News

Tommy Oliver went from a “punch first, ask questions later” Ranger in Mighty Morphin to a wise, resourceful mentor who even had his own secret Batcave in Power Rangers Dino Thunder. Set seven years after Tommy and the rest of the Mmpr/Zeo Rangers left the team midway through Turbo, Dino Thunder was not as self-contained as the other Disney seasons. While the 2004 show was a standalone story, it also worked as a legacy sequel to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers thanks to the return of Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver.

Although Frank had appeared in 2002’s Wild Force as one of the veteran Red Rangers from the Forever Red crossover, Tommy had not been a recurrent character in the series since 1997. With Power Rangers moving production to New Zealand and Disney moving toward standalone seasons, it seemed like there was no room for a character like Tommy to return in a large capacity.

Netflix's documentary Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley has allowed audiences a glimpse into the life of one of pop culture's most famous figures, and the iconic singer has numerous films to check out next. Aside from being one of the defining musical artists of the 20th century, Elvis Presley's acting career saw him star in 31 films, primarily including musicals that showcased his singing talent and charisma.

Throughout the 1950s, Elvis was a fairly consistent box-office success, with his controversial manager, Colonel Tom Parker, dictating many of his acting choices. Presley wanted to partake in more serious roles, but those films, like Flaming Star, earned less at the box office. Movies like Jailhouse Rock and Viva Las Vegas were some of the highest-grossing films of their respective years, proving a desire for his musical movies with accompanied soundtrack albums.

Wild in the Country...

By this stage, seeing Bruce Wayne's parents die has become a well-worn cinematic trope in and of itself. Like poor old Uncle Ben in the "Spider-Man" movies, Thomas and Martha Wayne have now perished in front of our eyes dozens of times, and that's to say nothing of the various comic book versions of their untimely demise.

It comes as a byproduct of the fact that Batman represents one of the most rich and infinitely reinventable characters in all fiction. Comic writers and film and TV directors have all had a go at iterating on the classic tale of Bruce Wayne's transformation from privileged son of Gotham aristocrats to a "weird figure of the dark," as his alter-ego was dubbed in 1939's "Detective Comics" #33. Almost 10 years after that story was first told, Batman's origin was revisited in 1948's "Batman" #47, which established mugger Joe Chill as the Waynes' killer. But subsequent...

The Joker's true identity has been a subject of secrecy and speculation throughout his existence, with multiple adaptations offering different versions of his name. The most widely recognized "real" name for the Joker is Jack Napier, introduced in Tim Burton's Batman film. The creators have intentionally maintained the mystery surrounding the Joker's true origins, as they believe it enhances the character's intrigue and popularity.

The Joker wasn't born with that name, meaning creators have struggled to reveal Joker's 'true identity' in every decade he's existed. The secrecy surrounding Joker's true origin story may never fade, and never answer the question, "What is Joker's real name?" Thankfully, the many adaptations and reimaginings of Joker have given fans answers, leaving it to them to decide which seems best.

Joker's adaptations and portrayals have been regularly iconic, from Caesar Romero’s hyperactive portrayal in the 1960s Batman series, to Mark Hamill’s...

Jeremy Irons is back as Alfred Pennyworth in DC's The Flash. In the film, Batman's best ally reluctantly becomes Barry's guy-in-the-chair, using snarky comments to remind the younger hero that he's Batman's helper, not the Flash's. Irons' performance is as iconic as ever, and he matches the film's hilarious tone while still carrying Alfred's seriousness. However, he isn't the only actor to excel at this role.

Since he first appeared in the 1943 serial, many actors have portrayed Alfred Pennyworth, but some of them stand out from the rest. Whether it is because they add something new to Alfred's character that changes him forever or because they do a great job at sticking to his comics' identity, these actors are the best at playing Batman's closest confidant.

Related: Batman's 10 Closest Allies

William Austin Batman (1943)

William Austin was the first actor to ever portray Alfred Pennyworth in a live-action adaptation in 1943, with Lewis Wilson as Batman.

