Gorshin’s Riddler was probably the most dangerous of the classic 66 Batman villains - the dramatic shift from crazy wild eyed mania to cold, calculated and dead eyed make him seem far more unpredictable and formidable.
I always loved Gorshin's mix of maniacalism and sudden change on occasion to a real sense of serious psychotic menace. My favourite 60s Batman villain by a long shot.
Actually I believe victor buono (king tut) was the most entertaining villain from the Batman series, Julie newmar would be 2nd, and frank gorshin just behind them they all seemed to enjoy being their characters and made the shows more enjoyable to watch my opinion
Yep! The best aspect to The Riddler from this show is the fight scenes...usually a villain, such as The Joker or The Penguin, had their henchmen do battle with both Batman and Robin in order to subdue them. You'll notice with Riddler that never happened: his henchmen never got physical. Instead, he utilized his genius brain power to place them not just in death traps but VERY hard to escape...because another great tool with him is he rarely left. Usually villains on this show assumed the trap would off the duo. Aside from A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away, Riddler ALWAYS kept there to see if it worked....and it was only through minute details the duo could escape. Fantastic character and actor in Gorshin's portrayal.
As a child of the 60's, our family watched Batman together every week. Frank Gorshin quickly became our favorite villian. As kids we loved his laughter and bigger than life smile. Thank you Frank Gorshin for wonderful memories during family time.
Kind of makes you wonder the way he acts, do you think he would also pass as the Joker? The way he laughs kind of gives me a joker vibe, or maybe in an alternate reality, would Frank Gorshin pull off a Joker act well with no Caesar Romaro to play the part?
Best laugh ever!!! Mark Hamill second. Tim Curry very close third! Honorable mention, Paul Linde's The Hooded Claw from the cartoon, "The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop".
Paul Dano was awesome... but imagine if Gorshin played Riddler in the new movie, and had the opportunity to play this Riddler in that dark format... that might literally be the perfect, most terrifying Riddler.
When I think of classic villains from the 60s Batman TV show, I always think of The Riddler, he was so larger than life and incredibly smart and that laugh of his is so iconic, Frank Gorshin will always be the greatest live action Riddler and no one will ever be able to match his epic portrayal
Mr. Gorshin clearly enjoying being the Riddler. I get the impression that the producers told him to just have fun with the character when he was hired.
Met Mr. Gorshin at one of the nostalgia conventions. Spent time chatting - really nice gentlemen. Such talent. They could not have picked a better character actor to kick off the first two episodes with.
Batman 60's TV series was fab simply because of the actors chosen to play the villains. Frank G, Caesar R, Burgess M, Julie N etc were just so wonderfully cast. Great seeing this again after 47 years.
His laugh was wilder and crazier than the Jokers even. And he had that psychotic look in his eyes that made me think he was potentially dangerous in reality. For he would switch from deadly serious to manic laughter which conveyed a madman to my teenage mind. He would change in seconds and that scared me! RIP Gorshin and Adam West 💐
All the main villains (and King Tut) were great fun, but Gorshin was the best. The way he goes from maniacal giggling to talking in a calm, yet menacing tone made him both a blast to watch while also seeming like a dangerous lunatic. Every one of his lines are so hammy and over the top in one way or another you can't help but smile watching him. It's a damn shame we didn't get more appearances by him, most of his episodes were great all around. I think it's telling that around the time they started pushing Joker as Batman's arch nemesis, they also had him adopt a lot of this Riddler's mannerisms. They knew Batman's ideal enemy was an insane and emotionally unstable genius who every once and a while pulled back the curtain on his bitterness and rage at the world, and Batman in particular.
Frank Gorshin was the only villain who ever scared me as a kid. It was only after I got a bit older that I realized just how talented he was. Of course, he was the world's greatest impressionist--still is, IMO--but he was a far better actor than people gave him credit for.
@@jessfrankel5212 Gorshin was the perfect Cast. It's like Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, or Christopher Reeve as Superman. Sometimes, the stars just align and shine down on Hollywood.
Frank Gorshin was great as The Riddler, one of the best portrayals of the character! As silly and campy as the 60's show was, you can't deny that it was highly entertaining! RIP Frank Gorshin and Adam West!
