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Adam West's classic 1960s series wasn't the first live-action "Batman" adaptation, but it is the one most people think of when remembering the old days of the character on the screen. In the decades since, shows like "Batman: The Animated Series" and the many critically acclaimed Batman films have built the Caped Crusader into arguably the most popular superhero in the U.S., if not worldwide. But when it comes to camp and silly charm, nothing beats the '60s series.

Sadly, most of the folks who made that show what it was are no longer with us, including Adam West himself, who passed away in 2017. Other prominent co-stars like Burgess Meredith (The Penguin), Cesar Romero (The Joker), Alan Napier (Alfred), Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon), and Yvonne Craig (Batgirl) have also all passed on.

Only three major stars from the series are still with us today, carrying on the...

Beloved actor Gary Oldman made his mark in the world of DC by playing Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. He debuted in the role two decades ago in Batman Begins, becoming one of the most popular actors to play Batman's butler.

Oldman recently took part in a new interview with Josh Horowitz for Happy Sad Confused. He recalled filming Batman Begins, noting how he was a single father at the time who didn't want to be away from his children for too long at a time. Because the film was shot in England, this meant making nearly 30 round trips to shoot his scenes. So much travel naturally left Oldman exhausted, and the actor was able to channel this into his performance as Gordon.

“I was a single dad, and I really didn’t want to leave the kids for too long,” Oldman told Horowitz. “We’re shooting in England,...

The debate about what constitutes The Great American Novel is never-ending, yet F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" always finds its way into this conversation. It might be tempting to simply reduce the author's work to an enduring portrayal of the Roaring Twenties, but Fitzgerald's book also cuts through the illusions while sustaining the enthralling mystery surrounding its titular figure. Once the mist dissipates, and both Jay Gatsby and his (only) friend Nick Carraway are laid bare for who they are, what remains is a profound sense of emptiness. Don't get me wrong: "The Great Gatsby" is a story about the inherent hollowness of spectacle, obscene wealth, and relationships of convenience that have the illusion of depth. However, once we confront the rare flashes of moving sincerity in a tale so luridly tragic, the empty lure of the green light at the heart of the novel takes on a terribly haunting sheen.

There's no denying that Batman has transcended his original status as a comic book character and is now a cultural icon. Ever since the character first appeared in an issue of Detective Comics in 1939, there have been several adaptations for film and television. When Tim Burton's vision hit theaters in 1989, Batman took on a darker tone. Whether it's The Animated Series, the Dark Night Trilogy, or even the graphic novel and animated adaptation of The Killing Joke, Batman now caters to a more mature audience.

The polar opposite of these modern depictions of Batman can be found in the television series that ran from 1966 to 1968 and featured Adam West in the title role. The show was campy, clever, and colorful, with Batman (West) and Robin (Burt Ward) protecting Gotham City from a rogue's gallery of iconic villains. In 1966, Batman: The Movie saw the series come to life on the big screen,...

Actors from 1960s Batman crossed over into Star Trek. Batman was known for its ridiculous gadgets and comic book elements, contrasting with Star Trek's more serious tone. Actors like Yvonne Craig, Julie Newmar, and Frank Gorshin left memorable marks on both iconic shows.

The actors who portrayed Batgirl, Catwoman, and the Riddler in the 1960s Batman television series also appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series. Batman and Tos both began in 1966 and appealed to similar audiences, so it's not surprising that several actors popped up on these two shows. With its campy, humorous tone, the 1960s Batman was very different from most modern adaptations featuring the Caped Crusader. As Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) defended Gotham City, they used ridiculously named gadgets to take on villains, and comic book words like "Pow!" and "Bam!" popped up on the screen during fight scenes.

Although Star Trek: The Original Series...

Bryan Cranston's versatility and gravitas make him a strong candidate to portray Commissioner Gordon in the Dcu. Ethan Hawke's experience in darker roles could bring a unique depth to the character of Commissioner Gordon. Harrison Ford's tough, no-nonsense persona would make him a memorable Commissioner Gordon in the Dcu.

There are many talented actors who could tackle the role of the Dcu's Commissioner James Gordon. With the beginning of the Dcu under DC Studios, the new franchise will introduce its own version of the Dark Knight with Andy Muschietti's Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The new Batman film will also include many members of the Bat Family and Batman's supporting cast, which will surely include Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon.

Commissioner Gordon has been seen alongside virtually every cinematic version of Batman, with Neil Hamilton, Pat Hingle, Gary Oldman, J.K. Simmons, and Jeffrey Wright...

