Batman, The Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader... he's been a part of our
cultural landscape for nearly 80 years, first appearing in Detective Comics
number 27 in 1939. Many of Hollywood's biggest stars have donned the cowl and
cape over the years. But on June 9th 2017 the world lost one of these legends: Adam West.
To honor him, and others who have gone before, today we're visiting the
final resting places of those lives to entertain us...
in the city of Gotham.
We begin our tour at the Courts of Liberty at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills
with the man who started it all: Bob Kane. He worked as an artist and writer for DC
Comics in the 30s, and with the success of Superman sought to create his own hero.
And so he conceived the Batman. He cited inspirations like Douglas
Fairbanks' Zorro, Da Vinci sketches, and the 1930
film "The Bat Whispers." His original design had red tights,
a small Domino mask, and bat wings instead of a cape. He worked with other artists
and writers including Bill Finger to develop the character and world we know today.
Other characters he created include Two-Face, the Scarecrow, and
Catwoman who he claimed was modeled after Jean Harlow. Kane parlayed his
success as the Batman creator into minor celebrity, and was a consultant on the
1989 Batman film and it's sequels.
While Bob Kane conceived the idea of Batman a
lesser-known but no less important figure in the creation and development
of Batman is Bill Finger, considered the co-creator of Batman. Bill was a writer
who helped develop the look of Batman, giving him a cowl and cape, a darker
outfit, and came up with his secret identity, Bruce Wayne. Bill wrote many of
the early Batman stories, and was a major contributor in the creation of other
characters like the Joker. During his life he was not given the credit he was
due, as Bob Kane often claimed sole credit. Bill Finger died in 1974, largely
unrecognized for his contributions. He was cremated, his ashes scattered in the
shape of a bat on an Oregon beach. In 2015 DC finally officially recognized
Bill Finger as the co-creator of Batman, promising he would receive credit on
all future productions. In 2017 Hulu released a documentary
about Bill's story.
"Bill Finger was the dominant creative force of Batman, Robin,
the Joker, Catwoman, the Riddler, Penguin, Scarecrow, Commissioner Gordon, Bruce Wayne
and Dick Grayson, and Gotham City."
"I know Bob tried to take credit for everything...
everything you would think of that's good, that's Bill."
"So how could this not have been so well known?"
"I was a ghost, I really was."
"Bill was Batman's secret identity.
It became a crusade getting Bill's name on Batman. Superheroes are not
doing this to get paid or praised, they are doing something for the greater good,
then they disappear into the night. Without Bill there'd be no Batman.
So, what happened to Bill Finger?"
Back at Forest Lawn Hollywood in the Courts of Remembrance, along the
northeast wall of the second courtyard, is the crypt of the very first actor to
play Batman on screen: Lewis Wilson. It was the young actor's screen debut, in the
1943 film serial, "Batman." The series consisted of 15 chapters.
"In a chamber hewn from the living rock of the mountain is the strange, dimly lighted,
mysteriously secret Bat Cave, hidden headquarters of America's number-one
crime fighter, Batman, clad in the somber costume which has struck terror to the heart
of many of swaggering denizens of the underworld.
Batman, who even now is pondering the plans of a new assault against the
forces of crime."
Just a few miles northwest of here is Valhalla Cemetery.
In the northern part of the cemetery, block G, we find the second actor to play
Batman on screen, Robert Lowery. The follow-up to the 1943 Batman serial was
another serial called "Batman and Robin." It too consisted of 15 chapters and was
released in 1949, with Lowry now playing the Caped Crusader.
"Diamonds!"
"That proves it's the same bunch who stole a remote-controlled machine."
Third actor to play Batman was the inimitable Adam West, immortalized
for his role in the sixties TV series "Batman," and the follow up feature film in
1966. His was a new kind of Batman, colorful and delightfully campy, while
still played very straight. Adam died in June of 2017, and his final resting place
is unknown. But Los Angeles held a public memorial for Adam, lighting up City Hall
with the bat-signal, and the script,
"The City of Los Angeles Honors Adam West, 1928-2017."
Thousands of fans attended the ceremony, with tributes given by
several of his Batman co-stars, including the Boy Wonder himself,
Burt Ward who played Robin.
"Take her up!"
"Holy sardine!"
"Hand me down the shark-repellent bat spray!"
Younger audiences will also remember him as mayor Adam West on "Family Guy."
Down in San Diego, at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, is the grave of the very first
actor to play Robin the Boy Wonder on screen, Douglas Croft.
He starred alongside Lewis Wilson in the 1943 serial "Batman."
He was only 16 at the time.
"...a crushing blow against evil in which he will have the valuable aid of his young,
two-fisted assistant, Robin the Boy Wonder."
