Unless youre a comic book fan and there are more of them about than ever before chances are you became familiar with Batman through his appearances on TV and in films. Lewis Wilson became the first actor to portray the Caped Crusader on screen in a 15-part serial in 1943 and Robert Lowery took over for a second serial in 1949, increasing awareness of Batman and contributing to his popularity. However, it was the ABC television series from the 1960s that truly cemented Batman as a pop culture icon. And, as youre surely aware, the inspiration for the Batman TV show was Hugh Hefner? In a roundabout way, yes. Not because hes a rich playboy but because Hef, who aspired to be a cartoonist as a youngster, has always been a comic book fan and started screening marathons of the old Batman serials in the Playboy Theater in Chicago. Their popularity was such that owners Columbia Pictures started running hugely popular An Evening with Batman and Robin nights across the US, and plans already in place at ABC to produce a live action Batman TV series were accelerated. Some versions of the story recount how ABC executive Yale Udoff attended a camp Batman-themed party at the Playboy Club and the enthusiastic crowd inspired him to pitch the show, but sadly the truth is a little more prosaic. Nevertheless, Hef played a small part in rejuvenating a character whose popularity was on the wane.
I watch movies and I watch sport. I also watch movies about sport, and if there were a sport about movies I'd watch that too. The internet was the closest thing I could find.
