Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Connie Francis as the Siren?

 


Seen above is singer/actress Connie Francis, who died this past July at the age of 87. For years, I've seen gossip column reports that she and Batman creator Bob Kane dated back in the '60s. Today I ran across this piece, which outlines Kane's plans to create a Bat-villain for his new friend to play--THE SONGBIRD. 

Kane acts like he actually had something to do with the hit series, which he did not. In fact,on the sole occasion he convinced producers William Dozier and Howie Horowitz to allow him to write an episode, he farmed it out to Bill Finger (getting Finger, now known to be the character's co-creator, his only credit for writing the character in his lifetime).


It's the description of Kane's Songbird that struck me as particularly interesting as it's a description of Lorelei Circe--THE SIREN!


Created by writer Charles Hoffman in a third season Riddler episode, sexy Joan Collins played the Siren as a solo villainess in the following episode, written by Stanley Ralph Ross. 

Coincidence? Or did Bob Kane get a new character in there after all?








Tuesday, November 04, 2025

Life of Pat Buttram (So Far) by Pat Buttram 1941


By all accounts one of the funniest men in show business, here's the future Mr. Haney from a 1941 issue of RADIO VARIETIES. 


 

Monday, October 27, 2025

Batman Shot Out of a Cannon-1977


I believe this is the engagement that Adam West often described as the low point of his career--being shot out of a cannon! Adam said it was in EvansTON, Indiana but EvansVILLE is the name of the Indiana city. To add insult to (thankfully not) injury, the infamous LEGENDS OF THE SUPERHEROES Tv specials came right after this.

 

Sunday, October 05, 2025

Cameos in AIRPORT (1970)


Comic Benny Rubin, long associated with Jack Benny on radio and TV pops up in several scenes as a passenger. No lines.


Marion Ross, then a Universal contract player and later Mrs. C on HAPPY DAYS is also on board.


Gordon Jump, WKRP's "Big Guy" inspecting the damage to the plane. 

 

Saturday, September 06, 2025

Forces of Geek and Me


Just a reminder that while posts here may be sparse these days, I offer weekly reviews of movies, books, comics, and graphic novels over at FORCES OF GEEK. Please check 'em out! 


https://forcesofgeek.com/author/steven-thompson/

Thursday, August 21, 2025

HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY TO BOOKSTEVE'S LIBRARY!


Here's a shelf of some books I actually worked on in one capacity or another over the years, which never would have happened if I hadn't started this blog in 2005!