Adam West

Adam West stepped into the role of comic crime fighter Batman in the television series of the same name during the 1960s. Marketing tie-ins to the Caped Crusader abounded, everything from lunchboxes and pajamas to recordings. The 7" single "Batman and Robin," backed by "The Story of Batman," was released by Target Records in 1976 in the U.K. Two decades later, Varese Sarabande put a bunch of Batman-related songs together under the title Batmania -- Songs Inspired by the Batman TV Series. Included in the album are the television show's theme and a song called "Miranda," which is sung by West. Among the other contributors are Peggy Lee, Jan & Dean, and the Combo Kings. 20th Century Fox put out a single of West's "Miranda" in 1966. The actor, who was born William West Anderson, won the role of the masked crime fighter from Gotham City after appearing in a televised ad for Nestle's Quick products as a secret agent. The three years that he spent alternating between the superhero and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, brought the actor international and long-lasting recognition. Following the series' cancellation, West continued to act on television and in films, and he also did voice-over work on a number of other productions. For a long stretch, however, he was typecast as Batman and his ability to get work suffered, as did his marriage. He published Back to the Batcave, an autobiography, in 1994. The actor married for the first time while he was still a college student in 1950. West worked for a time in radio before becoming a graduate student at Stanford University. Induction into the U.S. Army followed, thanks to the Draft. West was sent from coast to coast for the purpose of launching a string of television stations for the Army. Later, he traveled to Europe with his wife...