Batman's Butler (Alfred): Filmmaking's Iconic Alan Napier -- by ZOOM

[@eilidhsomerville5554]

Loved Alan Napier. May he rest in peace.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

...and, $100,000 back in the '60s would buy a nice house etc. etc.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

...and, $100,000 back in the 60s would buy a nice house.

[@metalman4141]

Born in Kings Norton England same place as myself !

[@leeinwis]

Limey !

[@metalman4141]

@@leeinwis True Englishmen

[@PeterTennant]

Best Alfred of all time

[@allanbard6048]

Boxing stance against the Penguin!

[@johnt7630]

Charming British gentleman. I have very fond memories of him from Batman.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

John T --- Yes; he was the perfect choice, to introduce the "Alfred" character to the 60's audiences. He was great as Sherlock Holmes, too. His point about being "tall" really shows as that character.

[@nikita-dh5je]

My favorite Alfred moment was when he was filling in for his cousin (I think), as a security guard against Joker, and Aunt Harriet walked in and Alfred had to convince her he wasn't Alfred. Real fun and great performance by everyone.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

That's also when The Alf Cycle was introduced. 🐎🐂🐱👍🇺🇸

[@sandrarobert1456]

MUCH LOVE AFRED. YOU WERE THE BEST IN ALL YOUR FILMS. A ONE OF A KIND.

[@edwinsmith6690]

I always thought that Alan Napier made a perfect Alfred. Even to this day when things are going astray I say "bless my dustpan"

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Not all heroes wear masks.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Nat all heroes wear masks.

[@carydavidhoffson4483]

He did a lot of helping on the show with a big part in the 1960s Batman t.v. show

[@xplaybwoix]

Napier actually looked like an older Adam West in the batman costume lol

[@marcbahn5487]

In a clip like this, yes. Not at all to us kids at the time. We died laughing.

[@Robert-qm5so]

I'm only 32 years old and started watching some of my uncles video tapes in 2007 , what interested me the most was the "Thriller" series from 1960, and this is how i got to recognized Alan Napier. He was in a few episodes of that show in which i saw him as a very good character actor 👌

[@TheMikester307]

Loved Alfred! Napier appears in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," and in a couple of Night Gallery episodes. In "Fright Night," there is a creepy portrait of him, and I hope they let him keep it!

[@wrlord]

Sad how Napier is best remembered for Alfred; he had a long career in movies long before Batman. He was tall, devilishly handsome, and had a magnificent swimmer's build.

[@teastrainer3604]

James Arness was 6'7" and it caused him some issues. Most of his early roles were as hoodlums, which his height helped with. During he filming of Gunsmoke some of his co-stars would stand on boxes.

[@markfryer9880]

I think that they would all rather be remembered for some character than completely forgotten! An actor being remembered for one role, gives people the opportunity to explore their other roles. What I dislike is actors who shun their most popular role(s) because "it wasn't serious enough" or "I have gone onto other roles and work." I'm looking at you Tina Louise, Ginger from Gilligan's Island. Her most popular role and she looks down upon it. An actor has one maybe two occasions to really grab the audience spotlight and have it shine down upon their career and they should be grateful. Think about all of the other actors and wannabe actors who get repeatedly passed up for one reason or another and never get any time in the spotlight? Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

[@alexandermacdougall7873]

​@@markfryer9880 I love the irony of her being the only surviving cast member. Got a Gilligan question? Go bug Tina 😂

[@alexandermacdougall7873]

It's a beloved show. I'm sure he'd be fine with being remembered fondly

[@1960frj]

Thankfully I don’t remember him for just playing Alfred, I first heard of Napier as he was the voice of a minor character in Disney’s Sword in the Stone, that would be Sir Pelinore.

[@joesmith-es5kc]

Although best known for Batman, checked his IMDB credits, & this guy worked everywhere, almost until his death! Actually saw him once on the beach in LA. He was jogging (!) slowly along the waterline while hitting a tennis ball, with a tennis racquet, for his small white dog to chase. About fifty feet from me, he fell down! Immediately concerned, but not wanting to bother him, watched as he slowly got up.. & jogged on - great guy.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Nice.🇺🇸🤠🐂🐎🐱 Back during 1966, in Georgia, The Batmobile was driving behind us (not sure what was going on).

[@chrissheppard5068]

What a distinguished lovely English gentleman.

[@RealTreyOlds]

He was great he stayed working as an actor until he passed away his last appearance was in 1988 the same year he died on a Batman reunion on a late night talk show

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Trey Olds --- Thanks for the comment. I also heard, in the 1989 Batman movie, the Joker's character was named, Jack Napier --- in honor of Alan Napier.