Batman is very much a superhero who needs a support staff, and one key member of that support staff has always been James Gordon. A committed Gotham City cop (and eventual police commissioner), Gordon is one of Batman's most trusted allies and has been played by a wide range of actors over the years, with an equally wide range of interpretations. From Neil Hamilton in the Adam West "Batman" TV show in the '60s to Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy, Gordon has always been a key figure in Batman's universe.

Most recently, Jeffrey Wright ("Westworld") took on the role alongside Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne in 2022's "The Batman." Directed by Matt Reeves, it was a dark, gritty take on this corner of the DC Universe that felt relatively grounded in reality. So, it makes sense that Wright actually based his take on Gordon...

Mohamed Al Fayed, the flamboyant Egypt-born businessman whose son was killed in a car crash with Princess Diana, died this week, his family said Friday. He was 94.

Al Fayed, the longtime owner of Harrods department store and the Fulham Football Club, was devastated by the death of son Dodi Fayed in the car crash in Paris with Diana 26 years ago. He spent years mourning the loss and fighting the British establishment he blamed for their deaths.

“Mrs Mohamed Al Fayed, her children and grandchildren wish to confirm that her beloved husband, their father and their grandfather, Mohamed, has passed away peacefully of old age on Wednesday August 30, 2023,″ his family said in a statement released by the Fulham club. “He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones.″

Read More: Prince Harry Speaks Candidly About The First Time He Took Meghan Markle To Princess Diana’s Grave

Al...

There's one thing you can say about every single Academy Award nominee: whether they're good films or bad films, beloved or obscure, they are officially in the history books. Future movie lovers will read about them and, often, watch them out of either passionate interest or mild curiosity, decades later.

And that's a very good thing because a lot of the films that are nominated for the Oscars fall into obscurity pretty quickly. We may remember most of the Best Picture winners, for example, but what about the other films in contention? "Casablanca" won Best Picture at the 16th Academy Awards and it's a film most people can quote directly, even if they've never watched it before. But there's a good chance that many of its fellow nominees that same year — films like "The Human Comedy," "The More the Merrier," and "Watch On the Rhine" — aren't nearly as well known today.

Christine Hamilton has expressed her disapproval of Matt Hancock joining this year’s cast of I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here.

Hamilton was a contestant on the first season of the survival show in 2002 and ultimately finished in third place.

On Tuesday (1 November), Hancock was announced as a surprise entry to this year’s run of the ITV programme, alongside comedian Seann Walsh.

As a result, he was suspended from the Conservative Party later that day, as Chief Whip Simon Hart MP stated his belief that Hancock’s appearance was “a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect”.

During an appearance on Lorraine on Wednesday (2 November), Hamilton made her feelings towards Hancock’s turn to reality television clear.

Commenting on the situation, she noted: “What he seems to forget is that he is still a very well-paid member of parliament, paid for...

With its recent release on HBO Max, The Batman continues to reshape the public’s perception of what a superhero movie can be. But it’s hardly the first time that the Dark Knight appeared on screen. In fact, outside of some serials of questionable quality in the 1940s, Batman’s feature film debut came with 1966’s Batman: The Movie.

For some viewers, there could not be a larger disparity between the pop art of the 60s movie and the gothic look of Matt Reeves’s film. But the Corridor Crew on YouTube found a way. A recently-posted video recreates The Batman’s first trailer, digitally replacing actors from the 2022 film with their 1966 counterparts. Instead of Robert Pattinson solving the clues of Paul Dano’s Riddler, we watch Adam West stare down Frank Gorshin. Now, it’s the 1955 Ford Lincoln Futura Batmobile instead of a ’69 Charger chasing down Burgess Meredith’s Penguin,...

J. K. Simmons has entered into negotiations to reprise his role as Commissioner Gordon in the upcoming HBO Max movie ‘Batgirl’.

Simmons would join ‘In The Heights’ star Leslie Grace who was recently cast on the leading role as Barbara Gordon, the film will centre on Barbara, Commissioner James Gordon’s daughter, who becomes the Gotham City crime-fighting Batgirl.

‘Bad Boys for Life’ filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah take on directing duties while Christina Hodson is writing the screenplay. Production is due to commence in November. A release date has yet to be scheduled.

Also in news – Sam Rockwell & Saoirse Ronan in first look image for ‘See How They Run’ – full cast announced

Simmons played the role, albeit briefly, in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, he had previously stated that he would love to return to the role in any future movies.

Gordon has been played by a...

