'The Riddler' Frank Gorshin Dies at 72

http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_phot...18144609990004 http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_phot...18145009990001
Updated: 03:03 PM EDT
'The Riddler' Frank Gorshin Dies at 72
By JEFF WILSON, AP

BURBANK, Calif. (May 18) - Frank Gorshin, the impressionist with 100 faces best known for his Emmy-nominated role as the Riddler on the "Batman" TV series, has died. He was 72.

Gorshin's wife of 48 years, Christina, was at his side when he died Tuesday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, his agent and longtime friend, Fred Wostbrock, said Wednesday.

"He put up a valiant fight with lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia," Mrs. Gorshin said in a statement.

Despite dozens of TV and movie credits, Gorshin will be forever remembered for his role as the Riddler, Adam West's villainous foil in the question mark-pocked green suit and bowler hat on "Batman" from 1966 to '69.

"It really was a catalyst for me," Gorshin recalled in a 2002 Associated Press interview. "I was nobody. I had done some guest shots here and there. But after I did that, I became a headliner in Vegas, so I can't put it down."

West said the death of his longtime friend was a big loss.

"Frank will be missed," West said in a statement. "He was a friend and fascinating character."

Gorshin earned another Emmy nomination for one for a guest shot on "Star Trek," a 1969 episode called "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield."

In 2002, Gorshin portrayed George Burns on Broadway in the one-man show "Say Goodnight Gracie." He used only a little makeup and no prosthetics.

"I don't know how to explain it. It just comes," he said. "I wish I could say, `This is step A, B and C.' But I can't do that. I do it, you know. The ironic thing is I've done impressions all my life - I never did George Burns."

Gorshin's final performance will be broadcast on Thursday's CBS series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

Born in Pittsburgh, Gorshin broke into show business in New York. He did more than 40 impressions, including Al Jolson, Kirk Douglas, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and James Cagney.

Later, he took his impressions to "The Ed Sullivan Show" on a memorable evening - the same night the Beatles were featured. He did impressions in Las Vegas showrooms, opening for Darin and paving the way for other impressionists like Rich Little.

Sammy Davis Jr. said it was Gorshin who taught him to do impressions, Wostbrock said.

"He said you had to look like them and walk like them. Once you get that down, the voice comes easy," he said.

Gorshin's movie roles included "Bells are Ringing" (1960) with his idol Dean Martin and a batch of fun B-movies such as "Hot Rod Girl" (1956), "Dragstrip Girl" (1957) and "Invasion of the Saucer Men" (1957).

"He was fun, fascinating, wild and always a class act," Wostbrock said. "Here's a guy who always wore great clothes, stood up when a woman walked into the room - he was a gentleman. We did all our deals with a handshake. There was never a signed contract."

His other TV credits included roles on "General Hospital, "The Edge of Night" and "The Munsters" as well as guest appearances on "Donny & Marie," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Murder, She Wrote," "The Fall Guy," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Wonder Woman," "Charlie's Angels" and "Police Woman."

Besides his wife, Gorshin leaves his son Mitchell Gorshin of Orlando, Fla., and sister Dottie Roland of Pittsburgh.

Wostbrock said the funeral would be private and Gorshin would be buried in the family plot in Pittsburgh.


05/18/05 12:59 EDT

He was my favourite Villian on that show..I even remember drawing "?" all over my long sleeve shirt once...I wanted to dress like him. He was by far the coolest man in tights. He was incredibly charismatic as The Riddler...and insane. It's a hell of a combination. I remember a few of his other parts but The Riddler was some of his finest work...really that show had villians played by actors way too cool for the era that got them to be honest.

R?P ! I wonder if they will put a tribute to him in the new batman movie now?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VoldtaEngler

R?P ! I wonder if they will put a tribute to him in the new batman movie now?

---

They better...am I alonein thinking it's looking kinda TOO low key and "realistic"? It's nice they took pages from Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns and Year One...but it's looking kinda "meh".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tequila Zaire

They better...am I alonein thinking it's looking kinda TOO low key and "realistic"? It's nice they took pages from Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns and Year One...but it's looking kinda "meh".

---

it doesnt look too bad..i guess we'll have to see.. trailers and teasers always show the best parts..even on hyped movies. and it usually has a reverse effect.. i.e. the hype for oceans 12..it was a flop at the boxoffice...the hype for underworld...didnt do as well as it wanted to..hype for most comics made to movies... 90% of them flopped... now with everybody EXPECTING a movie to suck..then its good! like the new star wars :P and the village!...wait no..the village horribly sucked...

He was always my favourite villain on the Batman TV show...he had a capacity for unbridled psychotic behaviour which no one else got close to.

As an aside, does anyone else think Michael Jackson's mugshot looks like Cesar Romero as The Joker???