Holy shit, as a 90s kid growing up on the animated version I used to think this was pure trash when my dad tried to show me this series. This dude is absolutely legendary, and honestly his manic laugh is so much like the iconic Mark Hamill Joker laugh that I won’t be convinced this didn’t inspire Mark at least a little.
I’m a 90’s and also a 2000’s kid, female in real life, and I used to think that too. I mean, I wasn’t interested in this old show that much when I was younger. But as a 30 year old today, I enjoy it now. And I agree. Frank Gorshin is legendary. I wasn’t too crazy about his laugh but it grew on me. Frank is now one of my favorites. And his Riddler is one of my favorites when it comes to live action. His is my second favorite live action. Cory Michael Smith’s my number one favorite. I’m looking forward to seeing the new take on the new Batman movie coming out next year
Probably, about the laugh. Mark Hamill talked in an interview once about how when he was a kid he would watch villains and learn their voices and laughs, putting that altogether as an adult in his own villain roles.
It's hard to put into words. Gorshin plays the role with such reckless abandon. He plays it straight, yet so loony it's brilliant. Just like in Star Trek, he almost overacts but just enough to believe what he says.
Can't... can't... Of course! Immanuel Kant! His works spoke of how time and space were mere forms of intuition and that the nature of things as they are in themselves is unknowable. Therefore by being the world's greatest detective what Batman has actually managed to do is access his priori cognition of events! So that's how Batman was able to solve his riddles!
thanks for the Jill St. John mention, I thought it was her without looking it up on IMDb. But here she looks similar to how she appeared with Connery in Diamonds are Forever.
I believe that prior to.the Adam West TV series, the Riddler was a minor villain in the "Batman" universe, appearing in Batman comics only two or three times. But thanks to Frank Gorshin's memorable performance as the Riddler in the pilot and several subsequent episodes, the Riddler has since become a major villain in the Bat-Universe.
@1:52-1:59....the riddler falling over everything while laughing reminds me of the scene in James cagney's movie "white heat" where Cagney playing the character 'Cody Jarrett' finds out him mother died and he loses it while falling over the inmates and dining tables.
To me, this Riddler was better than the Joker or any other villain in the series. If anything, these Gorshin performances elevated the Riddler to a top tier villain because in the comics at that time he was maybe a 3rd tier "filler" villain at best. Now Riddler is in the current " The Batman" film as the main villain. Not until after this 60s series was Riddler made a more serious enemy.
It's a shame he never got to wear that nice green dress suit very often, especially since he specifically commissioned it so he wouldn't have to wear the leotard so frequently.
Some of the scenes with The Riddler are quite well-done. The timing of his Gorshin's unique gestures to random explosions is a remarkable sight. No doubt that Gorshin fully committed to this role. Also, Jill St. John before being Bond girl, Tiffany Case.
@Michael Greenwood Personally I'd say more like Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger's Jokers. One is a personification of the comic book, the other is a unique spin on the concept which pushes the envelope.
I think of all of Batman's villains, the Riddler was the most remembered because of his laughter and the one who always wanted to see so badly Batman and Robin die!
They should have paid him what he wanted for season two. He single-handedly turned The Riddler into a classic villain and major member of Batman’s rogues gallery.
Frank Gorshin’s Riddler really balanced megalomania with deep, seeded, narcissism to create a truly unpredictable (and I’d argue faithful) depiction of The Riddler, many have said it here already but I’ll add he’s truly been unmatched in live-action in my opinion.
If it wasn't for this performance/ writing, just overall 2 episodes, Riddler may not have been around today. Before this, he was in just 3 comic issues.
Gorshin’s Riddler was probably the most dangerous of the classic 66 Batman villains - the dramatic shift from crazy wild eyed mania to cold, calculated and dead eyed make him seem far more unpredictable and formidable.
He's the best Riddler ever to grace the small or big screen.
@@michaelgreenwood3413 not anymore
@@kennygudz9326 Yeah, he is.
But honestly as much I love the villain of riddler I feel like bookworm should deserve a mention or two.
He was everything Ceasar Romero's Joker should have been but wasn't. His laugh was better too
The fact that Mark Hamill's Joker drew inspiration from Gorshin's Riddler shows how good Gorshin is as an actor.