With enough plot turns for a 12 chapter serial, this 61 minute pre-code thriller stars 34 year-old Neil Hamilton (Batman’s Commissioner Gordon) as a silk merchant and Guy Kibbee as a detective trapped aboard a train carrying gangsters, scientists and an unexpected hero not revealed till the movie’s final destination.

The post The Silk Express appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

Though he’s most familiar to audiences as J. Jonah Jameson, J.K. Simmons hopped over from the Marvel universe to DC for Justice League, in which he played Commissioner Gordon. He didn’t have a major role in the theatrical cut, but the Oscar-winning actor provided a fan-pleasingly traditional take on the Gotham cop. The good news is we should see some new footage of him in the role in the Snyder Cut, coming to HBO Max next year.

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Simmons was asked about his thoughts on the Snyder Cut finally being released. Like many of the rest of the cast, the Spider-Man star is happy for the filmmaker getting to realize his original vision for the pic and is personally interested to see it when it’s released. He also promised that it’ll definitely be a lengthy movie, due to how much Snyder wants to achieve.

The Batman is currently shooting in London and star Jeffrey Wright has been photographed near the set looking much more like Commissioner James Gordon. Stemming from the original Batman comic books, Commissioner Gordon is very well known for his trademark mustache, a look which has carried over into nearly every movie, television, or animated Batman adaptation featuring the character. As we haven't seen any official photos of Wright in character as Gordon in The Batman, it had been unclear if this new version of the Gotham City Commissioner would retain the character's familiar facial hair, but it now appears we have our answer.

At the Langham Hotel in London, Jeffrey Wright was spotted by a fan who spoke to him about The Batman and even managed to snap a picture. Wright does not appear to be in full wardrobe, as he is dressed casually and likely wasn't filming at the time the photo was taken.

Jeffrey Wright will play Commissioner Gordon in “The Batman,” director Matt Reeves announced Wednesday.

Late in the afternoon, Reeves tweeted a gif of Wright saying “Tweet something,” along with the text “Tweet! #Gordon,” and a bat emoji.

Created in 1939 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Jim Gordon is commissioner of Gotham City’s police department, most often portrayed as a veteran officer who formed an unofficial partnership with Batman first to combat systemic corruption inside Gpd and later to deal with the supervillains plaguing the city. He’s also the father of Barbara Gordon, who secretly fights crime alongside the caped crusader as Batgirl. Gordon’s backstory is further elaborated on in Frank Miller’s “Batman: Year One,” where he’s depicted as a disgraced Chicago cop who finds personal and career redemption after moving to Gotham City just as Batman begins his caped crusade.

1951: Love of Life premiered on CBS.

1979: As the World Turns' Doug and Annie declared their love.

1981: General Hospital's Alan proposed to Susan.

1986: Another World's Mitch met his son, Matthew."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1951: Daytime soap opera Love of Life, created by Roy Winsor, premiered on CBS, three weeks after Search for Tomorrow debuted on the network. Both shows started as 15-minute serials but Love of Life would expand to 30 minutes in 1958, and remain a half hour until its final episode on February...

1951: Love of Life premiered on CBS.

1979: As the World Turns' Doug and Annie declared their love.

1981: General Hospital's Alan proposed to Susan.

1986: Another World's Mitch met his son, Matthew."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1951: Daytime soap opera Love of Life, created by Roy Winsor, premiered on CBS, three weeks after Search for Tomorrow debuted on the network. Both shows started as 15-minute serials but Love of Life would expand to 30 minutes in 1958, and remain a half hour until its final episode on February 1, 1980. None of the original actors stayed from beginning to end but director Larry Auerbach did.

Louisa Mellor Sep 27, 2017

Jodie Comer shines in the penultimate Doctor Foster series two episode. Spoilers ahead…

This review contains spoilers.

See related Denis Villeneuve interview: Sicario, Kurosawa, sci-fi, ugly poetry Dune reboot: Denis Villeneuve confirmed to direct

“First, do no harm.” I’m no doctor, clearly, but I’m nonetheless confident that the bioethical principle of non-maleficence extends to not running people over in your Honda Crv.

Simon Foster however, is not people. He’s six foot of smugness in a skinny tie, a cock-led, self-satisfied bullshit artist who’d do well not to keep marrying women who are cleverer than him. I don’t mean Gemma—that one has blind spots the size of whole continents—I mean Kate. Episode four was Kate’s episode and Jodie Comer ruled it like the empress she is.

It was prescient of Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett to take the precaution of...

