Alfred The Butler - Alan
Napier
A
matter of grave importance has arisen sir, your attention would be appreciated,
a
contract to be ahem... red
Alfred
the faithful butler, he answered the batphone, dusted the batcave
and was the only person who knew the Caped Crusaders seceret
identity. He put on the mask and was Batman's stand in. He also drove
the Batmobile for Robin when Batman was tied up. He also was the only
person to know the identity of Batgirl.
King Tut Ransom With Batman and Alfred
This clip has King Tut cussing at Batman over the phone while he holds Robin hostage. With Robin about to be boiled in oil, Alfred steps up and does the "Holy " bit in the converstion and had to catch himself- very funny.
(270KB)
Alfred
was played by Alan Napier. When the show started filming he was 63
years old, 
already
a veteran actor. He was the cousin of Neville Chamberlain, Britain's
prime minister from 1937 to 1940. His first appearance in American
film would be in 1940 in Vincent Price's film, The
Invisible Man Returns.
He starred in such films as
Julius
Caesar, My Fair Lady, Lassie Come Home,
in
fact before Batman came on the air this English Actor had appeared
or starred in over 60 feature films. He was a tall man standing
6'6" tall and as the first actor hired in the casting of Batman.
The
funny thing is before the series Alan had not even heard of Batman.
With John Wayne
In
Big Jim McClain in 1956
Alan
on the series, " I was actually the first
person hired for Batman before Batman or Robin or anybody, because
Charles FitzSimons was an associate of my agent years before and had
moved on to be Doziers assistaint. He, for some reason envisioned me
as Alfred because, after all, what I did as Alfred was quite
different from what was written. He sold the 
idea
to Dozier, and I was hired. I had never read comics before I did it.
My 
agent
rang me up and said " I think you are going to be on
Batman"' I said What is Batman ?" He said dont you read the
comics? I said no, never. He said I think you are going to be
Batman's butler. I said how do I know I want to be Batman's butler ?
It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard of. He said It may
be worth over $100,000 So I said I was Batman's Butler."
After the series Alan was in four other TV. appearances the last on in 1981. The last time he was on a reunion show was in 1988 and sadly he passed away shortly after.
He was
cremated and his final resting place is Chapel of the Pines at 1605 S.
Catalina
Los Angeles CA.
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