Not to mention Jim Carrey's own Riddler
Or he was just a lazy hack.
Totally 💯 underrated as an actor.
He was the perfect first guest villain for Batman to face in the pilot. Set the benchmark for all those to follow.
@@CelestialWoodway naw
I always loved Gorshin's mix of maniacalism and sudden change on occasion to a real sense of serious psychotic menace. My favourite 60s Batman villain by a long shot.
Agree! Love him in his show! He played it well!
Actually I believe victor buono (king tut) was the most entertaining villain from the Batman series, Julie newmar would be 2nd, and frank gorshin just behind them they all seemed to enjoy being their characters and made the shows more enjoyable to watch my opinion
He's literally the best villain in 60s Batman BECAUSE of that. Serious to maniacal on a fucking DIME.
Yep! The best aspect to The Riddler from this show is the fight scenes...usually a villain, such as The Joker or The Penguin, had their henchmen do battle with both Batman and Robin in order to subdue them. You'll notice with Riddler that never happened: his henchmen never got physical. Instead, he utilized his genius brain power to place them not just in death traps but VERY hard to escape...because another great tool with him is he rarely left. Usually villains on this show assumed the trap would off the duo. Aside from A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away, Riddler ALWAYS kept there to see if it worked....and it was only through minute details the duo could escape.
Fantastic character and actor in Gorshin's portrayal.
right
As a child of the 60's, our family watched Batman together every week. Frank Gorshin quickly became our favorite villian. As kids we loved his laughter and bigger than life smile. Thank you Frank Gorshin for wonderful memories during family time.
Same here, now Me and my kids watch this show a lot! Gorshin was great!
Are yous All camped from watching the show together ????🤔??????
Greatness in Gorshins best
Used to love watching repeats of Batman and the Munsters every Saturday morning during the 1980s as a young teen.
Adam West and Frank Gorshin will both be sorely missed.
They were good friends in real life.
Two great men.
They were enemies in the series
@@harrylewis1071 also true
Gone but never forgotten!!!!!!
Riddler is high on life and I love it
Mostly on laughing gas they shoulda put him as a joker
Riddler is high on his campy portrayal in a camp style show.
@@masterk6571 Right! Love this Batman show! Riddler is great! Love Catwoman! Love the catwoman traps!
Honey it’s Mental Illness
Frank is the best riddler of all time
The Riddler really enjoys himself. I love it
He was a great Riddler! Love watching these Batman episodes with him! Truly entertaining!
The Riddler laugh was so badass 🔥
Genius !!! Shear Genius !!!
Frank G,. was the only actor from the entire run of the series who was nominated for an Emmy Award. He gave a dangerous performance.
He's as much the Riddler as Christopher Reeve is Superman, RDJ is Iron Man, Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool, or Chris Evans is Cap.
1:48 “Adios amigos see you in court!” Cackles like a nut then accidentally breaks vase and continues cackling. So funny. I’m dead.
It’s such good character building too! Like his scheme working is tickling him pink!
Look at that suit! ?
That maniacal laugh. I loved it when I was a kid. I love it now. Frank is the best.
How grave is here in Pittsburgh too I saw it pretty neat
Classic
Kind of makes you wonder the way he acts, do you think he would also pass as the Joker? The way he laughs kind of gives me a joker vibe, or maybe in an alternate reality, would Frank Gorshin pull off a Joker act well with no Caesar Romaro to play the part?
Absolutely right! His maniacal laugh was the best!
Best laugh ever!!! Mark Hamill second. Tim Curry very close third! Honorable mention, Paul Linde's The Hooded Claw from the cartoon, "The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop".
The Riddler is the one thing in this series that has actually yet to be topped in any other medium.
He has been now
@@kennygudz9326 Paul Dano was awesome!!!
@@davoxime His Riddler felt like a combination of Gorshin, Carrey, and John Doe from Se7en.
A pretty terrifying mixture.
Paul Dano was awesome... but imagine if Gorshin played Riddler in the new movie, and had the opportunity to play this Riddler in that dark format... that might literally be the perfect, most terrifying Riddler.