Brigitte Horney is not much remembered today, despite a long, distinguished career (films for Siodmak, Wegener, Fanck, the Nazi Baron Munchausen). Tarantino's name-checking of her during the pub games of Inglourious Basterds is probably her one star moment. Maybe the porn star name doesn't help: if Emil Jannings had been christened Emil Bigballs, he might not enjoy the status he currently has.Horney did not confine her activities to Germany: Secret Lives is a version of the Mata Hari history/legend produced in Britain with a French director, the versatile, some would say hacky, Edmond T. Gréville, whose most famous British creation was the 1960 camp classic Beat Girl (John Barry score; Gillian Hills; Christopher Lee; Oliver Reed; striptease and juvenile delinquency). But his '30s and '40s work, mostly in France, was generally slick and stylish.As a flagrant roman à clef treatment of the career of a celebrated seductress,...

The news that Academy Award winner J.K Simmons will take on the role of Commissioner Gordon in Justice League was met with great excitement when it was announced recently. This supporting character in the DC comic book universe has always played a significant, vital role – specifically in terms of the stories of Batman – and as such, he has been a consistent onscreen presence in the past decade, that has included Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

In comic books, Commissioner James Gordon was introduced at the same time as Batman, in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, and is most often depicted as the Police Commissioner of Gotham City. With initial indications suggesting he was a U.S Marine before joining the police force, Gordon is a reluctant supporter of Batman’s vigilante tactics – feeling that the Dark Knight is a necessary solution for the city he loves.

The character has rich history in live action,...

While Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice doesn't feature an appearance from Commissioner Gordon, the iconic DC Comics character will be making his Dceu introduction in Justice League Part 1. And it sounds like Warner Bros. has found the perfect actor to bring him back to life on the big screen. Oscar winner J.K. Simmons has been cast as Gotham City's most trusted policeman, and he will be appearing alongside Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder is returning to direct Justice League Part 1. The movie will team Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman with a group of international superheroes that include Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg. They will join together to fight a threat to the world that is bigger than all of them combined. It isn't yet known how Commissioner Gordon will factor into the story, or if he...

Grassroots petitions and sheer fan demand may be coaxing him back to the Marvel universe and Jon Watts’ Spider-Man reboot, but today The Hollywood Reporter brings word that J.K. Simmons has boarded Warner’s Justice League movie as Commissioner Gordon.

Just in time, too, considering that Zack Snyder’s superhero ensemble piece is set to lens at the beginning of next month, and Simmons is now on board as Gotham’s other watchful protector.

More News From The Web

There he’ll join Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, fresh off their roles in this month’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, with Gal Gadot rounding out the DC trinity as Wonder Woman. Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) will also feature, just don’t expect to lay eyes on Warner’s reinvented Green Lantern until Justice League – Part Two in 2019.

Recently portrayed by Gary Oldman...

Beloved Oscar winning actor J.K. Simmons ("Whiplash," "Spider-Man") has been cast as Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon in Zack Snyder's upcoming "Justice League: Part One" which is set to begin production next month ahead of a November 2017 release.

The Commissioner Gordon role has been played by numerous actors from Neil Hamilton in the 1960s, to Pat Hingle in the 1980s, to Gary Oldman in Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy, to Ben McKenzie on Fox's "Gotham".

Simmons joins a cast that includes Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Jason Mamoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher and Amy Adams. Chris Terrio penned the screenplay for the film.

Source: Heat Vision...

Gary Cooper movies on TCM: Cooper at his best and at his weakest Gary Cooper is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 30, '15. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any Cooper movie premiere – despite the fact that most of his Paramount movies of the '20s and '30s remain unavailable. This evening's features are Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Sergeant York (1941), and Love in the Afternoon (1957). Mr. Deeds Goes to Town solidified Gary Cooper's stardom and helped to make Jean Arthur Columbia's top female star. The film is a tad overlong and, like every Frank Capra movie, it's also highly sentimental. What saves it from the Hell of Good Intentions is the acting of the two leads – Cooper and Arthur are both excellent – and of several supporting players. Directed by Howard Hawks, the jingoistic, pro-war Sergeant York was a huge box office hit, eventually earning Academy Award nominations in several categories,...

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ca. 1935. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was never as popular as his father, silent film superstar Douglas Fairbanks, who starred in one action-adventure blockbuster after another in the 1920s (The Mark of Zorro, Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad) and whose stardom dates back to the mid-1910s, when Fairbanks toplined a series of light, modern-day comedies in which he was cast as the embodiment of the enterprising, 20th century “all-American.” What this particular go-getter got was screen queen Mary Pickford as his wife and United Artists as his studio, which he co-founded with Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Charles Chaplin. Now, although Jr. never had the following of Sr., he did enjoy a solid two-decade-plus movie career. In fact, he was one of the few children of major film stars – e.g., Jane Fonda, Liza Minnelli, Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas, Jamie Lee Curtis – who had successful film careers of their own.