[@RealTreyOlds]

Mike Robinson's ZOOM yes Napier as in Alan and Jack as in the actor who played the joker

[@mikezinza9699]

As a native of Pittsburgh I always greatly appreciated that last bit

[@dennis300cr]

Seeing so many clips of Alfred answering for Batman that the Commissioner and others never connected the voice of Bruce Wayne's butler to the other voice who answered Batman's red phone!

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

And, Robin's costume is so obviously Dick Grayson.

[@voicetube]

Beautiful tribute :-)

[@RobEJC]

Loved those old Black & Whites from the English studios - Alan Napier and others; and Batman's iconic run with Napier and Ward, plus the stars appearing as bad guys and girls is STILL such fun to watch.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

RobEJC -- Yes. And back when it was first out, you had to wait until the next day to find out how they got out of the trap. Alan Napier was in more than 59 movies...impressive career.

[@merribranchaud9925]

We named our Roomba after him and call it Alfred, simply because it can do multiple things around the house! Miss him!

[@markoman5267]

Never thought of the disparity in heights being an issue when framing a camera shot.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

I was noticing that some of the 1966 Batman episodes, they strategically place Alfred in spots to keep his height a bit less obvious.

[@alexandermacdougall7873]

Friends and i get together every Saturday night to watch Batman on MeTV. We have a blast. Its so much fun.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

When the show came out it became more popular than the then, "Munsters" ... a show that was filmed in Black 'n White (color was expensive to film). "Batman" was, 'In Color" ...a big deal. For us (with B&W sets), we only saw the color version on TV sets at department stores.

[@GoatHoovesInSpats]

What time does it air?

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Batman is on MeTV each Saturday at 9:30 p.m. (Mountain Time). It's a half hour episode with a cliff hanger, to be resolved on the following Saturday. Interestingly, back during the Sixties, when I watched it as a kid, it came on at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday. They didn't make us wait a week. The cliff hanger was resolved at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. ...Same Bat Time; same Bat Channel. 🐎🐂🙂🐱🇺🇸

[@BrianBirkeland-b7v]

My favorite Alfred moment was when he had Batman on one phone and Batgirl on the other, trying to give the same info. He had to keep in mind who was who on each line, and at the end..."Sir.......miss "

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

And, there's another one... Barbara Gordon is at Wayne Manor. She follows Alfred into the study, almost discovering The Bat Phone, and entrance to The Batcave. But, Alfred keeps it safe from her finding out. (Season 3, with Louie The Lilac -- Milton Berle)

[@ejay1118]

My favorite is the duel with the Joker. Aunt Harriet: Be careful, Alfred. He's an arch criminal! Alfred: Yes mum, but he's not much of a fencer!

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

And, there was that time when Alfred was in The Batman costume standing a distance away from The Commissioner and Bruce Wayne...claiming to have a cold...and Gordon commented on how skinny and sickly Batman looked.

[@TerryAllen-bp7fd]

I scrolled down a ways in the comments, and was kinda surprised that no one seems to have yet mentioned the fact that Alfred was the only character in the TV series who knew the true identities of Batman, Robin, and Batgirl.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

True. The writters did mess with the audience a bit, though. There were two times when this happened (but, were fails): King Tut was drilling under Wayne Manor, drilled into the Bat Cave, and bumped his head causing him to forget; and then, Commissioner Gordon was hypnotized, hid in the Batmobile trunk, got into the Bat Cave, saw Alfred, figured it out, and when brought out of the trance...recalled nothing. I loved those close calls. 🇺🇸🤠🐂🐎🐱

[@HossBlacksilver]

When I go to Applebee's I see the trivia ask who is Batman's sidekick, it's of course Alfred.

[@billbright1755]

Joker called him that Anglo Fink.

[@robertroberto2487]

Alan Napier Was In Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie With Tippy Hendren,And Sean Connery.

[@AlmostReady504]

Fantastic !

[@dmellis]

This was brilliant.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

There's so much 'interesting' back-story on these actors, who were icons in their day.

[@poplifeinctv]

Hey the BEST Alfred EVER.

[@scottvasquez1401]

Sir Pellinore.

[@billa3785]

Wasn't he also in Journey to the Center of the Earth?

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

I just looked it up. He did act in the 1959 version. His character was, "Dean". ... couldn't find any photos; but, he'd have been in his 50s (?).

