Comics / Cult Favorite

Happy Birthday, Adam West

By Philip Schweier
September 16, 2008 - 04:30

Adam West, c. 1966

On Sept 19, 1928, William West was born in Walla Walla, Wash. In 1966, now known as Adam West, the obscure actor shot to fame as Gotham City’s caped crusader on the ground-breaking television show, Batman.

The series ran for three seasons, during which he and his co-star Burt Ward were in high demand for personal appearances. Much like the Beatles, the actors were mobbed by thousands of baby boomer fans wherever they went.

Following the cancellation of the show, West perpetuated his association with the character and continued to fuel his image as Batman. He made public appearances based on his portrayal as Batman. In 1977, West and Ward reprised their roles as the Dynamic Duo for Filmation’s animated New Adventures of Batman & Robin. West also provided the voice of Batman on later episodes of Super Friends when original Batman voice actor Olan Soulé took another role.  In 1979, they donned their famous costumes once more for a live-action super-hero roast.

Meanwhile, West struggled as an actor, picking up bit parts on television shows such as Night Gallery, Mannix and Emergency. He tried to distance himself from his Batman role while at the same time capitalizing on it financially. Had he not continued making personal appearances in the spirit of Batman, he may have had an easier time breaking free of a role that has been both a blessing and a curse.

Perhaps because the show has been generating new fans in reruns all this time, West continues to strip-mine meager satisfaction from a starring role that has been over for 40 years. Personally, I find it undignified; kind of like watching a 55-year-old divorced man in a bar hitting on a 24-year-old woman. It’s woefully out-of-step with reality.

There comes a time when any performer must accept the reality that when the curtain comes down, it’s time to get off the stage. More fragile egos might view this as a form of rejection when it is simply the nature of show business. Like any employee in any given line of work, sometimes the job ends for purely economic reasons and it is time to find another.

Many actors have come to “own” certain roles, be it Hamlet, Willie Loman or Batman. They become identified with a character not just in the minds of the public, but in their own as well.

Tim Burton

When Tim Burton was directing his Batman feature film in the late 1980s, West was disappointed in being passed over in favor of Michael Keaton. “I cried for an hour, but then I was okay,” he is quoted on his Internet Movie Data Base page (www.imdb.com). “I wanted it! I don't know. I figured that's their business and they have a film in mind. I've already done it. I've done my Batman. Look, do you want the classic Coke or the new stuff? Maybe both. I do know that I'm disappointed not to have had a chance to play Batman, but they have their vision and I have mine.”

The Gray Ghost

Nevertheless, West has been able to maintain an association with the character in the years since the Batman series ended. In the early 1990s, Warner Bros. capitalized on the dark tone set by Burton’s movie with another animated Batman series. In an episode entitled “The Gray Ghost,” Batman seeks answers to a terrorist plot copied from an old TV series. The only person who seems to be able to help is Simon Trent, an out-of-work actor who portrayed Bruce Wayne’s childhood hero,the Gray Ghost. Batman is able to restore Trent’s dignity and resurrect his career.

West provided the voice of Trent/Gray Ghost in an ironic bit of casting for which the animated series was often noted. On a second animated series entitled The Batman, he provided the voice of Gotham City’s Mayor Grange, as well as himself as mayor on the animated series The Family Guy.

While I applaud anyone who can laugh at themselves, this kind of self-parody is in direct contrast we often hear from actors who achieve fame for a specific character – William Shatner as Captain Kirk, Bob Denver as Gilligan, etc. – who bemoan that they can’t find “real” work.

If they measure “real” work by the size of the paycheck, well, capturing lightning in a bottle is no easy task, and you’re darn lucky to do so once in a lifetime. To quote Shakespeare, “The play is the thing,” – or the TV show or dog food commercial or road production of Annie. The best actors are those who are less concerned with their bank accounts and instead look for parts that offer personal satisfaction. I will give kudos to any actor who acts, be it in an off-off-off-Broadway play or a bit part on a sit-com.

Home video technology has made it possible for today’s fans to enjoy Adam West in his prime as Batman, allowing West to close the chapter of his career and concentrate on expanding his acting resumé.

Adam West today

While some roles may not offer the notoriety of Batman, West has continued to take on live action roles, such as Zombie Nightmare (1986). He was also cast on shows such as The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote, which both featured large numbers of guest stars, or on campy humor shows such as Danger Theater (1993) or Black Scorpion (2001). West currently has a film, a super-hero comedy Super Capers, in post-production. Written and directed by Ray Griggs, it is scheduled for release in 2008.

• Sources: Back to the Batcave by Adam West and Jeff Rovin; and www.imdb.com

Praise and adulation? Scorn and ridicule? E-mail me at philip@comicbookbin.com

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12