The first animated Batman
The first animated Batman is also one of the most popular of all time (and no, we're not talking about BTAS)
Sorry about missing last week. I started a new job at the beginning of the year, and it’s been fantastic, but it’s also jam-packed as I learn and get familiar with everything. But needless to say, we are back, and let’s look at the first animated appearance of Gotham’s fearless savior, The Batman.
Chapter 2: Batman ’66: Batman’s first appearance in Animation
The story of Batman’s journey to the small screen is an interesting one. The show initially started as a potential primetime animated show. ABC was struggling on TV and was looking for a show to fill in the 7:30 PM slot, which children primarily watched. The network considered a few characters to create into a cartoon that would run during that time, with Batman being one option.
When ABC’s director of Late Night Television, Yale Udoff, heard this, he began pushing hard for Batman. Udoff was a long-time Batman fan, but he’d also witnessed firsthand the power of a campy Batman when he attended An Evening with Batman and Robin at Chicago’s Playboy Club. Columbia Pictures had edited the 15-chapter Batman Serial from 1943 into one full-length movie and played it at art houses in 1965 for laughs.
What was unique to Udoff was the crowds were eating the movie up. They cheered for Batman and Robin, booed the villains, and laughed throughout the film (at things that probably weren’t attended to be laughed at). But whatever the intent of the original production, Udoff knew immediately that there was something there that audiences could really enjoy.
Convinced by Udoff’s campaign, ABC contacted 20th Century Fox to produce the show and hired producer William Dozier to oversee production. Dozier was initially hesitant and frankly a little embarrassed by the idea of producing Batman. But after looking through issues old and new of Batman, Dozier had an idea: What if they treated the show deadly serious even though they (and the audience) knew that it was silly?
To pull off this idea, Dozier would need actors up to the task. Luckily, he found them in Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin). The two actors had great chemistry, and both played their parts with a seriousness that perfectly captured the “camp” feeling that Dozier envisioned.
Feeling inspired by one of Carmine Infantino’s iconic Batman covers (Batman #171) featuring the Riddler, Dozier worked with writer Lorenzo Semple Jr. to craft the first episode, Hey Diddle Riddle. The influence of Infantino’s bright covers combined with Semple’s pop-art writing style helped create a production design that looked like comic books popping off the page.
The show was a smashing success, with every episode played absolutely straight as actors performed the silly plots and humorous lines with incredible deadpan. The humor behind this was picked up by adults but lost on young children who felt like this was Batman and Robin and ate up every episode.
Of the many iconic elements of the show, perhaps nothing tops the opening credits, which mainly stayed untouched through the three-season run (outside of adding Batgirl in the final season). These opening credits with their catchy tune written by Neal Hefti was actually the first appearance of an animated Batman and Robin!
The opening credits were animated by a talented animator named Lee Mishkin. Mishkin came from a long animation history, including Casper the Friendly Ghost and Popeye. Later following Batman, Mishkin would go on to win an academy award in 1970 for his animated short, ‘Is it Always Right to be Right?
Mishkin chose to animate Batman and Robin similar to their comic book counterparts, mixing and matching between the 1950’s version of the character (a ‘la Dick Sprang) and the more recent “New Look” Batman being guided by Carmine Infantino.
Batman looks a bit more muscular and stocky than the leaner Batman in the then-current comics, but he is sporting Infantino’s yellow Batman oval to match the costume design used in the show. Robin is also a bit stockier and has the hairstyle of 1950’s Robin (with the two curls on the side of his head as opposed to the parted hair of New Look).
The animated intro does not feature any voice work and has no sound effects either; instead, it allows Hefti’s theme to punctuate when needed. The famous “Dun na na na na na na” was all the credits required to add the punch that kids wanted.
The intro begins with Batman and Robin running towards the camera. There are several cuts as we see a very happy Batman and Robin “Sock!”, “Pow!” and “Zok!” the jaws of several criminals. The two then come together to shake hands before Batman pulls his cape around and transforms into the logo for the show. The camera pans along with several villains, none of whom appear to be from the comics.
We then cut to see Batman turn and face Robin in a profile shot. Next, we see Robin in a profile shot as well, but he very much resembles Burt Ward. The camera cuts to a wide shot where Batman and Robin excitedly uppercut the villains approaching from behind.
Next, there is a shot of multiple villains coming into frame, including a few famous ones from the show such as Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman (though her costume does not resemble the show or the comic, and it takes a bit of detective work even to determine her as Catwoman). The credits also give us one villain who never appeared in the show, Clayface. Clayface is seen in the shadowy second layer of villains behind the colorful front row. Why Clayface was selected for this scene remains a mystery.
As the villains pass by, more sound effect bubbles appear, “whap!”, “ooff!” and “biff.” The next shot is a few villains, including the Joker, beaten up passing by the screen. The final shot is the Batmobile parked on “Gotham street.” This is the only scene with any background detail as all previous scenes are just brightly colored backgrounds. The camera pulls in tighter and tighter on the Batmobile while revealing the names of the other actors in the show.
As mentioned earlier, the credits were modified in the third season to include Yvonne Craig’s Batgirl. First, she swings in on a rope kicking a criminal just before the dynamic duo’s jolly uppercut. Then she reappears during the Batmobile scene, driving by (somewhat unnaturally) on her motorcycle.
The animated short is not even a minute and doesn’t have a real story, but it offered the most honest look of a living comic book up to this point. Just as they looked in the comics, Batman and Robin were running around and kicking butt.
As the show’s success was fading with the third season and cancellation loomed, one company would take note of Batmania and decide to bring Batman and Robin to life in their own animated show.