Batman in film hooded villain whose identity remains a mystery throughout the serial until the end. "Batman" (also known as "Batman: The Movie") is a 1966 film adaptation of the popular "Batman" television series, and was the first full-length theatrical adaptation of the DC Comics character. The 20th Century Fox release starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, as well as Lee Meriwether as Catwoman, Cesar Romero as the Joker, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin and Frank Gorshin as the Riddler. The film was directed by Leslie H. Martinson, who also directed a pair of "Batman" episodes: "The Penguin Goes
Joker (character) illustrations. Beginning as a letterer and background inker, Robinson quickly became primary artist for the newly created "Batman" comic book series. In a 1975 interview in "The Amazing World of DC Comics", Robinson said he wanted a supreme arch-villain who could test Batman, but not a typical crime lord or gangster designed to be easily disposed. He wanted an exotic, enduring character as an ongoing source of conflict for Batman (similar to the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty), designing a diabolically sinister-but-clownish villain. Robinson was intrigued by villains; his studies at Columbia University taught him that some characters