African-American film 'Bert Williams: Lime Kiln Club Field Day.' With Williams and Odessa Warren Grey.* Rare, early 20th-century African-American film among San Francisco Silent Film Festival highlights Directed by Edwin Middleton and T. Hayes Hunter, the Biograph Company's Lime Kiln Club Field Day (1913) was the film I most looked forward to at the 2015 edition of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. One hundred years old, unfinished, and destined to be scrapped and tossed into the dust bin, it rose from the ashes. Starring entertainer Bert Williams – whose film appearances have virtually disappeared, but whose legacy lives on – Lime Kiln Club Field Day has become a rare example of African-American life in the first years of the 20th century. In the introduction to the film, the audience was treated to a treasure trove of Black memorabilia: sheet music, stills, promotional material, and newspaper clippings that survive. Details of the...

There are, among people of a particularly black-humored and waggish bent, jokes that you can’t have manslaughter without mans laughter. Well, I’m not laughing. Not only does manslaughter entail the unlawful killing of another human being – something which is not inherently humorous – but manslaughter is also how the long, arduous Bataan Death March that is Batman Eternal started. And there ain’t anything inherently humorous about that either.

Batman Eternal started with Commissioner Jim Gordon chasing fleeing felon Derek Grady into a subway station. The chase ended on the subway tracks, while two subway trains were approaching the station on the same track, from opposite directions. Grady was standing in front of a transformer box and Gordon saw a gun in his hand. So Gordon shot at Grady’s gun, intending the classic Lone Ranger disarm.

(If your only experience with the Lone Ranger is the Johnny Depp movie,...

Opening Batman: The Complete Series, I said, “This is my childhood in a box.” When the ABC series debuted in January 1966, I was seven, the exact perfect age to be utterly captivated by seeing a comic book faithfully adapted to the small screen. Without fail, I was glued to the television set on Wednesday and Thursday evenings right until the final episode aired in March 1968, leaving indelible images in my mind. These were reinforced just a few years later when local syndicated reruns burned the stories, sounds, and characters deeper into my psyche.

I was too young to understand the context of the show and its impact on popular culture, DC Comics, or the world of licensing. I didn’t get the wry jokes, it’s knowing pop camp approach to storytelling, or how it cleverly worked on multiple levels (a rare occurrence on prime time back then). Instead,...

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will officially unveil the details of its highly-anticipated November 2014 release of "Batman: The Complete Television Series" at a Comic-Con International panel -- featuring special guests Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar -- on Thursday, July 24 from 6:00-7:00pm in Hall H. Starring Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, John Astin, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, Madge Blake and Yvonne Craig with special guest appearances by George Sanders, Otto Preminger, Victor Buono, David Wayne, Eli Wallach, Cliff Robertson, Carolyn Jones, Milton Berle and Vincent Price, 1960s series was known for its comic camp, upbeat theme music and overt moral lessons geared towards children. The actors...

Screwball comedy movies, rare screenings of epic box office disaster: Library of Congress’ Packard Theater in April 2014 (photo: Cary Grant and Irene Dunne in ‘The Awful Truth’) In April 2014, the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus Theater in Culpeper, Virginia, will celebrate Hollywood screwball comedy movies, from the Marx Brothers’ antics to Peter Bogdanovich’s early ’70s homage What’s Up, Doc?, a box office blockbuster starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal. Additionally, the Packard Theater will present a couple of rarities, including an epoch-making box office disaster that led to the demise of a major studio. Among Packard’s April 2014 screwball comedies are the following: Leo McCarey’s Duck Soup (Saturday, April 5) — actually more zany, wacky, and totally insane than merely "screwball" — in which Groucho Marx stars as the recently (un)elected dictator of Freedonia, abetted by siblings Harpo Marx and Chico Marx, in addition to Groucho’s perennial foil,...

After five years in the "Southland," Ben McKenzie is starting a new chapter in "Gotham" City. The former "O.C." star suits up as James Gordon (a.k.a. the future Commissioner) in a new photo from the upcoming Fox series, showing a younger iteration of the character previously played by such thesps as Neil Hamilton, Pat Hingle and Gary Oldman. After checking out the image below, let us know what you think in the comments. "Gotham" premieres later this year on Fox.

