BAT-GIRL AT 65: A dream cast for a dream show…
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NOTE: The original Bat-Girl turns 65! Check out Peter’s groovy history and celebration of the character, click here. For Bill Morrison’s far out MORRISON MONDAYS tribute, click here. — Dan
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By PETER BOSCH
Hey, remember those great imaginary tales Alfred the butler used to write in the early 1960s? He imagined future generations of the Wayne family stepping into the boots of Batman and Robin. There were several of these tales published between 1960 (Batman #131) and 1964 (Batman #163).
But, what if, when the original Bat-Girl first appeared in 1961 — as she did 65 years ago — Alfred began imagining what a Batman TV series would be like that featured the contemporary Caped Crusader? (Actually, it’s not too far-out a concept. In 1962, Ed Graham Productions took out an option on the Batman property for a live-action TV series.)
Who would Alfred cast in his mind to play Bat-Girl — and, hey, what about the rest of the Batman familiars and the rogues’ gallery? Who among the TV and film stars of 1961 – five years before the Adam West series – could have been featured?
Here are a number of possibilities:
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THE GOOD GUYS
Mike Henry as Batman. This was actually producer Ed Graham’s original casting choice for Batman/Bruce Wayne. Henry, a professional linebacker turned actor, appears to have been an excellent choice.
Mike Henry and a famous comics panel segment by Neal Adams (with Dick Giordano inks) from Batman #244 (Sept. 1972). Henry looked perfect for the role. (When the series didn’t materialize, he went on to play Tarzan, as seen here, in three movies.)
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Russ Tamblyn as Robin/Dick Grayson. Shorter than Henry (5’9” to Henry’s 6’2”), youthful looking, and a terrific gymnast. Tamblyn’s acting career included West Side Story (1961), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Tom Thumb (1958), The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962), and more.
MGM photo of a Robin-like, masked Russ Tamblyn (with Yvette Mimieux) from The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962).
In this classic clip from MGM’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Tamblyn is wearing the blue shirt and shows off his athletic skill. Also: Look closely for the tall brunette in the purple plaid dress — that’s Julie Newmar!
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Ann-Margret as Batwoman/Kathy Kane. So beautiful — and motorcycles really were her thing, including riding a Harley-Davidson into her 80s.
Ann-Margret, and Batwoman’s first appearance in Detective Comics #233 (July 1956), with cover art by Sheldon Moldoff.
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Sebastian Cabot as Alfred. The lean Alfred might think of the heavier Cabot as the perfect butler. Cabot would prove Alfred right on TV’s Family Affair as Mr. French.
Walter Pidgeon as Commissioner Gordon. Very much the image of Commissioner Gordon from the early 1960s comics.
Sebastian Cabot and Walter Pidgeon
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Julie London as Julie Madison. London was an actress and sophisticated torch song singer.
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Gwen Verdon as Vicki Vale. Verdon was a great Broadway star — funny and sassy. She could make Vicki Vale a definite asset to the show and not just a Lois Lane clone.
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SPECIAL GUEST VILLAINS
Anthony Perkins as The Joker. “We all go a little mad sometimes.” Who can forget this final grin in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic Psycho?
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Jane Fonda as Catwoman and Lesley Ann Warren as her assistant, Pussycat. Fonda played a slinky, sexy wildcat named “Kitty Twist” in the 1962 movie A Walk on the Wild Side. A few years later, she would become famous as another cat — Cat Ballou (1965). Lesley Ann Warren was 15 in 1961 but four years later she would play a jewel thief known as “The Cat” in the 1965 Broadway musical Drat! The Cat! (It closed after 8 performances.)
Left: Jane Fonda as Kitty Twist in Walk on the Wild Side (1962). Right: Lesley Ann Warren as “The Cat” in the Broadway musical Drat! The Cat! (1965).
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Richard Widmark as the Riddler. Did you know Frank Gorshin based his Riddler laugh on Richard Widmark as the psychotic Tommy Udo in the 1947 film noir Kiss of Death?
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Robert Morley as the Penguin. Morley could easily convey the traits of the likewise-rotund Penguin — conceited, brilliant, witty: the sophisticated gentleman of crime.
