Father Geek here with Baaaad news...Frank Gorshin, the Riddler on the "Batman" TV series, has died at age 72 Tuesday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in California of complications of lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia.
Gorshin earned An Emmy nom for his work as the RIDDLER in the uber camp Batman TV show of the late 1960's and another Emmy nomination for a guest shot on "Star Trek," in the 1969 episode called "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield." He was a GREAT mimic, one of the very best, and ol'Father Geek used to try to catch his every appearance on Ed Sullivan, Carson and other variety, or talk shows just praying he'd do Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, or James Cagney, or better yet that he'd do a scene involving all three is some rapid fire dialogue. Annnnd his faces... simply FUNtastic!
Father Geek's first memories of Frank were as a lover'slane teenager in the ulimate bugeyed big headed green skinned alien flick... "Invasion of the Saucer Men" back in 1957. It had a long Drive In life being double or triple featured with "Killer Shrews", "Giant Gila Monster", "I Married A Monster from Outer Space", "The Blob", "Bucket of Blood", and even other Gorshin epics like "Dragstrip Girl", or "Hot Rod Girl". He kept me entertained alot during those single screen B&W Drive In years. Annnnd when I entered The University of Texas he kept the Student Union TV rooms packed when he was on BATMAN, TREK, WONDER WOMAN, BUCK ROGERS, or THE MUNSTERS.
I finally got to meet Frank last year here in Austin when he came to town with Adam West and Burt Ward... the Bat Boat, Bat Cycle, and Batmobile. Harry and I geeks to the end took my grandson lil'KublaKhan to the show to have his picture made with the vehicles and the men who drove them. He was only just turned four, but he KNEW it was something special and was on cloud nine, especially when Frank started talking to me in Riddler mode. That laugh... I thought my grandkid was going to explode... he thought it was sooooooo COOL!!! I'd seen all 3 men in person before here in Austin... on the street (Congress Ave.)in front of the Paramount Threatre when they were here for the World Premiere of the BATMAN flick they did together long ago. LOBO Kubla's pop turned to geeky mush when he saw the pics and autographs when we got the kid home later that night.
RIP Frank you've earned it... "Hey lawd, riddle me this..."