News Louisa Mellor 18 Mar 2014 - 08:15

Detective Gordon vaults walls and points guns in these first set pictures from Batman prequel, Gotham...

Update: A first look at Donal Logue in costume as Harvey Bullock has arrived, courtesy of Comic Book Resources, as well as a glimpse of Oswald Cobblepot reading an interesting newspaper headline:

Of the many fine attributes of Neil Hamilton's and Gary Oldman's incarnations of Gotham's Commissioner Gordon, spry wall-vaulting-rootop-running-action isn't one of them. Necessarily so, as both joined Jim Gordon well into his police career.

Ben McKenzie's (Southland, The Oc) Gordon in forthcoming Batman prequel series Gotham is a youthful rookie detective, one attempting to clear his city's streets of its peculiar brand of the criminally insane. Hence the action in the first Gotham set photos below.

A few first look pictures at Gotham character Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, have also popped up online,...

Commissioner Gordon just got abs.

Former "The O.C." and "Southland" hunk Ben McKenzie has scored the leading role of a young James Gordon in Fox's Batman prequel series "Gotham".

McKenzie plays the man who will go on to become the city's police commissioner and works with Batman to restore the community. At the start of the series, he's a rookie detective in Gotham City Open Police Department's Homicide Squad.

The character is described as a college football star and war hero who was fast-tracked through the Gcpd ranks. He's honest, brave and an idealistic soul to the point of naivete.

McKenzie has been involved in the Batman franchise before, voicing Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 2011 DC animated movie based on Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One".

Neil Hamilton, Pat Hingle and Gary Oldman have previously played the character, though 35-year-old McKenzie is easily the youngest actor to take on the role so far.

Conan O'Brien, whose show Conan is shot on the Warner Bros. lot, announced today that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release the original 1966 Batman series on DVD later this year. Take a look at the late-night talk show host's tweet, which includes a photo of him with the original Batmobile.

Very excited @WBHomeEnt is releasing the Batman '66 Complete TV Series in 2014! The seat smells like Adam West: http://t.co/cqWjlpW1Gn

— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) January 15, 2014

Although it isn't the most conventional way to announce a highly-anticipated DVD set like this, Conan O'Brien does have somewhat of a history with the legendary franchise. He lent his voice to talk show host David Endocrine in the animated adventure Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 last year.

The original Batman series spanned 120 episodes over three seasons from 1966 to 1968, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin. The series...

The moment that plans for a Gotham television series were announced many people have been wondering who will take on the role of James Gordon. Latino Review's El Mayimbe believes he has identified the actor Fox wants for their pre-Batman television show. Donal Logue has been offered the lead part of Commissioner James Gordon in Fox’s upcoming Gotham TV show which has been ordered to series. - latino-review If Donal does accept the role he'll be judged against past actors that portrayed Gordon in a live-action format, such as Neil Hamilton in the 1960's Batman television series, Pat Hingle from the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher live-action films, and of course, Gary Oldman from Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. A 10-year-old Bruce Wayne is among the roles that are now being cast as series regulars on the upcoming Fox TV series "Gotham" which explores the origin stories of Commissioner...

In the aftermath of a bidding war, Fox has picked up a new live-action Batman series from The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller titled Gotham.

The series will center on a young Commissioner James Gordon and the villains that made the city of Gotham famous. In the show, James Gordon is a detective with the Gotham City Police Department and has not met Batman yet. The superhero will not appear in the series. Casting details have not been announced.

Based on the character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, James Gordon debuted in the first Batman comic in 1939. He has been used as a regular character in many projects including Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy starring Gary Oldman, and in the 1960's Batman series which featured Neil Hamilton as this iconic DC Comics character.

No production schedule has been released. Who do you want to see portray James Gordon?...

Fox has landed a deal for Gotham, a TV drama series that explores the origins of DC Comics' Commissioner James Gordon of Batman fame and the villains that made Gotham their home.  The news comes as Fox won out on a bidding war for the Warner Bros. TV property (conveniently timed to release just after the premiere of Marvel's foray into television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; read Evan's review here).  Fox has also made a series commitment for Gotham, scripted by Bruno Heller (The Mentalist).  Hit the jump for more on Gotham and for a look at past appearances of Gordon on the small screen. Deadline reports that Fox will bring the Gotham series to TV.  The show will see Gordon working as a detective at the Gotham City Police Department before he even meets Batman.  In an interesting note, the Caped Crusader is not intended to be part of the series.

One of the most popular and well-known supporting characters in comic book history is getting his own TV series. James Gordon—that longtime ally of Batman—will be the main character of the new Fox series Gotham.