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Yul Brynner as Mr. Zero. Mr. Zero — later Mr. Freeze — debuted in Batman #121 (Feb. 1959).
Sir Laurence Olivier as the Mad Hatter. Olivier was an actor, director, producer, and writer… in other words, a man of many hats. What better casting?
Yul Brynner already looks hypnotized by Sir Laurence Olivier (right) as the Mad Hatter. (Come on, admit it, you keep expecting the lid of Olivier’s top hat to flip open and the mechanical “eyes” to pop up.)
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VERY SPECIAL GUEST STARS
Fess Parker as Jeremy Coe. Coe was the frontiersman from Detective Comics #205 (Mar. 1954) who lived in the 17th century and established the Batcave. He also was a man with a secret identity. He would disguise his appearance by covering his skin with a red dye to look like an Indian so he could infiltrate their camps and learn of their plans to attack colonists.
Fess Parker and the cover to Detective Comics #205 (Mar. 1954). Art by Win Mortimer.
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Boris Karloff as Clayface. Since the 1960s version of Clayface and his ability to change into things like giant buzzsaws and other ridiculous objects would be a TV-budget breaker, Matt Hagen is out.
However, a very special episode could be made from the plot of Detective Comics #40 (June 1940). Basil Karlo — named after Basil Rathbone and Karloff — was once silent film’s greatest horror star and an unsurpassed master of makeup, but is now a has-been who goes mad when he is left out of a remake of one of his most famous horror hits.
Boris Karloff in a number of his film guises.
No one but Karloff — who was having an incredible career resurrection in the 1960s — could bring the terror of his past screen roles, along with the heartbreaking pathos he showed with his portrayal of the Frankenstein monster, to the part of Karlo.
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Burt Lancaster as Dr. Thomas Wayne, Deborah Kerr as Martha Wayne, James Mason as Lew Moxon, and Martin Landau as Joe Chill. An “origin” episode based on Detective Comics #235 (Sept. 1956), where Bruce remembers that his Dad, Dr. Thomas Wayne, dressed as a Bat-Man for a costume party but was taken prisoner by criminals to treat their wounded boss, Lew Moxon. Dr. Wayne gave testimony that sent Moxon to prison for 10 years, at the end of which Moxon had Joe Chill kill Thomas and Martha.
Left: Martin Landau and James Mason (North by Northwest, 1959) as Joe Chill and Lew Moxon, respectively. Right: Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster (in From Here to Eternity, 1953) as Martha and Dr. Thomas Wayne.
Casting athletic Burt Lancaster as Dr. Wayne would likely have a subliminal influence on Bruce when it came to fighting gangsters in his grown-up life (and Lancaster played a doctor in 1989’s Field of Dreams, his final film). Deborah Kerr would bring love and sophistication to the part of Martha Wayne (plus she and Lancaster starred in 1953’s classic Best Picture winner, From Here to Eternity).
Moxon and Chill were typical mugs in the comics story, but would more sophisticated on screen — like Mason and Landau in Hitchcock’s 1959 North by Northwest.
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Steve Reeves as Superman. Superman should make a guest appearance or two… and could there be anybody better suited to play the Man of Steel in the Sixties than Steve Reeves? (Imagine that: George Reeves… Steve Reeves… Christopher Reeve.)
Steve Reeves in Hercules (1958), looking very similar to this splash page from Superman #32 (June 1989).
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So… getting back to Alfred’s original thought: Who would play the new crimefighting teen Bat-Girl?
Who else, but:
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MORE
— MORRISON MONDAYS — BAT-GIRL AT 65: An Anniversary Celebration of the Original Dominoed Daredoll. Click here.
— BAT-GIRL vs. BATGIRL: The 1960s DETECTIVE COMICS Issue That Should Have Been. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. (You can buy it here.) A sequel, American Movie Comic Books: 1930s-1970s — From the Silver Screen to the Printed Page, is out now. (Buy it here.) Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
February 23, 2026
Oh, I love it!! Hmmmm….Clifton Webb as King Tutt…
February 23, 2026
Hi, Jeff. Actually, I had selected King Tut to be part of the group but I cut him because he was not a part of the comic books by 1961 (he was an invention of the later TV show). (Okay, I fudged that rule by adding Pussycat but no way was I going to let Lesley Ann Warren’s “The Cat” not be included.) I had chosen Charles Laughton for Tut and even included a replacement because Laughton died in Dec 1962. The replacement would have been Peter Ustinov. Both appeared in ancient garb in “Spartacus” and I had a great photo of them both. (Also, Ustinov would have been great because he had already played a mad Nero in “Quo Vadis.”)
