Batman was one of the biggest shows of the 60’s, and popularized characters for a more mainstream showing in the later decades. The show aired for only three seasons but had over a hundred episodes and a full-length feature film under its (utility) belt. Many of the cast and guest-stars are herald as the first to bring their characters to screen, while also featuring amazing cameos from big named celebrities of the time.
In this list, we will include some of the best guest stars that have popped in during the shows run-through, whether it be for a full episode or just a quick window chat. Without further delay, here are the 10 best celebrity appearances to be featured in the 60’s Batman TV show.
Cesar Romero As The Joker
Not placing Romero at the top of this list would be a shameful crime. Not only did he play one of Batman’s best villains, but landed himself as a pop culture legend for decades to come when doing so.
He already had a successful film career before the role, but his 19 episodes as the character solidified his career in an entirely different territory. He was the very first actor to bring the character to screen and gave inspiration for many of the Jokers that followed, which would adopt similar mannerisms from Romero.
Burgess Meredith As The Penguin
Burgess Meredith has a career that spans many cult classic franchises, with The Twilight Zone being one of them. Meredith can thank The Twilight Zone for his film success, which landed him the role of the Penguin.
Like Romero, Meredith’s interpretation of the character would be the very first on television. The villain was loved enough for Meredith to be featured in 20 separate episodes, one more than Romero’s Joker. He also reprised his role in the featured movie, which had various cast mix-ups when it came to famous villains.
Julie Newmar As (The First) Cat-Woman
Even though there are two other actresses we could name for this role, Julie Newmar lands herself on the list for being the first screened version of the villainess. Julie was another actress that had already seen fame thanks to works such as The Phil Silvers Show.
Newmar has many seasons of Batman and even a featured film as Catwoman and is another to bring a character to screen for the very first time. Her career didn’t stop with Batman, and she landed another hit role in the series Get Smart alongside special agent Maxell Smart.
Frank Gorshin As The (First) Riddler
Frank got his start in television after his build was said to be perfect for an onscreen henchman. That was a bit of an understatement. There were two other well-known actors that portrayed the Riddler, but Frank was the first to bring the character to homes across America.
Gorshin’s film career extended for decades after this famous role, and he worked well into the early 2000s when he was entering his 70’s. One of his very last credited works was as Marius and Lysander in Diablo II, and a small role in CSI
Vincent Price As Egg-Head
Vincent Price lands himself on this list for being one of Batman’s weirdest villains, and one of the best guest-stars on the show. Price made his career debut in Service de Leux, and his A-lister status was sealed when filming Laura.
His career was going strong for over two decades before he was cast as Egg-Head, a Batman villain whos plots always revolved around Eggs. Like Newmar, Price would eventually be cast in Get Smart, but saw a much smaller role. Not only was Price a renowned actor, but he held the title of a gourmet specialist, and authored many cookbooks.
Jerry Lewis As Himself
Jerry Lewis was the very first celebrity to have a “Window-Cameo” where Batman and Robin would scale up a building and run into a friendly (but famous) face along the way to the top. This cameo was seen later in the first season and sparked an interest in many celebrities to appear in the window as Lewis did.
At the time, Lewis was a rising comedian who had made it big from works such as The Nutty Professor. Lewis has a very stunned reaction when seeing the duo, before extending a polite greeting.
Green Hornet & Kato As Themselves
This dynamic duo showed up to greet Batman and Robin just three weeks after their show was first aired. Fan’s loved it, and the two were even featured for a full episode later in the series run. The pair can thank the Batman fandom for part of their series success.
There is even a rumor that Bruce Lee refused to play his role in the featured episode if Robin were to beat him in a fight. Ward cleared this up by saying that the two were friends before they met onscreen and that Lee’s frustration was more set towards the script that weighed heavy in Batman’s favor.
Santa Claus As Himself
Yes, even Santa Claus had a moment on Batman. He’s also the only holiday figure to make an appearance on the show. This episode aired just three days before Christmas. Keeping things light-hearted, Santa tells them that he’ll leave them gifts if he gets directions to the bat-cave.
You have to admit, thinking of Santa making his way into the fortified bat-cave and playing around is a humorous sight. With this being in the 60’s, we’re just shocked Santa wasn’t holding a bottle of coke when he greeted the pair.
Dick Clark As Himself
Clark was a fan of Lewis’ small role in the show and decided to land one himself. The second season saw many celebrities like Clark scramble for a spot on the show due to its popularity.
This would be the celebrity’s first run-in with the duo, and after a few moments of conversation, Batman deduces that Clark is from Philadelphia due to his speech patterns. Clark was a host for the show known as The American Bandstand and even implies the duo would be welcome on the show after asking if they both sing.
Sammy Davis Jr. As Himself
Everyone knew Sammy Davis Jr back in the day, even the duo when they unexpectedly crossed paths with the celebrity. Sammy was well known for his singing career, and he would later branch out into acting. This took place in Season 2, where celebrities were showing up on the show quite often.
Sammy invites the two in so they can listen to him rehearse, but they refuse due to having to fight crime. Sammy then tells the two they can catch his act anytime for free, after saying he himself was a huge fan of theirs.