@@kennygudz9326 I mean sure he plays a decent Zodiac Killer that they happen to call the Riddler
When I think of classic villains from the 60s Batman TV show, I always think of The Riddler, he was so larger than life and incredibly smart and that laugh of his is so iconic, Frank Gorshin will always be the greatest live action Riddler and no one will ever be able to match his epic portrayal
The manic gestures and maniacal laugh made riddler my favorite villain in this series.
Me too! I watch Batman a lot now! Gorshin as Riddler is great!
1:52. I love how spastic he is in this series. Points at Batman, then falls over giggling. Gorshin was really good.
I love how Robin was always the one to solve most of the riddles.
Mr. Gorshin clearly enjoying being the Riddler. I get the impression that the producers told him to just have fun with the character when he was hired.
i like his performance. he knows when to ham it up and when to go full serious and grounded. that takes talent to find the right timing for each
Met Mr. Gorshin at one of the nostalgia conventions. Spent time chatting - really nice gentlemen. Such talent. They could not have picked a better character actor to kick off the first two episodes with.
Batman 60's TV series was fab simply because of the actors chosen to play the villains. Frank G, Caesar R, Burgess M, Julie N etc were just so wonderfully cast. Great seeing this again after 47 years.
That cigarette lighter riddle is absolute genius.
So cool to be a villan in the 60's !!
The word is not cool, it is camp or campy.
When you have Jill St John..the ultimate 60's eye candy as your moll..whoa
His laugh was wilder and crazier than the Jokers even. And he had that psychotic look in his eyes that made me think he was potentially dangerous in reality. For he would switch from deadly serious to manic laughter which conveyed a madman to my teenage mind. He would change in seconds and that scared me!
RIP Gorshin and Adam West 💐
Nobody can replace Frank Gorshin’s as the Riddler. He was great. Even Jim Carrey says he could never replace him.
All the main villains (and King Tut) were great fun, but Gorshin was the best. The way he goes from maniacal giggling to talking in a calm, yet menacing tone made him both a blast to watch while also seeming like a dangerous lunatic. Every one of his lines are so hammy and over the top in one way or another you can't help but smile watching him. It's a damn shame we didn't get more appearances by him, most of his episodes were great all around. I think it's telling that around the time they started pushing Joker as Batman's arch nemesis, they also had him adopt a lot of this Riddler's mannerisms. They knew Batman's ideal enemy was an insane and emotionally unstable genius who every once and a while pulled back the curtain on his bitterness and rage at the world, and Batman in particular.
So right! Love watching every second of this Riddler! He was great at getting Batman in a trap and he would taunt him good too!
@@chrissteele1362 He was the brains of the United Underworld in the movie too. Selina, Penguin and Joker woulda been screwed without him.
There are times when The Riddler reminds me of a maniacal green insect. Frank Gorshin IS The Riddler! What a NUT!
Frank Gorshin was the only villain who ever scared me as a kid. It was only after I got a bit older that I realized just how talented he was. Of course, he was the world's greatest impressionist--still is, IMO--but he was a far better actor than people gave him credit for.
Right! Riddler could taunt and trap Batman good!
It's the eyes.
@@michaelgreenwood3413 That, and that silly laugh of his. It's a riff on Richard Widmark's giggle from Kiss of Death, and it totally works.
@@jessfrankel5212 Gorshin was the perfect Cast. It's like Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, or Christopher Reeve as Superman.
Sometimes, the stars just align and shine down on Hollywood.
@@michaelgreenwood3413 Totally agree.
Amazing physicality and commitment to a scene. Compelling actor.
He owned the Riddler role... yes Jim Carrey did a good job but he took a lot of Frank Gorshin's style and antics to make his version...
Frank Gorshin was great as The Riddler, one of the best portrayals of the character! As silly and campy as the 60's show was, you can't deny that it was highly entertaining! RIP Frank Gorshin and Adam West!
Holy shit, as a 90s kid growing up on the animated version I used to think this was pure trash when my dad tried to show me this series. This dude is absolutely legendary, and honestly his manic laugh is so much like the iconic Mark Hamill Joker laugh that I won’t be convinced this didn’t inspire Mark at least a little.
I’m a 90’s and also a 2000’s kid, female in real life, and I used to think that too. I mean, I wasn’t interested in this old show that much when I was younger.
But as a 30 year old today, I enjoy it now.
