He certainly has no ill will toward the movie franchise, but admits it's a very different story nowadays. "I've only seen bits and pieces of them," he tells us. "There's an enormous amount of effort and time and money that goes into the making of them, but it's a different generation. They're a different kind of thing than ours was. They're dark, gothic, sinister, full of explosions. We didn't approach it that way at all."
West was used to a much more lighthearted portrayal of the characters during their 1960s TV series. "It was silly and funny. With the villains, especially, it was almost Shakespearian because of the bizarre costuming and makeup," he recalls. "In those days we didn't rely on special effects as much so everyone was challenged to use their imaginations.
I don't remember any case in which somebody didn't really enjoy the creation of it. If it wasn't that kind of open environment, then I felt like I was a failure because I tried to go on the stage every day and create that kind of atmosphere."
In 1966, the cast also filmed "Batman: The Movie," which is coming out on Blu-ray disc July 1. However, it remains to be seen if the television series will ever become available for home viewing. "I get that question all the time. People want it, but I can't do anything about it.
They only thing I've heard is that for some time they've been trying to cut a deal as far as ownership and return -- basically who gets what slice of the pie. When that is worked out, then I guess you'll be able to get it."
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