There would be no need for Batman without an eclectic array of villains
running amok in Gotham, the most notorious of which is Batman's arch
nemesis, the Joker, whose devilish smile and maniacal laugh of delighted and
terrified audiences for generations. He was created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and
Jerry Robinson in 1940, and was inspired by Conrad Veidt's Gwynplaine
in "The Man Who Laughs."
In the mausoleum of the Golden West at Inglewood Cemetery, south
of Los Angeles we find the niche and harp shaped urn of the first actor to
play Joker on screen, and the man who set the standard for all Jokers to follow,
Cesar Romero.
He played the psychopathic jester in the 60s TV series. One of the
many quirks Romero imbued in his Joker was the application of the makeup right
right over top his trademark mustache.
[music]
Let's head now to the other side of the world, to Australia.
Many of Hollywood's greatest actors have donned the white makeup and mad grin of
the Joker, but if I could put my usual objectivity aside a moment... the dark and
disturbing performance given by Heath Ledger in the 2008 film "The Dark Knight,"
might just be the best. Critics were skeptical at first of the casting of
Heath, but he quickly proved them wrong with his portrayal of the psychopathic,
mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.
"And I thought my jokes were bad."
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't have my boy here pull your head off."
"How about a magic trick?
I'm gonna make this pencil disappear.
Ta-Da! It's gone!"
Tragically, Heath died of an accidental drug overdose before the film was even
released. He was posthumously awarded a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his
portrayal of the Joker. After his death Heath was cremated, his ashes scattered
at the site of his grandparents grave at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth Australia.
In 2009 a monument to Heath was created at Point Heathcote Reserve near his hometown.
Back in California at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, just northwest of
the Courts of Remembrance, is the grave of Michael Ansara. He provided the voice
of Mr. Freeze on "Batman: the Animated Series."
"I failed you.
I wish there were another way for me to say it. I cannot. I can only beg your
forgiveness, and pray you hear me somehow, someplace...
someplace where a warm hand
waits for mine."
For our next stop we'll travel all the way across the country, to beautiful
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Calvary Cemetery, where Frank Gorshin is buried.
Gorshin was an actor, comedian, and impressionist, known for being the first
actor to portray Gotham villain the Riddler on screen. The Riddler made his
first appearance in Detective Comics 140 in 1948, his modus operandi being the use
of puzzles and riddles in his crimes gorshin played the Riddler in 10
episodes of the 60s TV series, "Batman," a role which earned him an Emmy nomination.
"Riddle me this my criminal crew...
When does a Boy Wonder rhyme with bubble?"
"When he's in trouble?"
"Wrong! When he's double!
Split in two halves, right down the middle!"
A few of the Batman stars who have passed away don't have a final resting
place because they were cremated, their ashes either scattered or privately held.
Let's take a moment to remember them.
Legendary character actor Burgess Meredith
was the first to portray the Penguin on screen in the 60s TV series.
British actor Michael Gough played Alfred Pennyworth in four Batman movies,
beginning with Tim Burton's Batman in 1989.
Yvonne Craig played Batgirl aka
Barbara Gordon in the 60s TV series.
Other characters from that series include George Sanders,
the first actor to play Mr. Freeze on screen.
Eartha Kitt, one of the actresses who portrayed Catwoman,
and Neil Hamilton, who played Commissioner Gordon.
At Holy Cross Cemetery, in Culver City, California,
we find one of the men behind the legendary Batman TV
series of the 1960s, William Dozier.
Not only did he produce the show, he was also the narrator.
"Could this mean curtains? Will the identities of our dynamic duo
be revealed to the whole world? Is this the end of their career as
crime-fighters? Can they avert disaster? Answers tomorrow, same bat-time,
same bat-channel."
In addition he co-created the Barbara Gordon character, also known as Batgirl.
The world of Batman has also brought us some amazing music over the years.
At Hollywood Forever Cemetery, right in the heart of Hollywood, in the Hall of David,
we find the niche of composer Nelson Riddle.
He wrote the music for both the 60s TV
series and the 1966 film, "Batman: the Movie."
Singer Prince wrote and performed several songs for Tim Burton's Batman in 1989,
including the "Batdance."
Prince died in 2016,
his ashes kept in an urn at his Paisley Park Studio in Minnesota.
The urn itself is a miniature replica of Paisley Park.
We'll finish our tour back where we started, at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills,
in the Courts of Remembrance. In the Sanctuary of Enduring Protection, just
south of the Christus, is the crypt of Neal Hefti. He was a composer for film
and television. He's the man who wrote that iconic main
theme for the 60s Batman TV series.
And that concludes our tour! What are some of your favorite memories from city
of Gotham? Share them in the comments below, and be sure to tune in next time
for more famous graves. Same grave time, same grave channel!
Thanks for watching!