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The Joker, The clown of crime! A common villian in the show appearing in 19 episodes. Cesar Romero: " The make up took about an hour to put on, but the wig was a thing that bothered me more than anything else. The wig was green, of course, but it sometimes photographed red, yellow, -- everything but green. They would glue the wig to the front of my forehead, and after a while it would give me a headache."
Cesar Romero : "I was very surprised when the producer of the show called me and said he was doing a series called "Batman" and the important characters were the villians. They had done the first two with the Riddler and the Penguin with Frank Gorshin and Burgess Meredith, and now they were ready to do a third, and the villian was the Joker. He said,"I would like you to play the part." So, I said I would like to read the script and know what it's all about. So he said, "Come over to the studio, and I will show you the film of the first episode." Of course it was great. I said, "Let me read this Joker part, and if it's as good as the first one, hell yes, I will do it." So I read the script and I thought it was a gas, and I said, "Sure, I'll do it"
Date of birth (location) 15 February 1907 New York, New York, USA
Date of death (details)
Tall, suave and sophisticated Cesar Romero actually had two claims to fame in Hollywood. To one generation he was the distinguished "Latin lover" of numerous musicals and romantic comedies, and was known as the rogue bandit "The Cisco Kid" in a string of low-budget westerns. However, to a younger generation weaned on television, Romero was better known as the white-faced, green-haired, cackling villain "The Joker" of the camp 1960s TV series "Batman" (1966/II), and then as a bumbling corporate villain in a spate of Walt Disney comedies, chasing such stars as a young Kurt Russell in the fun-packed The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). Fans and critics alike agreed that Romero was a major talent who proved himself an enduring and versatile star in an overwhelming variety of roles in a career as an actor, dancer and comedian that lasted nearly 60 years. Cesar Romero was born of Cuban parents in New York City in February 1907. He attended Collegiate & Riverdale County Schools before gaining employment as a ballroom dancer. He first appeared on Broadway in the 1927 production of "Lady Do", and then in the stage production of "Strictly Dishonorable". His first film role was in The Shadow Laughs (1933), after which he gave strong performances in The Devil Is a Woman (1935) and in the Shirley Temple favorite Wee Willie Winkie (1937). Critics and fans generally agree that Romero's best performance was as the Spanish explorer Cortez in Captain from Castile (1947). However, he also shone in the delightful Julia Misbehaves (1948) and several other breezy and light-hearted escapades. In 1953 he starred in the 39-part espionage TV serial "Passport to Danger" (1954), which earned him a considerable income due to a canny profit-sharing arrangement. Although Romero became quite wealthy and had no need to work, he could not stay away from being in front of the cameras. He continued to appear in a broad variety of film roles, but surprised everyone in Hollywood by taking on the role of "The Joker" in the hugely successful TV series "Batman" (1966/II). He refused to shave his trademark mustache for the role, and close observation shows how the white clown makeup went straight on over his much loved mustache! The appearances in "Batman" were actually only a small part of the enormous amount of work that Romero contributed to television. He had guest-starred in dozens of shows, including "Rawhide" (1959), "77 Sunset Strip" (1958/I), "Zorro" (1957), "Fantasy Island" (1978) and "Murder, She Wrote" (1984). However, it was "The Joker" for which his TV work was best remembered, and Romero often remarked that for many, many years after "Batman" finished, fans would stop him and ask him to chuckle and giggle away just like he did as "The Joker". Romero always obliged, and both he and the fans just loved it! With a new appeal to a younger fan base, Romero turned up in three highly popular Disney comedies: The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972) and The Strongest Man in the World (1975) as corrupt but inept villain "A.J. Arno". Throughout the remainder of the 1980s Romero remained busy, and even at 78 years of age the ladies still loved his charm, and he was cast as Jane Wyman's love interest in the top-rated prime-time soap opera "Falcon Crest" (1981), playing Peter Stavros from 1985 to 1987.
Although Romero stopped acting in 1990, he remained busy, regularly hosting classic movie programs on cable television. A talented and much loved Hollywood icon, he passed away on New Year's Day 1994, at the age of 86.
1. Cesar Romero refused to shave off his moustache. Close observation shows how the white clown make-up was applied right over his much loved moustache.
The Jokers Rhyme From Episode #25 "The Joker Trumps An Ace" The Joker Being Generous And Giving A Clue" Joker : A joke a day keeps the gloom away! Joker : There must be bats in your belfrey Batman
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