Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jul 30, 2023 | 2 comments

An ANNIVERSARY celebration…

The 1966 Batman movie came out July 30, 1966 — 57 years ago. This year, we’ve got a two-fer celebration for you: This piece by our pal John S. Drew of The Batcave Podcast and the world debut of The Toyroom’s Penguin Submarine Playset! Click here to check out that awesomeness.

Meanwhile, here’s John with THE TOP 13 ADAM WEST MOMENTS IN THE 1966 BATMAN MOVIE:

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By JOHN S. DREW

Batman’s First Screen Moment. Before he relaxes and smiles for the camera, the image of Adam walking into the credits is straight out of the comics.

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The Shark. It’s most likely the second-most popular scene in the entire film, but Adam gives it his all as he takes on a shark that is working on his leg. Mind you, we never see any blood or torn costume, but it’s all good.

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The Attraction. Every scene with Adam and Lee Meriwether as Miss Kitka/Catwoman is pure magic. It’s no wonder she is held in as high esteem as her two counterparts on the TV show, Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt.

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“Confound It!” Trapped on the buoy as Penguin sends torpedo after torpedo, Batman tries to control the situation with his signal blocker until the batteries die.

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“Good Day.” Batman holding in his anger and disgust at the admiral for selling Penguin a surplus submarine is bliss — especially the admiral’s reaction right after.

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Pure West. The middle of the movie is a chance for West to act without the mask covering his face. From his date with Miss Kitka, to his being taken captive, to his eventual fight with the three villains and their henchmen, this is literally the epitome of “Pure West” as Adam takes them on alone — no stunt double.

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The Bomb. And here is the most popular scene in the film. Even if someone hasn’t seen the film, they know this scene. It’s the subject of hundreds of memes. And like the fight scene above, it’s “Pure West” as he runs through the docks with the bomb aloft.

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Batrun. Batman tells Robin they must run to the United World Building and Robin is, of course, skeptical they can make it. We get that wonderful rear screen projection of Gotham as the two are running, with Burt Ward looking like he’s struggling while Adam makes it look like a jog.

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“Up, up, up, up — UP!” The fate of the world is at stake and Batman has to show off his language skills.

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“Bon Voyage, Pussy.” Don’t know if that was an improvised line or in the actual script, but Adam delivers it so effortlessly, it is laugh-out-loud funny every time I see it.

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The Reveal. When Batman finally realizes that the woman he has fallen for is one of his archenemies, it is so sad to see.

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Double Gloves. He did it on the TV show too, but I have to laugh when Adam puts lab gloves over his own gloves when dealing with anything scientific.

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“Let’s Go.” At the very end of the movie, we get a neat closeup of Adam and Burt as they have just reintegrated the United World members. They decide to leave, inconspicuously, through the window, leading to the closing credits as we see them rappel down the tall building.

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MORE

— The BATMAN ’66 PENGUIN SUBMARINE Playset You’ve Waited Decades For. Click here.

— The 13 GREATEST MOMENTS of the 1966 BATMAN MOVIE. Click here.

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John S. Drew has been a doorman, restaurant manager, writer, teacher, podcaster and hostage negotiator at one point or another in his life. He has written prose in the Star Trek, Doctor Who and Spider-Man universes. He podcasts about pop culture, in particular television adventures of the ’60s and ’70s, including The Batcave Podcast, The Shazam/Isis Podcast, The OSI Files (about the Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman), The World’s Greatest Super Friends Podcast (with Dan Greenfield), and The Doctor’s Beard (about Doctor Who, with Jim Beard). You can find all these podcasts on any reputable or less than reputable podcast platform.