Even non-comic fans have heard of Commissioner Gordon. He’s been played by Neil Hamilton (on TV) and by Pat Hingle and Gary Oldman (in film) among others. Now he’ll be the star of his own series. Following a bidding war, the impending DC/Warner Bros. series—which will be called Gotham—has been given the direct-to-series green-light, skipping the pilot stage. The show will air on Fox. Bruno Heller, the man behind The Mentalist, will be the head writer for Gotham.

The series will focus on a young Detective James Gordon, before he meets Batman, and his encounters with the strange villains that made Gotham the chaotic mess it was before...

Gotham City is coming to the small screen! Deadline is reporting that Fox has made a series commitment to "Gotham," a new live-action show that will follow the adventures of a young Detective James Gordon. The series hails from "The Mentalist" creator Bruno Heller. First appearing in "Detective Comics" #27 (the 1939 comic that also debuted Batman), Commissioner James Gordon is the creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. He was previously played on the 1960's "Batman" television show by Neil Hamilton. Gary Oldman most recently portrayed the character in Christopher Nolan's big screen trilogy. While Gordon's adventures may make use of familiar Batman villains, the Dark Knight himself is not planned to be a part of the series.

At least we were rooting for him

• Desperately sad that Neil Hamilton, the former MP, ill-fated litigant, newspaper columnist and end-of-the-pier panto turn didn't make the cut in Ukip's list of Mep candidates. We did say in March that after a run of defections and such as the jailing of former Mep Tom Wise for expenses fraud, Nigel Farage would be a bit more rigorous about the selection process. The result was the so called "fruitcake" test. So many hopes were dashed. And it is a shame in its way, because we still have copies of the famous Guardian front page that carried a picture of Hamilton post his legal entanglement with us over cash-for-questions, and its banner headline, "A liar and a cheat". With a party motif slotted in, it would have made a nice election poster. Oh well, not to be.

• An apparent victory as we strive to...

Fred MacMurray movies: ‘Double Indemnity,’ ‘There’s Always Tomorrow’ Fred MacMurray is Turner Classic Movies’ "Summer Under the Stars" today, Thursday, August 7, 2013. Although perhaps best remembered as the insufferable All-American Dad on the long-running TV show My Three Sons and in several highly popular Disney movies from 1959 to 1967, e.g., The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, Boy Voyage!, MacMurray was immeasurably more interesting as the All-American Jerk. (Photo: Fred MacMurray ca. 1940.) Someone once wrote that Fred MacMurray would have been an ideal choice to star in a biopic of disgraced Republican president Richard Nixon. Who knows, the (coincidentally Republican) MacMurray might have given Anthony Hopkins a run for his Best Actor Academy Award nomination. After all, MacMurray’s most admired movie performances are those in which he plays a scheming, conniving asshole: Billy Wilder’s classic film noir Double Indemnity (1944), in which he’s seduced by Barbara Stanwyck, and Wilder...

Los Angeles, May 15: Australian director Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gasby" is only the latest in a series of screen adaptations of F. Scott Fitzgerald's book. From a silent version to, of course, the famous film starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, the novel has had several cinematic renditions.

The first attempt to bring the book on silver screen was by director Herbert Brenon in 1926. The movie was a silent film starring Warner Baxter, Lois Wilson and Neil Hamilton in lead roles. The movie was "rotten", said Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of Scott Fitzgerald. However, the prints of the movie were lost later and no archives are said to.

The very last silent film ever to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars... until, we may presume, The Artist is nominated on Tuesday. The film itself is, sadly, lost. We think trailers today are overblown? It’s the perfect motion picture! The screen’s most glorious achievement to date! No question about it. And why would you want to see that one actor, Neil Hamilton? Why, he’s handsome and popular! Via @dialmformovies.

Silent All Quiet On The Western Front: TCM's Library of Congress Tribute [Photo: Kay Francis, Leslie Howard in British Agent.] Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 8:00 Pm The Constant Nymph (1943). A composer finds inspiration in his wife's romantic cousin. Dir: Edmund Goulding. Cast: Charles Boyer, Joan Fontaine, Alexis Smith. Bw-112 mins. 10:00 Pm Baby Face (1933). A beautiful schemer sleeps her way to the top of a banking empire. Dir: Alfred E. Green. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Donald Cook. Bw-76 mins. 11:30 Pm Two Heads On A Pillow (1934). Once-married attorneys face off during a heated divorce case. Dir: William Nigh. Cast: Neil Hamilton, Miriam Jordan, Henry Armetta. Bw-68 mins. 12:45 Am All Quiet On The Western Front (1930). Young German soldiers try to adjust to the horrors of World War I. Dir: Lewis Milestone. Cast: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray. Bw-134 mins. 3:15 Am : Will Rogers Winging Around Europe (1927). Bw-0 mins. 3:30 Am...

