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The Bat Signal's light has dimmed.  Adam West, best known as "Batman" in the 1960s TV series has died at the age of 88. 

He found that he was typecast after the series ended.  However, he was able to make the transition to voiceover work.

His most recent voiceover character was the Mayor of Quahog in "Family Guy." Caped Crusader, RIP.

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/adam-west-dead-batman-star-832264

 

 

Edited by Cygnet
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Adam West went through a very hard time finding work after the show ended in 1967. He spent many years having to put on his Bat costume from the show and go to comic book conventions to make ends meet. (This was long before the comic book convention circuit became very lucrative for participants.) But he lived long enough to see fortune swing his way. The members of Generation X loved the show (which they had watched in reruns) and, as they started to assume positions of prominence in the entertainment industry, West's fortunes rebounded both in terms of job opportunities and public acclaim. He died knowing that he was beloved by several generations of TV viewers. He also lived long enough to see the show appreciated as the absurdist, Pop Art masterpiece it always was.

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For all its kitschy, goofy aspect, Batman - and also Linda Carter's Wonder Woman - worked simply because Adam West (and Linda Carter) always played it straight. The super hero was never a tongue-in-cheek character in those days.

 

Rest in peace, Adam.

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On 6/14/2017 at 11:15 AM, sandik said:

Super straight -- I watched a bunch of those wall-walking clips and was reminded again how very dry his delivery was.  And how willing the show was, like Laugh-In, to break viewing conventions.

 

Ah, the "wall walking".  ;)

That's where the audience gets to see various celebrities "drop" in" to utter some quip - much like the comedians popping in and out of the "Joke Wall" trapdoors on Laugh-In. I especially remember Sammy Davis Jr. popping his head out of a window as Batman and Robin crawled by. But didn't that routine pre-date Laugh-In? The two shows only overlapped for a couple of months.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE_CM3tvkys

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