[@billthomas2652]

And he towers over everyone in that film too.

[@uhlijohn]

Napier also played the husband of a psychotic woman in the film noire classic Three Strangers with Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. Can't remember the name of the actress who played Napier's wife but she was great in that role. Napier also played a country doctor in the classic horror film, The Uninvited with Ray Milland and Cornelia Otis Skinner. That was a real spooky one.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

I was just looking at his history. In 1966, as Alfred, he was 63-years-old.

[@MichaelMarquez-m3b]

I’ve seen him in quite a few Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes including the three parter “I Killed the Count”.

[@CannonfireVideo]

Alan Napier played the real John Birch -- yes, the society was named after an actual person -- in "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo." Birch was a missionary turned OSS agent in WWII. They had to change his name in the film because he was still alive in 1944 and still working as an American operative.

[@MatthewK122]

Rip

[@Jamesalec63]

He was also a writer and friend of Bond's creator. The classic actor and star who may have played Alfred in Batman and Robin but shined as a star long before that series. I don't know he played Sherlock Holmes and this is strange because he appeared in a different role in another film series Sherlock Holmes too. I recall him appearing on a TV show in England Ask Aspley being interviewed a few years before his death talking about Batman and Robin and appearing in an Alfred Hitchcock movie in the early years of his work on screen and radio announcements on the BBC in his youth. I seem to recall that he was in both world wars and possibly in the Secret Service. Towards the end of the Second World War. Much like his on-screen butler Alfred Pennyworth was? There is a theory the creator of Batman drew from a source close to a story about an actor who had been a soldier and spy during the Second War in Europe that actor was a mystery, but sometimes things are closer than one believed? Jon Petwe know him you know they were related.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

He really made the show a bit better. An interesting man.

[@TheMagaFailures]

Just recently saw him on an episode of KOJAK starring Telly Savalas , Alan had a scene with him. Alan played a neighbor next door a suspect.

[@WRNPR]

I can’t stop thinking about Jeff Goldblum resemblance to Napier

[@PunchBuggyDreams]

I don't see it.

[@marcbahn5487]

Because they were both tall?

[@juggler64]

My favorite non-Alfred role for Alan Napier was as Sir Brockhurst in "The Court Jester." In it, he has a brief swordfight with the villain Sir Ravenhurst (Basil Rathbone). Both actors would also portray Sherlock Holmes!

[@donmcc6573]

Missed opportunity. He should have had a celebrity cameo on his bat climb.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

True.

[@JoeBagadonuts-hg8jz]

Not only did Alfred have the Alf Cycle, but he had the Two Way Alf Radio!

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

And, during Season 3, whereby The Penguin kidnapped Barbara Gordon, he had the Bat Emergency panic button. He got to participate a lot throughout the series.

[@EqualOpportunityDestoroya]

Only thing I knew about Alfred before he worked for the Wayne's was that he was a combat medic.

[@jaminova_1969]

I loved when Alfred would fill in for Batman when Batman was indisposed! 🦇

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

He should've been paid a lot more. Hopefully, they or their families still get royalties.

[@akirasuzami9847]

He played a character in The Invisible Man Returns who is an opposite of Alfred. The character is drunk and corrupt

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

... gotta catch that one.

[@kennethwayne6857]

Just learned this fine actor was a descendant of Charles Dickens.

[@philpots48]

He played Dr. Scott in "The Uninvited (1944)" good film.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

I'll have to watch that one.

[@mcgannahanskyjellyfetti6854]

Alan Napier died on the day Wrigley Field got lights installed in the ballpark...

[@stepanbandera5206]

He always changed Robins diapers for him.👍

[@johnbaskin7377]

My best account is Alfred's sword fighting with the Joker .

[@marcbahn5487]

If I recall correctly, Romero was also quite tall.

[@DonSchmidt-hj2gd]

It’s the Baht-phone, suhr.

[@Fez4ever]

He was great in the Uninvited with Ray Miland.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

I'm going to watch that one.

[@richardhoff1626]

It's fun when I see him in an old movie playing the bad guy instead of the refined Albert. He even played a commie.

[@xavierreivax9932]

alan was in good shape back then, i recall an episode where he was running i though, go alfred !

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

xavier reivax --- Episodes when Alfred "participated" were always more fun.

[@zelphx]

His grandson played "Chris" on the Partridge Family.

[@TheMoneypresident]

First or second one?

