The Riddler has died...

[Hardbopjazz]

Frank Gorshin, Riddler on 'Batman,' Dies

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

BURBANK, Calif. — Actor Frank Gorshin (search), the impressionist with 100 faces best known for his Emmy-nominated role as The Riddler (search) on the old "Batman" television series (search), has died. He was 72.

Gorshin's wife of 48 years, Christina, was at his side when he died Tuesday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, his agent and longtime friend, Fred Wostbrock, said Wednesday.

"He put up a valiant fight with lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia," Mrs. Gorshin said in a statement.

Despite dozens of television and movie credits, Gorshin will be forever remembered for his role as The Riddler, Adam West's villainous foil in the question mark-pocked green suit and bowler hat on "Batman" from 1966-69.

"It really was a catalyst for me," Gorshin recalled in a 2002 Associated Press interview. "I was nobody. I had done some guest shots here and there. But after I did that, I became a headliner in Vegas, so I can't put it down."

West said the death of his longtime friend was a big loss.

"Frank will be missed," West said in a statement. "He was a friend and fascinating character."

Gorshin earned another Emmy nominations one for a guest shot on "Star Trek."

In 2002, Gorshin portrayed George Burns on Broadway in the one-man show "Say Goodnight Gracie." He used only a little makeup and no prosthetics.

"I don't know how to explain it. It just comes," he said. "I wish I could say, 'This is step A, B and C.' But I can't do that. I do it, you know. The ironic thing is I've done impressions all my life -- I never did George Burns."

Gorshin's final performance will be broadcast on Thursday's CBS-TV series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

[7/4]

RIP

[RDK]

Oh man. Such sad news. That Batman TV show was such an important part of my youth.

RIP Frank...

[sheldonm]

Oh man. Such sad news. That Batman TV show was such an important part of my youth.

RIP Frank...

...same with me! RIP

[Robert J]

Damn!

the laugh

Riddler's first episode

[Free For All]

A big cha-CHING for Neal Hefti.

[Bright Moments]

i saw him recently doing his 1 man show portraying george burns.

it was amazing!!!

RIP.

[Stereojack]

Remember seeing him do Kirk Douglas singing "A Boy Named Sue" on TV about 30 years ago. I still crack up thinking about it.

A great talent!

[GA Russell]

As I recall, he played a bass-playing jazz musician in Where the Boys Are.

[Free For All]

As I recall, he played a bass-playing jazz musician in Where the Boys Are.

[Kalo]

I always liked him, especially in that Riddler suit.

His Kirk Douglas was even better than Kirk's.

He was on an episode of the original Star Trek, too, as well as on Sullivan the night of the Beatles debut.

Edited May 19, 2005 by Kalo

[Randy Twizzle]

This is from a January 1962 Earl Wilson column

[jazzbo]

Ironically he is going to appear in the two hour season finale of CSI tomorrow night, directed by Quinton Tarantino! Tarantino especially wanted him for the part. . . .

[Dave James]

I always thought this guy was the best impressionist I ever saw. I mean Rich Little was good, but the thing the separated Gorshin from the pack was his ability not to just sound like his "mark" but look like him too. His face was like rubber.

Remember the Star Trek where Gorshin played Beal, the half white, half black alien from the planet Sharon? That's always been one of my favorite episodes.

With his passing, isn't that the end of the line for the major Batman villans? No more Riddler, no more Penguin (Burgess Merideth) and no more Joker (Ceasar Romero). Add to that the B-level baddies like Mr. Freeze (George Sanders), King Tut (Victor Bueno) and Catwoman (Eartha Kitt and/or Julie Newmar), that's about it.

The part of that show that used to crack me up was when B & R were crawling up the side of a building and the window would pop open and some celebrity would stick their head out and engage the Dynamic Duo in conversation. Batman always called them "citizen".

I don't know how they did that show without cracking up all the time. There must be some pretty good outtakes someplace. The essence of campy silliness.

Up over and out.

[chris olivarez]

He was something else!!! RIP.

[Bright Moments]

here's his george:

[BERIGAN]

.....

With his passing, isn't that the end of the line for the major Batman villans? No more Riddler, no more Penguin (Burgess Merideth) and no more Joker (Ceasar Romero). Add to that the B-level baddies like Mr. Freeze (George Sanders), King Tut (Victor Bueno) and Catwoman (Eartha Kitt and/or Julie Newmar), that's about it.

...

Well, George Sanders and Victor Bueno are no longer among the living, Kitt and Newmar are still with us....

[BERIGAN]

here's his george:

I posted this weird sounding film somewheres on the board, here is the image again....

EDIT, I guess they won't let me link the photo, so click on the link if you so care...

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0179803/Ss/...ath_key=0179803

Edited May 19, 2005 by BERIGAN

[Ron S]

With his passing, isn't that the end of the line for the major Batman villans?  No more Riddler, no more Penguin (Burgess Merideth) and no more Joker (Ceasar Romero).  Add to that the B-level baddies like Mr. Freeze (George Sanders), King Tut (Victor Bueno) and Catwoman (Eartha Kitt and/or Julie Newmar), that's about it.

And don't forget The Bookworm (Roddy McDowell).

[mgraham333]

here's his george:

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I just saw him a few months ago in Say Goodnight Gracie - amazing one man show.

RIP

[gslade]

quote Jazzbo

"Ironically he is going to appear in the two hour season finale of CSI tomorrow night, directed by Quinton Tarantino! Tarantino especially wanted him for the part. . ."

Damn now I am going to have to watch this show

I hate CSI but I always like Gorshin

for some reason the quote button did not work or is it different in the new software

[jazzbo]

It is different:

Hit the quote button, as many times as you want and when you have all the posts you want to quote selected, hit the add reply button.

[GA Russell]

As I recall, he played a bass-playing jazz musician in Where the Boys Are.

←

Free For All, I'm amazed that you found that photo! Bravo!

[BruceH]

I always liked him, especially in that Riddler suit.

His Kirk Douglas was even better than Kirk's.

He was on an episode of the original Star Trek, too, as well as on Sullivan the night of the Beatles debut.

←

He was great in that Star Trek episode; it was no fault of his that it was one of the worst Trek episodes of all time.

His Riddler laugh really creeped me out when I was a kid.

(Anybody see him in CSI last night?)

[Chrome]

Okay, I haven't seen it in years, but that episode had a huge positive effect on me back when I was an idealistic young boy (I was 6 1/2 when it first came out) ... the scene where the aliens are explaining why they're fighting, and one says something like "Just look at him!" and you find out it's all about because one is black on the left side, white on the other, and vice versa ... in all seriousness, it brought home the ridiculousness of our own race relations in a way that, dare I say it, changed my life.

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