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Northwest
Prime Time
CELEBRATING LIFE AFTER 50 IN THE PUGET SOUND REGION SINCE 1986
www.NorthwestPrimeTime.com
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When Dementia Comes Calling
VOL. 16 NO. 9 NOVEMBER 2016
Holy Batman – It’s Adam West! Hometown boy lays claim to growing up in both Seattle and Walla Walla
A
dam West is best known for his role as Batman in the kitschy 60s television series. Although Batman lasted only from 1966 to 1968, it defined West’s career.
The show celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and can still be seen in syndication around the world. West started life in Walla Walla Adam West, famed for his role as Batman, grew up in Walla on September 19, 1928 as William Walla and Seattle. At age 88, he continues to work in film West Anderson. His father was a and television farmer, his mother an opera singer and concert pianist. West described Immediately, the Caped Crusaders, that opened last his father as strong, kind and decent, West recalled month (with another already in the his mother as beautiful, talented his time back works). West joined Burt Ward (Robin and headstrong. “Every VIP who on the farm. in the original series) and Julie Newmar happened to wander through our “I found a (the original Catwoman) for the new hometown found his or her way to cache of comic project. The film revisits the playful, Batman was one of the most expensive television series during its run our doorstep, victims of my mother’s (1966 to 1968). The show can still be seen around the world books in an old kooky nature of the 60s series rather considerable charm.” He and his bunkhouse, and than viewing Batman as the dark, younger brother listened from the Batman had made a big impression on After his stint in the Army, he brooding figure seen in a succession of stairway as the likes of Nelson Eddy, my ten-year-old mind,” he recalled. “He Hollywood blockbusters of more recent worked as a milkman and received a James Stewart, Alan Ladd and Lilly was so many exciting characters rolled medal for “milkmanship above and years. Pons laughed and sang at his mother’s beyond the call of duty” for continuing into one: Sherlock Holmes, Zorro, even In last month’s Vanity Fair article soirees. a bit of Dracula…each time I read one his rounds during a hurricane! on West and Newmar, West described His parents moved to California of the comics, I was so inspired I threw But West was determined to find a conflicted relationship with his when West was an infant, but the myself on the floor to do push-ups.” his way back into performing and Batman legacy. “It was enormously family headed home when his mother’s jumped at the chance when a college When he trying and enormously bid for fame didn’t pan out. In the end, buddy, who had become a local TV was offered the rewarding. I was an neither did the marriage. part of Bruce star in Hawaii, wrote to say, “come on ambitious young actor. After his parents’ divorce, West Wayne, aka out and you can be a star, too.” While I was studying with grew up splitting his time between a Batman, West Hawaii proved fatal to his marriage, Lee Strasberg in the farm 20 miles outside of Walla Walla had to choose West did become the star of a local Actors Studio…to and Seattle, where his mother and between the television show with a chimpanzee put on that (Batman) her neurosurgeon husband lived. He big-budget sidekick named Peaches. He also met costume and get that graduated from Seattle’s Lakeside TV show and his second wife in Hawaii. The couple kind of immediate School: “After several false starts a leading role had two kids and eventually parted on response and notice that landed me in trouble, (such as in a modestly good terms, but not before their big was rewarding… ‘borrowing’ the school bus for dates), I budgeted move to Hollywood. When it ended, I did found my footing and got a real head In Hawaii, West purchased a plane foreign film. a couple of fairly good start on life,” said West about his time He knew his and learned to fly for extra money as movies, but then I at Lakeside. He became a good athlete choice had the an island tour guide. One of his clients could see what was and was voted class president. turned out to be a movie producer who potential to happening. Every West graduated with a degree in brand him for the rest of his career. introduced West to his future agent. time the audience would see me come literature from Walla Walla’s Whitman Within weeks, West had his first screen “The conventional wisdom in into a scene, you could hear an intake College. He married his first wife while test in Hollywood. Hollywood was that donning a costume of breath and it would be like, There’s still in college, then started a graduate The move required a name change, was the equivalent of slipping into a Batman.” degree at Stanford where he dabbled in and he became Adam West in 1959 career straightjacket,” said West about The transition away from Batman radio and reporting. This immediately contemplating his choice. He had his (although close friends and family still proved very difficult for West; roles led to a job producing radio shows and doubts, but once West began reading call him Bill). Warner Brothers signed were hard to come by. He was able to that was it—he became hooked on the script, he realized how funny it was. carve out a living in the business doing him to a contract soon after he arrived performing. But he was fired for being The irreverent, innovative lines caught regional theater, personal appearances in town. For seven years he lined up too “innovative.” So he signed up for his attention and he decided to sign up as Batman, car shows, “a string of film credits and worked constantly in the Army and helped start a military on the spot. about every TV show the studio had. dumb movies”…just about anything to television station. “Being involved in West was 37 when he first played West was known for what he calls support his family. “What I wanted to the new technology (of television) Batman/Bruce Wayne on TV. Over the do—and I think the smartest thing to “guest spots and second-banana roles.” made me feel like Dr. Huer in the Buck years, he often returned to Batman for His big break came in 1966 when do—is to keep working.” Rogers strip,” said West. His knack various projects. And now, at the age he stepped into an office at 20th His salvation these last 50 years is for deadpan comedy became apparent Century Fox and a producer asked him of 88, West relives the role once again that West takes his work seriously, but during this time. in an animated feature film, Return of if he’d ever read a Batman comic. continued on page 18