For as much as I write about television, one would think I spent my entire childhood plopped down in front of the TV set. But the opposite was true. I played outside all the time during the summer months. And during the school year, it was homework and chores before going outside.
But boy, oh boy. Do I ever have fond memories of childhood TV shows? One of those happens to be the wild and wonderful Batman.
The TV series was based on the DC comic book character. It starred gut-sucking-in Adam West as Bruce Wayne / Batman. And then there was his trusty steed, Dick Grayson / Robin, played by skinny-legged Burt Ward.
These guys were wholesome heroes. They defended Gotham City from various archenemies like The Joker and The Riddler. And then, of course, was my favorite, The Penguin.
Burgess Meredith played that wobbly character, The Penguin. Wonderfully. He waddled. He quacked. He spat when he talked, a long cigarette holder clenched between his teeth. I loved watching every minute of him on screen.
I mention all of this because, on this date, September 9, 1997, he died from Alzheimer’s Disease at 89 years of age.
In real life, Burgess acted for more than six decades. He played many roles formidably, establishing himself as a leading man in film — characters such as Mio Romagna in Winterset (1936), George Milton in Of Mice and Men (1939), and Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945).
But we can never forget his appearances on The Twilight Zone and more than any other (in my eyes) for portraying The Penguin. Late in life, he became another big hit as the boxing trainer Mickey Goldmill in the Rocky film series.
Burgess suffered from violent mood swings and was diagnosed with cyclothymia. This might have something to do with the fact that he was married four times. His fourth marriage to Kaja Sundsten lasted from January 1951 until Meredith died in 1997. He and Kaja had two children together.
Burgess was an environmentalist as well as a political activist who opposed the war in Vietnam. A Democrat, too. And then, there was the whole penguin thing.
Yes, that great show, Batman. Good old campy Batman. The whole thing swarmed with its humorous and simplistic morality. Batman himself would remind us about wearing our seat belts, doing our homework, eating vegetables, and drinking milk. And so we did.
I miss those times of being glued to the set as I watched Batman and Robin get in jam after jam, tied to some pole with the dynamite bomb ticking. Holy TNT Batman!
Holy masked potatoes.
Holy red snapper.
Holy human pearls.
Holy jelly molds.
Holy nick of time.
Holy pin cushions.
Holy human surfboards.
And so many more. KaPow!
It may sound silly, but I am forever thankful for this goodness in my life. This and the million other points of wonder and light throughout my entire life. They happen every day, and I am grateful.
From eggs over easy to beautiful birds eating at our feeders. These magic moments come in all shapes and sizes.
Grateful for the goodness.
Holy Greatness, Batman. KaPow.
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“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”
― L.M. Montgomery, The Story Girl
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“It is good people who make good places.”
― Anna Sewell, Black Beauty
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“Come on, Robin; to the Batcave! There’s not a moment to lose!”
— Batman
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