Ranking up there with “Ryan Coogler rebooting The X-Files” as one of the most unexpected pieces of news today is the announcement that The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman will be producing a remake of the 1956 horror film The Mole People (watch it Here) for Universal Pictures. Deadline reports that the project was pitched by Christopher Winterbauer, director of the HBO Max Original Moonshot, who will be writing the screenplay. The news is surprising because The Mole People isn’t exactly one of the most popular titles in the Universal library.

Directed by Virgil Vogel from a screenplay written by László Görög, The Mole People told the story of three archaeologists who come upon an unusual race of albino beings who shun all forms of light and have mutant mole men as their slaves. Because of their “magical cylinders of fire” (what we know as flashlights), these archaeologists are treated...

The live-action TV series "Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler", based on the early adventures of  'Alfred Pennyworth' (Jack Bannon), a former British 'Sas' soldier who arranges security in 1960's London, has been canceled after three seasons on HBO Max:

"...'Pennyworth' is based on DC characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, following the legendary butler of 'Bruce Wayne', 'Alfred Pennyworth'...

"...a former British 'Sas' soldier who forms a security company...

"...then goes to work for 'Thomas Wayne', Bruce's billionaire father, in 1960's London, UK..."

Debuting in DC's "Batman" #16 (April 1943), 'Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth' is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, housekeeper, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of 'Thomas' and 'Martha Wayne'. 

As a Brit ex-Special Operations Executive operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community, Alfred has been called 'Batman's Batman'.

Click here to read the full article.

June Blair, who portrayed the wife of her real-life husband, David Nelson, on the reality-bending ABC family comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, has died. She was 90.

Blair died Monday of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks, her daughter-in-law Susan Nelson told The Hollywood Reporter.

Shortly after posing as Playboy‘s Playmate of the Month in January 1957, the redheaded Blair starred as a woman mixed up in a complex theft of narcotics in the film noir Hell Bound (1957), starring John Russell.

Then, in 1959 releases, she portrayed a vulnerable secretary at a construction firm in The Rabbit Trap, starring Ernest Borgnine, and was one of three daughters of a nuclear scientist (future Batman butler Alan Napier) — Venetia Stevenson and Diane Jergens were the others — in Island of Lost Women.

Blair had just come off a turn as a saloonkeeper on the...

Click here to read the full article.

Venetia Stevenson, a model, actress and daughter of Hollywood luminaries who appeared in films including Darby’s Rangers, Island of Lost Women and Horror Hotel after being labeled “the most photogenic girl in the world,” has died. She was 84.

Stevenson died Monday at a health care facility in Atlanta after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, her brother, actor and photographer Jeffrey Byron, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Stevenson’s parents were Robert Stevenson, the Oscar-nominated director of Mary Poppins who earlier helmed King Solomon’s Mines and Jane Eyre, and her mother was Anna Lee, who starred in How Green Was My Valley and portrayed the matriarch Lila Quartermaine for a quarter-century on General Hospital.

The screen siren was married to actor Russ Tamblyn from Valentine’s Day 1956 until their divorce in April 1957 and to Don Everly of The Everly Brothers from 1962-...

The live-action TV series "Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler", based on the early adventures of 'Alfred Pennyworth' (Jack Bannon), a former British 'Sas' soldier who arranges security in 1960's London, streams Season Three, October 6, 2022 on HBO Max:

"...'Pennyworth' is based on DC characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, following the legendary butler of 'Bruce Wayne', 'Alfred Pennyworth'...

"...a former British 'Sas' soldier who forms a security company...

"...then goes to work with 'Thomas Wayne', Bruce's billionaire father, in 1960's London, UK..."

Debuting in DC's "Batman" #16 (April 1943), 'Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth' is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, housekeeper, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of 'Thomas' and 'Martha Wayne'.

As a Brit ex-Special Operations Executive operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community…

…Alfred has been called 'Batman's Batman'.

