For a day after entry into the April Fool’s Day festivities, I will submit this photo of actor Cesar Romero as The Joker. He went from a swarthy Latin Lover to crazy comic villain, nailing the characterization of The Joker in the campy 1960’s “Batman” television series—still a joy to watch. Cesar is shown here with Eartha Kitt, definitely one of the most puuuuuurfect actresses to play Catwoman.
Here’s a mug shot from “Batman” of Romero, also known as “Uncle Butch” to Joan Crawford’s children.
Romero was one of Crawford’s friends who stood up for her after Christina put out her acidic “memoir” entitled “Mommie Dearest,” which was published AFTER Joan’s death and the reading of the will. Romero did admit that Joan was strict with her kids; once he even suggested to her that she should “ease up” with them as they were only children. This advice was met with an icy reply and a recounting of her tough childhood.
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Love this! I fondly remember that show and I thought he made a GREAT Joker!
ReplyDeleteYou have very good taste in comic criminals, Dave. Eartha Kitt has "It" in spades, her Catwoman presses all the right buttons without being obvious.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the secret of these 60-70's sitcoms is that you had major actors that still had plenty of talent but no longer called on to do the movie roles that made them famous. Agnes Moorehead, Cesar Romero, Yvone DiCarlo, Shirley Jones -- These were all major players that needed work and weren't too proud to take on Television.
The result is they have enough talent to make sometimes shallow writing interesting. They also can let their hair down and have fun since this I doubt they considered this to be the apex of their career.
I don't spend much time watching new TV, comedies at least, in part because the actors come across as non-entities chosen for a "look" or "type" and bringing very little else to the table. They also have a Nouveau Riche quality to them, It may Punky Brewster, but it IS the apex of their carrier and the attitude transmits. And sometimes they over-reach like David Caruso.