Romero Appreciation Thread

[thecolorsblend]

Can't believe there's not already a thread for this.

I never needed to be persuaded about the merits of the 60's tv show. I've been a fan ever since reruns started airing on The Family Channel back in the 80's. And yet, apart from the movie, I haven't really watched much of the show in last, oh, maybe twenty years or so. Partly that was lack of availability.

But the show is out there now. And about a week ago, I noticed that season 01 was selling on iTunes for $4.99. There was no way I could pass up such a good deal.

Rewatching the Joker episodes now... but man, I never needed to be told how brilliant Romero was in the role. But in case you forgot, he was firing on all cylinders from the very start. There's a mania and sincere malevolence to this Joker. It alternated with more lighthearted stuff like attempting to corrupt Gotham City's youth with "easy living" in order to push them into crime later in their lives. Which is evil, yes, but hardly on the same level as strapping Batman and Robin to an electric chair.

When he attempted to kill Batman and Robin, he wasn't kidding around. He meant it.

But at the same time, his vocation was criminal comedy and he never lost sight of the fact that as much as anything else, he was out to steal a buck. Romero's Joker never killed anybody on screen that I can recall but that wasn't for lack of trying. He was probably the most deadly and dangerous villain on the show.

And yet, somehow Romero could play him in a sympathetic way. Evil he might be but you can't help enjoying his antics a little bit.

Romero clearly had a ball playing the character and I get the idea that the Joker was something he looked back at fondly later in his life. He had a blast and that's obvious from watching virtually any of his scenes.

I like all the Jokers. Nicholson, Ledger, Leto and, from the looks of things, Phoenix all have a special place in my heart. I can't call any of them definitive because I love all of them so much.

But Romero was seriously locked into SOMETHING and his joy playing the role is infectious.

[Silver Nemesis]

People praise Ledger for disappearing into the role of the Joker, but surely Romero did the same thing. I admit I've only seen two or three of his non-Joker performances, but I've always been struck by just how different he was in real life. His voice, his mannerisms, his facial expressions were all totally transformed when he became the Joker. This is Romero:

And this is him as the Joker:

It's an incredible performance. It still blows my mind that he was in his sixties when he did the last two seasons of the TV show. He brought so much energy and physicality to the role. I remember Jerry Robinson himself commenting on what a strong physical match Romero was for the comic book Joker. Depending on the era, the Joker is meant to be between 6'2 and 6'5. Nicholson, Leto and Phoenix all stand at an average 5'8. Romero and Ledger were the only two actors over 6'0 in height. And at 6'3, Romero came closest to the comic book Joker's height. He also had the perfect lanky physique and facial structure for the part.

Some of the credit for Romero's Joker must go to the show's writers. Compare 'The Joker is Wild'/'Batman is Riled' with 'The Joker's Utility Belt' from Batman Vol 1 #73 (October 1952). It's almost a scene-for-scene adaptation that adheres far more closely to the source material than any of the feature films. Romero's Joker had all the classic prank weapons from the comics.

He even had his own version of the Jokermobile.

Occasionally he'd use more conventional weapons such as guns and knives.

He was one of the better hand-to-hand combatants to appear on the show and was one of the few main villains capable of actually hurting Batman. While he was nowhere near as deadly as the other live action Jokers, I'd rank him as the second most formidable unarmed fighter (Ledger's Joker being the best).

Romero's Joker was also a brilliant inventor and created a variety of bizarre weapons and gadgets, including a functioning flying saucer! How many other Jokers can you say that about?

Romero's Joker never killed anybody on screen that I can recall but that wasn't for lack of trying.

There was that one guy in the movie.

It was the Joker's jack-in-the-box that sent this unfortunate goon to his demise. However it was technically the Penguin who knocked the goon onto the jack-in-the-box during the fight. It was also the Penguin's exploding pet octopus that killed him. Then again it was the Riddler's plan to rig this trap in the first place. So you could make an argument for any one of them being to blame. At any rate, I'd count it as a kill for Romero's Joker.

[The Joker]

There's alot of things I like about Cesar Romero's Joker, but as Colors and Silver have stated, one of the things that continually plays in my mind when watching his performances as the Joker, is just how animated he was in the role! Despite being one of the older cast members, his energy levels during his scenes were absolutely off the charts. It's something I believe he has most in common with Jack Nicholson's performance as the Joker. It's clear as day both were having an absolute ball in the role, which makes repeated viewings just as fun to watch as the first time.

From what I hear Frank Sinatra wanted the role of the Joker, thankfully Cesar prevailed.

[The Dark Knight]

There's a lesson to be learned from Romero. You're either the man, or you're not. You either have natural ability, or you don't. Romero knew barely anything about the character of the Joker. He did, however, love wearing stylish clothing and enjoyed that experience a great deal. When he was introduced to his outfit, he let out a joyous laugh, and he kept that for the remainder of his tenure. That laugh was natural and therefore infectious.

As he said, your personality transforms by default once the outfit goes on. You don't offer a half-hearted "ha ha ha", it becomes "HA HA HA".  He slept on set and by all accounts took it easy. When his time came to shine, he simply woke up from his slumber and performed. That is total confidence in your abilities. And there's possibly something else to that – he was well rested enough to let himself go wild and be full of energy.

Overthinking can be a burden. Keep it simple, but don't be lazy. Get to the heart of what a character is and give that your all. All Romero needed to capture was a sense of manic fun. The script, vehicles and gadgets took care of themselves.

[thecolorsblend]

Too lazy to dig it up now but I posted something somewhere around here about how almost every live action incarnation of the Joker is a perfect accompaniment to his Batman.

The exception is Leto, whose casting and creation was done independently of Snyder and Affleck as far as I know. But otherwise, it holds true.

West's Batman is sober, serious and incorruptible. Romero's Joker is the perfect antithesis: He's manic, always cackling and obviously bent toward crime. He is the exact inverse of everything West's Batman believes in and represents. West's Batman fights crime because he can and because it's the right thing to do. Romero's Joker commits crimes because he can and because he thinks it's funny.

There's really no deeper meaning to that but forgive me, it's late.

[The Laughing Fish]

Here is a little interview he did while on the set of the 1966 feature film.

Despite saying he knew very little about Batman comics, Romero knew about Joker's origins. That shows some dedication if you ask me.

It's rare to see an actor being interviewed while in make-up, I love it!

[The Dark Knight]

West's Batman is sober, serious and incorruptible. Romero's Joker is the perfect antithesis: He's manic, always cackling and obviously bent toward crime. He is the exact inverse of everything West's Batman believes in and represents. West's Batman fights crime because he can and because it's the right thing to do. Romero's Joker commits crimes because he can and because he thinks it's funny.

That's true - and he's not just a lazy slouch either who sits around giggling. He has real ability. The absurdity of Romero's Joker gives him the power of a master. Take this scene for example. Appearing behind a projector image of himself, spraying powder through it from his flower. That's a God level magician and infiltration artist.

I continue to get a ton of enjoyment from B66.

[Silver Nemesis]

I didn't think this clip was worth creating a new thread over, so I'll just post it here.

[Travesty]

That's really cool.