam is also asked to return to the set, but he too says he plans to stay in his trailer until Burt comes out. A decision is then made to have their trailers facing one another so that when they come out of their dressing rooms they would see each other immediately. They then both exit the trailer...both of them begin laughing, almost as if they had planned the whole thing to see who really is in control of the show. Dozier then later tells them that he doesn't have time to deal with their nonsense, especially since they're expected to add something new to the mix, a new element to keep the audience interested. Adam tells them they should write better scripts, to which Dozier tells them that he should turn the Dynamic Dup into a Tremendous Trio. With that, the character of Batgirl was added to the series, starring Yvonne Craig.
Adam meets Yvonne while she was practicing her acrobatic combat skills. Upon noticing him, she told her she didn't know anyone was watching her. He then told her not to let him stop her, commenting that she sure has the moves. She then reaches her hand out to shake his. She tells her his name, as does he, but she already knew who he was, and she told him she was warned about him. She then tells him that she heard he wasn't wild about the idea of her being introduced to the show. She then asks if Burt feels the same way. He tells her they both think the show doesn't need another character, but she tells him that maybe Batgirl will give the women of the audience someone to identify with. He then tells her that maybe her "curvey" body will appeal to the men instead. She tells him she heard he's someone to watch out for. And now that she's met him in person she believes the stories she's heard. The "wandering hands"? He then attempts to assure her he's nothing but professional. Not long later, while they're on the set together, Adam grabs her breast, causing the director to cut, as he still has a hold of it in his hand. He said that he thought his hand was on her shoulder, calling it a natural mistake. He then continues to keep his hand there. She asks him if he minds...to which he says he doesn't at all. She removes his hand with her own hand.
Despite the fact that a new character was added to the show, with all the sex appeal along with it, it wasn't enough to save the show from plunging ratings. Adam and Burt are in a bar, and Burt talks about how he can't believe the show is getting cancelled. Adam tells him that is isn't definite yet. He said that the network's fine for another year, it's just that the studio called for budget cuts. Burt looks at an issue of Celebrity Beach with Dustin Hoffman on the cover, saying something about him winning an Oscar nomination. Burt says he should have taken the role in The Graduate when it was offered to him. Adam West then told Burt that he himself passed on the role of James Bond. He felt that the role should go to a British man, not an American. Plus he thought it would be a much better choice to play a superhero at the time. Burt then asks Adam if they are crazy, and he asks how they can possibly expect to get any work again. He tells him not to panic, as it will still be months before any decision is made.
Later at the studio, Adam and Burt have their sad discussion with Dozier, who says the show is done. Burt asks if possibly another network is interested in picking up the show for a fourth season, to which he says they came to late. The cost of rebuilding everything is too high. Even if they could, the blueprints for the sets have disappeared. Adam asks if it was souvenir hunters. Dozier tells him "Probably." Dozier then tells them that at least they had a respectable run...three seasons. He was happy to have made a show he could be proud of. He tells them he was proud of the whole family. He then tells them he wish it could have lasted longer. He then shakes their hands and wishes them luck. He then walks away.
Later, as Adam prepares to depart the studio on his bike, Frank Gorshin pulls up in his car and tells Adam that he's sorry to see it end. "That's television," Adam said. Frank then told Adam that it was nice working with him, despite the fact that the villains never got the respect they deserved. Adam simply laughs at the comment. Frank notices that Adam kept the key to the Batmobile. Adam tells him it's a little something to remember it by. He then drives off, with the blueprints very much visible in the back of his car. He didn't seem to take note of it much at the time, but it became obvious to him years later.
By 2003, Adam had been married to another woman for the last thirty-three years. He still made appearances and held charity events, and although he was remembered as Batman, that was certainly something of the past. He eventually hired a butler named Jerry, although he often called him Alfred. At one charity event at the Car Museum that he attended, he was reunited with Burt Ward, who now was much older and married to another woman who had a love for Great Danes. At the charity even they were reunited at, the Classic Batmobile was stolen.
As they piece all of the clues together, the eventually learn that the villains that stole the Batmobile was Frank Gorshin and Julie Newmar, who kidnap the two actors and strap them to a rocket, which they plan to blow them up with inside Bronson Canyon, which was where the Batcave set was. Adam then pulls out a batarang to cut the ropes. He then shuts off the bomb, or so he thought. The bomb still goes off, but thankfully Adam is not hurt, but Burt is...and he asks Adam how he didn't get hurt, to which he answers jokingly "Stunt man."
While in the Batmobile, Frank was crazy enough to press the red button to see what would happen, this was because of his character flaw. It turned about to be an ejection seat, which launched him high into the hills of the canyon. Adam and Burt look up, noticing them up there trying not to fall off the steep hill. Adam then tells Burt to call the police to have them picked up. They both get in the Batmobile and Burt picks up the Batphone to make the call. Burt tells Adam that the phone is dead, to which Adam tells him it's only a prop. He then tells him to use his cellphone. They then return to the site of the charity event with the Batmobile. While they're there, the run into Lyle Waggoner, who tells them that if he had played Batman they'd still be on the air. Just then, one of the orphans steal the Batmobile, and once again, Adam and Burt decide to take on the case, and they take off running to find it.[3]
Earth-6799[]
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Appearances[]
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Notes[]
- Adam West was a real person, although everything above this portion of the page contains fictional or semi-fictional information about him. To read the real-world info about him, go here.
Adam West in the real world[]
|
Adam West | |||
| Birthname: William West Anderson
Born: September 19, 1928 Died: June 9, 2017 Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA Years Active: 1950s-Present Spouse: Billie Lou Yeager (1950-1956); Frisbie Dawson (1957-1962); Marcelle Tagand Lear (1971-Present) Best Known As: "Adam West is Batman!" A phrase commonly used by many fans throughout the world. Official Website: AdamWest.com | ||||
Background[]
Adam West as Batman
Adam West is widely considered the ultimate Batman actor. He portrayed him on a number of occasions, in the the 1966, original live action series, as well as in Legends of the Superheroes (1979). He's also voiced the character for animated shows, such as; The New Adventures of Batman (1977), SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984) and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985).
Though most remember West's campy portrayal of Batman in the 60's, many fans have come to love his much darker take on Batman in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians episode The Fear, in which for the first time on television, Batman's origin is shown.
According to Alan Burnett, the people at DC Comics were angry with the folks working on the Superfriends for casting Adam West as Batman. This was because they were attempting to put the campy days of Batman behind them, nevertheless, they were reassured that this time Adam West's portrayal will be far more serious; and that was especially the case with The Fear.
Voice on Super Friends[]
After more than 10 years of Olan Soule doing the voice of Batman, Adam West took over. It appeared to be bitter sweet for many fans. While they loved Olan, Adam West was Batman.
- As the voice of Batman for two series of the Super Friends:
References[]
- ↑ Jack Brewer played Adam West as a young man.
- ↑ Played by Betty White.
- ↑ As seen in the feature film: Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt (March 9, 2003).
- ↑ As seen in the Family Guy episode: It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One (February 4, 2007).