And I agree. Frank Gorshin is legendary.
I wasn’t too crazy about his laugh but it grew on me. Frank is now one of my favorites.
And his Riddler is one of my favorites when it comes to live action. His is my second favorite live action.
Cory Michael Smith’s my number one favorite.
I’m looking forward to seeing the new take on the new Batman movie coming out next year
Probably, about the laugh. Mark Hamill talked in an interview once about how when he was a kid he would watch villains and learn their voices and laughs, putting that altogether as an adult in his own villain roles.
Mark hammil did the trickster and a lot of his acting was clealry took from this
A lawsuit on Bruce Wayne.
Talk about winning the ultimate game.
Frank Gorshin's Riddler was the only one with psychopathic potential. What a great actor.
5:38 is absolutely peak Riddler energy
The other villains in this series were more or less genial eccentrics, but Frank Gorshin's Riddler was the only one who was genuinely unhinged.
Gorshin was in a league of his own
Carrey was a way distant second
Carrey doesnt even compare
I love the Riddler’s Laugh!
Riddle me this: *"The less of them you have, the more one is worth..."*
A friend
This is the one character they have not effectively recast
Never will!!,
It's hard to put into words. Gorshin plays the role with such reckless abandon. He plays it straight, yet so loony it's brilliant. Just like in Star Trek, he almost overacts but just enough to believe what he says.
Kinda blows my mind that Batman just let Riddler pick up the gun and pull the trigger right at his face when he didn’t know it was a lighter.
I liked his riddles, I never could figure them out as a kid. And now that I've grown up, I still can't.
Can't... can't... Of course! Immanuel Kant! His works spoke of how time and space were mere forms of intuition and that the nature of things as they are in themselves is unknowable. Therefore by being the world's greatest detective what Batman has actually managed to do is access his priori cognition of events! So that's how Batman was able to solve his riddles!
Jill St. John was outstanding , top of her game !
She later on worked as Bond girl. Too bad she did not make big.
@@bandu2512 She was a fifties and sixties girl for the most part of her career
thanks for the Jill St. John mention, I thought it was her without looking it up on IMDb. But here she looks similar to how she appeared with Connery in Diamonds are Forever.
Thank you for identifying her. I know I knew her but…
@@captianeddie4554 I had crush on her for forever....I just loved her
One thing I always love about 66 is that Robin usually gets the riddles before Batman.
I believe that prior to.the Adam West TV series, the Riddler was a minor villain in the "Batman" universe, appearing in Batman comics only two or three times.
But thanks to Frank Gorshin's memorable performance as the Riddler in the pilot and several subsequent episodes, the Riddler has since become a major villain in the Bat-Universe.
The best Batman villain from the show, and the best Riddler, period. Man, the colors on this show...even the smoke had different colors...
Jill St John.....at peak hotness. The Riddler had great taste in broads too.
all of the villians did one beauty after another
I think The Riddler in this show was the top villain. Even in the movie he got quite a bit of the leadership dialogues.
What a talent! Simply hysterical brilliance. Gorshin created the perfectly entertaining Riddler, my favorite Batman enemy of all.
The best Riddler of all times.✌️
I remember watching this show as a child in the 90’s, it was my first introduction to Batman. And continue my love for the character.
Frank was so good as the Riddler.
Frank Gorshin is the best Riddler in the Batman history
Gorshin played that character to the hilt with no fucks to give and loved every second of it. Absolute legend.
Gotta love that classic old school Riddler giggle! It's like he threw a bunch of weed into the fireplace and inhaled 😭😭😭😭😭
Frank Gorshin’s Riddler Laugh is a Variation of Cesar Romero as The Joker
0:19, the fact that West’s Batman isn’t a vigilante never ceases to amuse me
@1:52-1:59....the riddler falling over everything while laughing reminds me of the scene in James cagney's movie "white heat" where Cagney playing the character 'Cody Jarrett' finds out him mother died and he loses it while falling over the inmates and dining tables.
6:49 - “If this gas ignites, it’ll blow you into Kingdom Come, you venal viper!”