The Crown Prince of Crime is one of the most mysterious characters in all of Gotham, with more secrets than even the enigmatic Riddler. The Joker's real identity has always been a question mark, in part because he's scarier if we don't know what made him an evil megalomaniac. Heath Ledger's take on the character in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" riffed on the idea of a shifting backstory by having Ledger's Joker tell different stories about how he got his scars to different people. Besides, how could anyone trust the word of a madman? No matter what Joker might say about his own past, it's very unlikely to be true. 

While some adaptations of the character have given him a name beyond the Joker moniker, like Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck in "Joker," there hasn't been a single consensus on his official comics canon name... until now.

The live-action TV series "Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler", based on the early adventures of  'Alfred Pennyworth' (Jack Bannon), a former British 'Sas' soldier who arranges security in 1960's London, streams Season Three, October 6, 2022 on HBO Max:

"...'Pennyworth' is based on DC characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, following the legendary butler of 'Bruce Wayne', 'Alfred Pennyworth'...

"...a former British 'Sas' soldier who forms a security company...

"...then goes to work with 'Thomas Wayne', Bruce's billionaire father, in 1960's London, UK..." 

Debuting in DC's "Batman" #16 (April 1943), 'Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth' is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, housekeeper, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of 'Thomas' and 'Martha Wayne'. 

As a Brit ex-Special Operations Executive operative of honor and ethics with connections within the intelligence community, Alfred has been called 'Batman's Batman'.

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By Doug Oswald

A French soldier and spy is sent on a mission to discover the location of a secret German U-Boat base in “Assignment in Brittany,” released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection. Jean-Pierre Aumont plays Captain Pierre Metard, a member of the Free French army serving in Great Britain. He has an uncanny resemblance to a French farmer and soldier, Corporal Bertrand Corlay, a man with Nazi ties who ends up in a British hospital. The British devise a scheme where Pierre impersonates Bertrand and returns home to search out the U-Boat base. He spends weeks studying and memorizing everything known about Bertrand before being flown to and dropped by parachute in to Brittany and makes his way on foot to Bertrand’s family farm.

He runs in to two British soldiers who escaped from a...

There are many elements integral to the Batman mythology that would cause an uproar if they were ever changed, and one of the things that’s just as important to the Caped Crusader as his costume, the Batmobile, the Batcave, his myriad of fancy gadgets and his billions of dollars is the unwavering support of his loyal butler and closest confidant Alfred Pennyworth.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman might be the eleventh feature film to star the Dark Knight in a major role, but Alfred has never been too far from his side dating back from Alan Napier in Adam West’s big screen spinoff in 1966 to Jeremy Irons in Justice League. Andy Serkis will inherit the mantle for the upcoming reboot, and his presence alone would seem to guarantee a more rough and ready interpretation of the iconic character than we’ve been used to seeing in the past.

Andy...

Elvis fans laud this high-end drama, an attempt by the superstar to lock into a mainstream acting career. Presley has fine dramatic support, especially from his three leading ladies, but the requirement that an Elvis movie be all things to all people — especially marketers — really takes its toll. It’s a soap where almost nothing is believable, except to true believers for whom Presley can do no wrong.

Wild in the Country

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1961 / Color / 2:35 widescreen 1:37 academy / 114 min. / Street Date August 20, 2019 / Available from Twilight Time Movies / 29.95

Starring: Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, Millie Perkins, Rafer Johnson, John Ireland, Gary Lockwood, William Mims, Raymond Greenleaf, Christina Crawford, Pat Buttram, Doreen Lang, Alan Napier, Jason Robards Sr..

Cinematography: William C. Mellor

Editor : Dorothy Spencer

Original Music: Kenyon Hopkins

Written by Clifford Odets from a novel by J. R. Salamanca

Produced by Jerry Wald

Directed by Philip Dunne...

It’s Fritz Lang versus CinemaScope, for the first and last time. The format suited to snakes and funerals effectively hamstrings the great filmmaker’s expressive camera direction, yet the movie is one of the best of MGM’s last-gasp ’50s costume dramas. Corrupt smuggler Stewart Granger is redeemed by the faith of a young boy who believes in him; in this story the words “He’s my friend” take on a big significance. Come see director Lang struggle to adapt the wide-wide screen to accommodate his brand of real cinema.

