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Batman's Wall Climb - On the fantasy crime
adventure BATMAN/ABC/1966-68, crimefighter Batman (Adam West) and his sidekick
Robin, the Boy Wonder (Burt Ward) sometimes climbed up or down the face of a
building using the Bat Rope.
During their ascent or descent, an occasional visitor to Gotham City would
see them outside on the wall and open up a window to chat.
This gimmick (starting with Episode 29) allowed for cameo guest appearances
from some of the famous people of the day as well as notable stars of the past.
Celebrities to pop their head out the window to greet Batman and Robin
included:
- Jerry Lewis (the first celebrity)
- Dick Clark, the host of American Bandstand.
- Van Williams and Bruce Lee appeared as The Green Hornetand Kato (Batman
would fight them in a later episode.)
- Sammy Davis, Jr. who asked "What's up, man?"
- Jose Jimenez, a kindly Hispanic character played by Bill Dana who hosted
his own show THE BILL DANA SHOW from 1963-65
- Howard Duff, the star of FELONY SQUAD
- Werner Klemperer who appeared as Colonel Klink, a WWII POW Commandant from
the CBS series HOGAN'S HEROES
- Ted Cassidy as Lurch the Butler from THE ADDAMS FAMILY
- Andy Devine who appeared as Santa on a Christmas episode
- Art Linkletter as himself, the host of the show PEOPLE ARE FUNNY
- Edgar G. Robinson, a legendary film actor who played the role of many
criminal in his early film career
- Susie Knickerbocker, the gossip columnist who asked Batman and Robin to do
an interview ("Holy Jet Set!", Robin replied)
- The Carpet King, an unknown guy who got the gig because he sold carpet to
William Dozier, the show's exec-producer.
After 14 wall climbing segments, the gimmick came to end during the third and
final seasons. They were discontinued because the show had cut back it time from
an 60 to 30 minutes and had introduced the character of Batgirl (Yvonne Craig),
so there was just not enough time to include the wall climb segments into the
script.
TRIVIA NOTE: The trick to the wall climb was to
have Batman and Robin stand on the stage, then bend over. As they approached, a
window built into the floor, the star standing below the set, would reach up,
open the window and begin to talk to the Caped Crusaders.
To make it appear that Batman and Robin were actually climbing up or down, a
special effects guy off camera pulled Batman's cape taut (via clear fishing
line) to create the illusion of gravity.
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