To me, this Riddler was better than the Joker or any other villain in the series. If anything, these Gorshin performances elevated the Riddler to a top tier villain because in the comics at that time he was maybe a 3rd tier "filler" villain at best. Now Riddler is in the current " The Batman" film as the main villain. Not until after this 60s series was Riddler made a more serious enemy.
How did I not discover this years ago? I was really into superhero movies during high school and would have loved this!
It's a shame he never got to wear that nice green dress suit very often, especially since he specifically commissioned it so he wouldn't have to wear the leotard so frequently.
Frank Gorshin made the perfect Riddler... Awesome stuff...
He was born for this role as the Riddler!
This performance was ahead of it's time
Some of the scenes with The Riddler are quite well-done. The timing of his Gorshin's unique gestures to random explosions is a remarkable sight. No doubt that Gorshin fully committed to this role. Also, Jill St. John before being Bond girl, Tiffany Case.
Frank Gorshin was a talented impressionist who made the rounds of all of network TV's many variety shows in the 1960s.
Crazy how this is the best version of the Riddler outside of the comics.
For a few seconds, I thought I saw Brad Douriff here. Those eyes share that same maniacal energy
There will NEVER, EVER be a better Riddler than Frank Gorshin!
I agree! Frank Gorshin is the best riddler! I can't wait for paul dano riddler tho
Damn straight. It's like Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill. Cavill is an awesome Superman... but Christopher will always be THE Superman.
@Michael Greenwood Personally I'd say more like Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger's Jokers. One is a personification of the comic book, the other is a unique spin on the concept which pushes the envelope.
I met Adam West. I shook his hand. Nicest old guy I ever met. I remember thanking him for being Adam West and he just said "Well I can't help it".
Riddler's just as crazy as Joker. They even got the same laugh.
No doubt, Frank Gorshin was the best Riddler ever!
I think of all of Batman's villains, the Riddler was the most remembered because of his laughter and the one who always wanted to see so badly Batman and Robin die!
The thought of the riddler suing Batman is hilarious to me!
The suit from the lawsuit scene was the best one.
Along with the derby.
That lawsuit trap is too good
Yes frank gorshin always and will be # 1 love the laugh the one and only riddler
Burt Ward is the only Batman cast member alive today. R.I.P. Adam West, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin and Cesar Romero.
We still have 2/3 of the Catwomen. Only Eartha has passed.
Arguably he made the show fashionable to be on.
1966: See you in court
1995: See you soon
2022: See you in hell
The riddler has changed…
I read that Gorshin based his character on Richard Widmark's iconic portrayal of "Tommy Udo" in the movie "Kiss of Death".
5:18 I was expecting the Kool-Aid mascot.
the best riddler by far
Gorshen was also a great impressionist
The best Riddler
I find it funny how people were like "FINALLY THE RIDDER IS SERIOUS!" in the new Batman movie when the dude acts similarly to this version.
Riddler always looked better rocking the jacket and tie than the green bodysuit.
He had a guest appearance on the original Star Trek series, nailed it as usual.
They should have paid him what he wanted for season two. He single-handedly turned The Riddler into a classic villain and major member of Batman’s rogues gallery.
Jesus... when he has Robin on the bed... he went from campy to psychological terror....
Frank Gorshin, mad as a rattle snake in real life.....which made him perfect for his role of Riddler in the Batman series.
the Riddler, Frank Gorshin, was he best. Joker comes in second. They both were outrageous, clever and amusing!
Frank Gorshin’s Riddler really balanced megalomania with deep, seeded, narcissism to create a truly unpredictable (and I’d argue faithful) depiction of The Riddler, many have said it here already but I’ll add he’s truly been unmatched in live-action in my opinion.
Would've been fantastic if in one episode Riddler pretended to be Burt Lancaster. Holy Impression!
The Riddler is insane
Riddle me this: Why does the Riddler look so happy on post's thumbnail ? Got nothing.
The most diabolical and unhinged character from the early television Batman series, Love Frank Gorshin!
My dad's neighbor in Pittsburgh when they were kids.
Why didn't The Riddler unmask Robin when he was unconscious?
That's s great riddle
Also was a good opportunity for molly to play naughty babysitter with Robin,and change his diaper!!!!!!!!
If it wasn't for this performance/ writing, just overall 2 episodes, Riddler may not have been around today. Before this, he was in just 3 comic issues.