Moonfleet

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date August 13, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Stewart Granger, Jon Whiteley, George Sanders, Joan Greenwood, Viveca Lindfors, Liliane Montevecchi, Melville Cooper, Sean McClory, Alan Napier, John Hoyt, Donna Corcoran, Jack Elam, Dan Seymour, Ian Wolfe.

Cinematography: Robert H. Planck

Film Editor: Albert Akst

Original Music: Miklos Rozsa

Written by Jan Lustig,...

"Pennyworth" is the newest, 10-episode, live-action, 'Batman' prequel TV series, focusing on 'Alfred', the butler of 'Bruce Wayne' when he was a young British Sas soldier, based on characters published by DC Comics, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, starring Jack Bannon, Ben Aldridge, Ryan Fletcher, Hainsley Lloyd Bennett, Paloma Faith, and Jason Flemyng, premiering July 28, 2019, on Epix:

"....'Alfred Pennyworth' (Bannon), a former British Sas soldier forms a security company and goes to work for young Us billonaire 'Thomas Wayne', during the 'swinging' 1960's in London, UK.

"Characters include 'Dave Boy', a long-time alcoholic friend of Alfred's who served with him in the army, army buddy and ladies man 'Bazza', 'Bet Sykes'...

"...a spirited sadistic sharp-tongued woman who rivals against Alfred, 'Lord Harwood', an enemy of Alfred who works with Bet, 'Martha Kane', Thomas' love interest and the future mother of 'Bruce Wayne'..."

Cast also includes...

The Strange Door

Blu Ray

Kino Lorber

1951 / 1:33:1 / 81 Min.

Starring Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff, Sally Forrest

Written by Jerry Sackheim

Cinematography by Irving Glassberg

Directed by Joseph Pevney

Charles Laughton is a vengeful aristocrat with a secret in the cellar and Boris Karloff is the family servant who holds the key to The Strange Door. Released in 1951, the Universal International period piece stars Laughton as Alain de Maletroit, a bitter reprobate who lures a fugitive into his castle with the promise of sanctuary in exchange for a wedding vow.

There’s a bright side to that peculiar overture – the mystery bride is de Maletroit’s niece, the prim but pliant Blanche played by the low key seductress Sally Forrest.

Laughton’s convoluted plan is a decades-long effort to corrupt Blanche and humiliate her father, Edmond, the man who stole Blanche’s mother from Laughton years before. The fugitive, Denis de Beaulieu,...

Epix has set July 28th for the premiere of Pennyworth (9 Pm Et/Pt) and released a new trailer for the series that adapts DC Comics characters with roots in Gotham City but sets the action in London of the Cold War era. The 10-episode, one-hour drama chronicles the early adventures of Bruce Wayne’s legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon), and the origin of the bond between Pennyworth and the Wayne Family, a connection that in later decades will make Pennyworth the butler and devoted guardian of young Bruce Wayne — and eventually Batman’s unflappable aide-de-camp, battle nurse and Batcave back-up team.

The series picks up with the title character in his 20s and fresh from a stint as a British Sas soldier that took him to dangerous places for dark duties. Pennyworth’s Gotham City destiny begins to take shape when he accepts a security job with a young...

With the Dceu possibly seeking a new butler to go with its new live action Batman, a familiar face has made known his desire to move from an animated Alfred to a live action one. Ralph Fiennes, who voiced the meticulous manservant in 2017’s Lego Batman movie, spoke to us on the windy red carpet for his latest directorial outing The White Crow, and told us about his desire to play the perennial manservant in a live action outing.

Here’s a brief excerpt from our premiere interviews for The White Crow.