February 23, 2026
I remember in early 1960s there were comments about Fantastic Four imagined as a movie. All i can remember was Yul Brynner as Puppet Master. You could do an article about speculations of actors who could be in 1960s FF movie.
February 23, 2026
I remember in early 60s about speculations of actors who can be in Fantastic Four movie. All I can remember was Yul Brynner as Puppet Master. Could you do an article about that?
February 23, 2026
“Basil Karlo — named after Basil Rathbone and Karloff — was once silent film’s greatest horror star” If he was a silent horror star and a master of makeup, he’d be Lon Chaney.
February 23, 2026
Hi, Lloyd, yes, that is obvious to any film fan, but blame writer Bill Finger for naming him and for the piece of dialogue that read “Years ago, in the old version, this role was played by the greatest character and makeup artist, Basil Karlo.”
February 23, 2026
That was fun. 5 years can really make a difference. I wonder if the casting costume would make the final cuts as the actual costume with that wild Bat on the chest!
February 23, 2026
First and most importantly, great job here!
As for casting, even as a kid I was disappointed by Adam West’s … oh, let’s call it a neutral physique. I thought someone like Clint Walker would have been a better choice. Heck, he might have been on board with this in 1961.
February 23, 2026
Clint Walker was my alternate choice for Superman.
February 23, 2026
It’s unlikely that any movie actors would have appeared in this TV series
February 24, 2026
OK
February 23, 2026
Wow! Very cool!
February 23, 2026
Depends who’s producing it. If it’s National fronting the money like they did for George Reeves’ Superman series, forget it. Now, if it was an actual film/tv studio willing to spend decent money on the series, maybe.
February 24, 2026
I agree with all except for Catwoman, the ultimate sexy femme fatale. Julia London brought that energy.. Jane Fonda, Barbarella aside, did NOT. Sorry Jane.
February 24, 2026
Jeffrey, a number of candidates were on the Catwoman list. Everything from Paula Prentiss because I love her quirky manner (and her costume in What’s New Pussycat?) to Sophia Loren (if the series spun off to a movie). But I like Fonda for a number of her roles in the Sixties, often containing at least one slinky moment (A Walk on the Wild Side, Barefoot in the Park, the train seduction scene in Cat Ballou) and she was often playful.
February 24, 2026
Catwoman is not a “femme fatale” FF is the woman in a film noir who sets the plot in motion.
February 24, 2026
OK
February 24, 2026
Great lineup, Peter! I would pitch Jackie Gleason as someone, just because he and Mike Henry had such a great back-and-forth in the Smokey and the Bandit films as father and son. Oh and if Green Lantern were to show up…Robert Conrad.
February 24, 2026
Herb Flynn is right. Movie actors tended to look down on television at the time and a superhero show would have been seen as for children, a step further down. Things have really changed even since the 70s, when actors feared being typecast if they played comic book characters. But it’s still fun to consider which actors of that period could have pulled off those roles, and you made some fun choices. I was going to suggest Marilyn Monroe as Poison Ivy, but then I realized Ivy hadn’t appeared yet. How about Vincent Price as Doctor Double X? I think Price would have a blast playing himself speaking to himself. Had the split-screen technique (used so often for characters who were doubles in 60s TV shows) been implemented yet?
February 24, 2026
Hi, Warren. Actually, I made a conscious effort to stay away from any actors who had been cast in the 1966 program. Thus, I eliminated Price.
February 24, 2026
“But it’s still fun to consider which actors of that period could have pulled off those roles, and you made some fun choices.” Exactly the point.
February 25, 2026
Thanks, Dan. As written by Oscar Hammerstein II:
“You’ve got to have a dream
If you don’t have a dream
How you gonna make a dream come true?”
February 24, 2026
Great article!!. Oh the possibilities what the show could’ve been. Very interesting. I still love and watch the TV series.