Earlier this week saw the passing of Adam West, the actor who played Batman — as well as Batman’s alter-ego, the billionaire Bruce Wayne — in the original TV series.
The show ran just as the sun was setting on the Ivy heyday, but that didn’t stop Wayne from adopting fine outfits such as this.
“Batman” was my first encounter with men in tights who save the world from bad guys— in other words, superheroes. I still remember being four years old and bouncing off the walls when the show came on. The theme music would get me so excited I’d put on my cape and run around the living room doing flying punches into the furniture.
Farewell to another icon from pop culture history. — CC
For anyone ten years older our first TV hero was George Reeves as Superman. There was nothing campy about him and he was the “grown up” in every scene. He died 58 years ago this week. Oh, and when he flew there was an impressive sound unlike his movie successors who floated.
That is an outstanding outfit on Adam West / Bruce Wayne. I would wear that today. The Ivy / Trad heyday was timelessly great. Any man wearing that outfit, it were cut to fit him, would look like a million bucks.
I swear I had that same jacket in high school, c.1966.
@Wianno85, I’m a Superman kid too (age 66). We used to have arguments about why he landed like he’d jumped off of something, why his hair didn’t blow out flying, where was his suit/shirt/tie, etc., and the seven-year-olds’ logic was wonderful.
I think that series was still in black and white. Or maybe it we just my TV set. I did not have a color set until 1970 so it would have been more difficult to spot Ivy stuff on a show like that.
Superman’s later episodes were color, or more like tinted. My family didn’t get a color set until 1979 (really late), when I bought one for my Mom and Dad. I recall a 25″ Zenith console was $600 back then. Like a Cadillac, a Zenith showed you “arrived.”
The Batman show was just stupid. I always watched the show, though, and wondered why Julie Newmar, as Catwoman, didn’t get censored. Her outfit looked painted on. WOW!
Comics of today are..excuse me but is the right definition…shit.
Disgusting grim & gritty,cheap drawings,hideous “adult” subjects for a public of fully grown immatures (dirty and sloppy as today teen agers).
The magic is lost Since a long time (late 80s).
Adam’s wardrobe was sourced from a texaa clothing company called Andrew Pallack..I suspect it has long gone out of business–does anyone remember this company??
For anyone ten years older our first TV hero was George Reeves as Superman. There was nothing campy about him and he was the “grown up” in every scene. He died 58 years ago this week. Oh, and when he flew there was an impressive sound unlike his movie successors who floated.
That is an outstanding outfit on Adam West / Bruce Wayne. I would wear that today. The Ivy / Trad heyday was timelessly great. Any man wearing that outfit, it were cut to fit him, would look like a million bucks.
He also voiced Mayor Adam West’s voice in Family Guy… he was my fav character:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvjVHlfb-PU
Nice collar roll and the way the tie picks up the jacket. Class. RIP
Was this picture of him as Bruce Wayne, as a a “Young Philadelphian?”
That is a nice looking get up.
(You had a cape?! I had to settle for a bath towel and a safety pin.)
A mother in the neighborhood sewed them from Batman-themed fabric for me and a friend.
And we kept it! It’s still in family storage with the other mementos!
I think my parents stashed it when I outgrew it because they knew how much I’d loved it.
But now it’s in a box with MY stuff, so at some point as an adult I decided I’d better keep it.
CC
You rank sentimentalist!! Good for you.
Wait til you see Sunday’s post.
I swear I had that same jacket in high school, c.1966.
@Wianno85, I’m a Superman kid too (age 66). We used to have arguments about why he landed like he’d jumped off of something, why his hair didn’t blow out flying, where was his suit/shirt/tie, etc., and the seven-year-olds’ logic was wonderful.
I think that series was still in black and white. Or maybe it we just my TV set. I did not have a color set until 1970 so it would have been more difficult to spot Ivy stuff on a show like that.
@ Vern
Superman’s later episodes were color, or more like tinted. My family didn’t get a color set until 1979 (really late), when I bought one for my Mom and Dad. I recall a 25″ Zenith console was $600 back then. Like a Cadillac, a Zenith showed you “arrived.”
The Batman show was just stupid. I always watched the show, though, and wondered why Julie Newmar, as Catwoman, didn’t get censored. Her outfit looked painted on. WOW!
Comics of today are..excuse me but is the right definition…shit.
Disgusting grim & gritty,cheap drawings,hideous “adult” subjects for a public of fully grown immatures (dirty and sloppy as today teen agers).
The magic is lost Since a long time (late 80s).
P.S.
The coat of Adam West is..darted.
The best of two worlds.
Adam’s wardrobe was sourced from a texaa clothing company called Andrew Pallack..I suspect it has long gone out of business–does anyone remember this company??