[@blehkelekwet9642]

One of the best scene was when Alfred was being brainwashed by the Penguin.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

And, in, "Batman: The Animated Series" they gave Alfred good lines. For example, talking to Bruce Wayne, Alfred says, "I'll prepare your usual breakfast: Toast; eggs; and, bandages".

[@jamesbomd3503]

HIS AGENT DID NOT LOOK OLD ENOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN HIS AGENT, HIS PHOTO IS FROM THE 2000s AND THE CLIPS FROM ALAN NAPIER ARE FOR A INTERVIEW FROM THE 80S

[@Peye-pv4cb]

Seems strange that commissioner Gordon asked who it was , it can only be 1 of 2 people calling on the special Red phone, who did he expect ,

[@ejay1118]

I think he was convinced Batman had been killed.

[@dianascrimger284]

He was in marnie with Sean Connery.

[@pampatrader241]

I am Pampatrader and my Icon is Alan Napier / Alfred. Why? Because he could keep a secret and help others.

[@LordRollo]

$100,000 US I'll do it!.....Alan Napier whattaguy!

[@jymmcdonald7491]

Alfred's the best,love him as the Silver Mustachioed BATMAN,etiquette and Earl Graye in Gotham ✌️from SPACE RANGER JYM

[@eldersprig]

world's tallest Sherlock Holmes

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

That did look funny.

[@billthomas2652]

Christopher Lee?

[@DanielRamos-uf3ui]

The Song Of Bernadette (1943).

[@tron3entertainment]

Alan Napier was no Adam West but looked damn good as Batman.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

... especially driving the car.

[@caroler11059]

Commissioner Gordon,answering the red hotline to Batman: “Who is this?”🤦🏼‍♀️Who do you THINK it is, Commissioner?

[@markrobert205]

In that episode the Riddler told the Commissioner that Batman was dead.

[@jonathanpearl6615]

He had a good role in the original "Cat People."

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

I just saw a video showing that for Batman, he made $500 for each 30-minute episode segment.

[@FormatorBlack]

I can't remember but he beat up one of the baddies in one episode...I think it was the Riddler but I'm not sure....maybe Penguin, I don't think it was the Joker! Great stuff, to this day there's nothing like this show, nor will there ever be!

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

I remember he had a sword fight with The Joker, in Wayne Manor.

[@markrobert205]

@@zoommikerobinson3315 And he punched out the Penguin on the Batgirl introduction episode.

[@claudiawysta4374]

I remember him as a Apothecary in The Beverly Hillbillies with the Clampetts went to England where granny thought he was trying to sell her some Shakespeare sonnets and was hitting on her and you can only imagine what she thought of sexy genarian was after he told her he was one anyway that's the way she herded sexy janarion

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

🙂 They recently played that episode on "ME" TV. He got around.

[@ChrisJohnston-k2m]

he was great in mole people!!!

[@AlanKruger-j5m]

The mole people

[@carydavidhoffson4483]

This show their was more to him on the show

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Cary David Hoffson -- Hollywood has also done a lot of character development with "every" (movie) Alfred. The cartoon version was great, even the "Gotham" Alfred is interesting.

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Interestingly, the 60's series is the only "Batman" to include an Aunt Harriet.

[@KKPsi-TubaDawg]

I'd like to see more of his version of Sherlock Holmes.

[@ejay1118]

That looked like it was "The Speckled Band."

[@nostalgicghost5033]

Hey rob, I actually just wondered this but why did you leave so sudden on your last day here

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

Andres Ortega -- It's a long story. Is there any speculation? I guess I just didn't want it to be a big deal. It's kind of like the last episode of the 1990s "MacGyver".

[@nostalgicghost5033]

Alright then, well just yesterday I think the school now has a new IT guy. For some reason it got me mad to see a new one. But I guess it's fair knowing that me, Fern, and Aidan don't know everything

[@MrBryant252005]

He was the best ❤

[@susanb2015]

Why is everything Iconic?

[@charlesmento5968]

Is this Burd Ward narrating?

[@zoommikerobinson3315]

No.

[@lloydkline6946]

Wow,100,000 dollars

[@JamesSimmons-d1t]

Try "Three Strangers" as husband of evil Geraldine Fitzgerald. Peter Lorre's farewell scene is apex of a peak of the romanticized urban pastoral. Napier versus an Invisible Man also bigly....sic... good. Bloodly goodly. Bye Trumpee.

[@richrydell9025]

this show was a big joke. a guy in a purple outfit and cape, and his side kick wearing a red top green shorts and a cape. how corny can you get ?

[@eldersprig]

and everybody played it completely straight.

[@markrobert205]

That was the intention.