Joan Fontaine-Charles Boyer in Rare The Constant Nymph on TCM. [Photo: Miriam Jordan, Neil Hamilton in Two Heads on a Pillow.] Besides the Edmund Goulding-directed Joan Fontaine-Charles Boyer-Alexis Smith movie The Constant Nymph, other Library of Congress Film Archive entries on Turner Classic Movies tonight include Two Heads on a Pillow (1934), a B comedy directed by William Nigh, an important late silent-era director (Lon Chaney's Mr. Wu, Ramon Novarro's Across to Singapore) later stuck with second-rate fare. Apparently a sort of Adam's Rib predecessor, Two Heads on a Pillow features former silent-era leading man Neil Hamilton (Batman's Commissioner Gordon) and minor leading lady Miriam Jordan as once-married attorneys involved in a divorce case. It's probably worth watching even if only because of its cast, which also includes silent-era veterans Betty Blythe (the title role in the now-lost The Queen of Sheba) and Claire McDowell (Ramon Novarro's leprosy-stricken mom in Ben-Hur,...

Claudette Colbert, Alla Nazimova, Marion Davies, Charles Boyer: Cinecon 2011 Thursday September 1 (photo: Alla Nazimova) 7:00 Hollywood Rhythm (1934) 7:10 Welcoming Remarks 7:15 Hollywood Story (1951) 77 min. Richard Conte, Julie Adams, Richard Egan. Dir: William Castle. 8:35 Q & A with Julie Adams 9:10 Blazing Days (1927) 60 min. Fred Humes. Dir: William Wyler. 10:20 In The Sweet Pie And Pie (1941) 18 min 10:40 She Had To Eat (1937) 75 min. Jack Haley, Rochelle Hudson, Eugene Pallette. Friday September 2 9:00 Signing Off (1936) 9:20 Moon Over Her Shoulder (1941) 68 min. Dan Dailey, Lynn Bari, John Sutton, Alan Mowbray. 10:40 The Active Life Of Dolly Of The Dailies (1914) 15 min. Mary Fuller. 10:55 Stronger Than Death (1920) 80 min. Alla Nazimova, Charles Bryant. Dir: Herbert Blaché, Charles Bryant, Robert Z. Leonard. 12:15 Lunch Break 1:45 Open Track (1916) 2:00 On The Night Stage (1915) 60 min. William S. Hart, Rhea Mitchell. Dir: Reginald Barker. 3:15 50 Miles From Broadway (1929) 23 min 3:45 Cinerama Adventure (2002). Dir: David Strohmaier. 5:18 Discussion...

The new Twilight-tinged remake of Red Riding Hood swished its crimson cloak into UK cinemas this weekend in the first sighting of Hollywood's latest fetish: reinventing classic fairy tales.

Directed by Twilight's Catherine Hardwicke, the children's favourite has been given a gothic, romantic makeover in which the wolf's been turned into a werewolf and the craggy old grandmother is played by the glamorous Julie Christie.

As you'd imagine from the woman who discovered Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, it also boasts a beautiful-looking love triangle in the form of Max (son of Jeremy) Irons, Shiloh Fernandez and title star Amanda Seyfried.

Also in the cast is Gary Oldman (pictured), who plays the over-zealous Father Solomon, a werewolf hunter in the vein of Dracula's Van Helsing.

In a new interview, Oldman spoke about the film and also about his involvement in Christopher Nolan's billion-dollar Batman franchise.

The actor will...

Today's generation is surrounded by technology. Rapidly-advancing tools of all sorts are so prevalent in every aspect of our lives that we depend on them, nay, expect them to make our lives easier, more enjoyable, and more interesting. Multi-billion dollar industries such as cinema are in no way immune from the public's desire for bigger and better things. Moviegoers have the options of watching films in a variety of locales, in IMAX or 3D, via regular projection screens or the latest in digital picture. For those who prefer to stay close to home, the options multiply. Satellite TV, cable TV, Redbox, a widespread availability of DVDs, and even the disappearing neighborhood rental store all combine to contain every movie that the discerning film aficionado could ever hope to watch, available at the push of a button or a short drive up the street.

Well... almost every movie. It may seem...