We’ve had some sad entertainment figure losses this month. Frank Gorshin, Ismail Merchant and the guy who did the voice of Tony the Tiger. I was really saddened by Frank Gorshin’s death. My father said it was for the best because he was just no longer funny. Regardless, he was in some really great shows and movies back in the ’60s. He played Connie Francis’s Dialectic Jazz musician boyfriend, Basil in Where the Boys Are. That’s the movie where Jim Hutton as TeeVee, asks Paula Prentiss, Tuggle if she would like to go and get a coupla beers once they get to Fort Lauderdale. You see, the girls picked up the hitchhiking TeeVee and although he and Tuggle bonded on the long drive, he only saw her sitting down in the car and had no idea how tall she stood.
“You”ll just have to wait and see”
“Wait and see what?”
“Pull the car over.” Once the car is stopped, she stands up on the car seat. “5 feet and 11 inches!”
“That’s a lot of Grrrrrrrrrrl, Tuggle! A lot of nice girl!”
It helped that Jim stood 6’4. Oh wait, this was an entry on Frank Gorshin, oops! Frank also was in that Star Trek episode where half his face was black, the other white and he hated those with the opposite colorings. And of course, he was THE RIDDLER on Batman. Do you remember who replaced him for a few episodes? John “Gomez” Astin. Although he was fabulous in the Addams Family, he didn’t do a very good job as the Riddler and Frank quickly took back the role. RIP
donnaville
sugar and spice and everything groovy
Yeah, you are a little late on the Gorshin news, Donna – but better late than never.
I find it disturbing that there is someone else as versed in the Gorshin/Batman/Astin history as I am.
I always felt that Gorshin was the only one of the Bat-villains (from the 60’s) that took his/her role seriously. He brought the Riddler to life as a legitimate threat. Conversely, Caesar Romero who played the supposedly psychotic and deadly Joker, didn’t even shave his moustache!! But -hey, the show was meant to be camp. Somehow though, it didn’t feel that way when Gorshin was on screen.
Did you know that Adam West and Frank Gorshin were thrown out of a “swing” party (if you know what I mean)? They were both shocked by what was going on at this “party”. To ease the tension, they thought it would be a good idea to get into character! Needless to say, to have Batman and the Riddler running around your orgy surely would put a damper on things.
(in my best William Dozier-voice) What’s this? Donna contently munching away on a hamburger this fine Memorial Day? Stay tuned – same Donna-time, same Donna-channel!