Frank Gorshin's precise impressions of celebrities had established him as a
familiar figure on TV variety shows when TV's "Batman" series cast him as one of the Dark Knight's greatest
foes, the Riddler. The role earned the Pittsburgh
... morenative an Emmy nomination and
took his career to a higher orbit with dozens of TV and movie credits. None
would eclipse the flamboyant Riddler, with his green tights, bowler hat and
high-pitched laugh, the last detail based on Gorshin's own. The
comedian-turned-actor would always express gratitude for his stint as the
Riddler, which enabled him to graduate to headliner status in Las Vegas.
Gorshin, whose pre-Riddler TV work included a historic appearance on "The Ed
Sullivan Show" on one of the telecasts featuring The Beatles, enjoyed a late career triumph with his 2002
Broadway run as George Burns in "Say Goodnight, Gracie," a one-man
show. Close
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