Many Batfans first came to know Alfred Pennyworth in the form of Alan Napier, who played opposite the mighty Adam West’s Bruce Wayne in the ’60s TV series. Recent incarnations include Michael Gough (to Michael Keaton’s Batman), Michael Caine (who told Christian Bale’s Batman the reason for falling) and Sean Pertwee’s leading role in the Gotham TV series.

Not enough love is set aside for this ambitious, under-budgeted Lost Civilization epic. John Agar and Cynthia Patrick find love in an ancient albino race that worships a Death Ray and enslaves a race of Subterranean Humanoid Underground Dwellers — Mole Men, what else? It’s unconvincing and the production lacks polish, but it’s also got clever story gimmicks and sympathetic monsters, so it gets a warm reception at CineSavant Central.

The Mole People

Blu-ray

Scream Factory

1956 / B&W / 1.85:1 + 2:1 widescreen / 77 min. / Street Date February 26, 2019 / 27.99

Starring: John Agar, Cynthia Patrick, Hugh Beaumont, Alan Napier, Nestor Paiva, Phil Chambers, Rodd Redwing, Robin Hughes, Frank Baxter, Eddie Parker.

Cinematography: Ellis W. Carter

Film Editor: Irving Birnbaum

Mask Maker: Jack Kevan

Special Photography: Clifford Stine

Written by László Görög

Produced by William Alland

Directed by Virgil Vogel

“Mole Hole, Mole Hole — A land of renown!

Iraq is Up and Sumeria’s down!

Proving that there’s still life beyond Gotham, Epix is getting ready to bring us a 10-episode season of Pennyworth, a Batman prequel show which will explore Alfred’s time as a former Sas soldier in 1960s London.

It’s important to stress that this is not a Gotham spinoff, but rather something else entirely. And honestly, there’s a ton of potential to be tapped here. Sure, the military side of Alfred has been a notable aspect of the character for a while now, but it wasn’t really until the graphic novel Batman: Earth One that the door was opened for a more rough-and-tumble version of the fan favorite in other media, namely in movies such as Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

And so, Pennyworth will bring us back to a time when the eponymous gentleman’s gentleman was in his mid-20’s, “as...

When Batman’s loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth has been portrayed in Hollywood, he’s mostly a secondary character looking after his superhero charge. But in the new Epix drama Pennyworth, comic book fans will learn a lot more about the DC Comics character during the 10-episode, one-hour series debuting in June and starring Jack Bannon in the title role.

The show appeared during Epix’s session Sunday at TCA.

The story unfolds during the 1960s, when Pennyworth meets a young billionaire named Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) during a chance encounter at a London nightclub where the young protagonist works as a bouncer. The former British Sas soldier is in his 20s at the start of the series, which also co-stars singer Paloma Faith.

The story takes place “twentysomething years before Gotham,” according to series executive producer Danny Cannon, who teased the series while promoting the Fox series’ final season on...

The walls literally close in on those unfortunate enough to find themselves in the dungean of the Sire de Maletroit (Charles Laughton) in 1951's The Strange Door. Co-starring the legendary Boris Karloff and based on a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Door will be opened by Kino Lorber on Blu-ray this April.

Special features for The Strange Door (1951) Blu-ray have yet to be announced, but you can read the official announcement from Kino Lorber below, and stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates.

From Kino Lorber Studio Classics: "Coming April 2019 on Blu-ray!

The Strange Door (1951) Starring Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff, Sally Forrest, Richard Wyler, Alan Napier and Michael Pate - Shot by Irving Glassberg - Screenplay by Jerry Sackheim (The Black Castle) - Based on the Story "" by Robert Lewis Stevenson - Directed by Joseph Pevney."

Synopsis (via Blu-ray.com): "The Sire de Maletroit (Charles...

Jason Flemyng has joined Epix’s DC Comics adaptation Pennyworth in the series-regular role of the villain called Lord Harwood. Flemyng’s credits include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Journey, The Missing and Jamestown.

The upcoming 10-episode, one-hour Epix drama series chronicles the early adventures of Bruce Wayne’s legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon), by picking up with the character in his 20s in England when he is fresh from a stint as a British Sas soldier. Pennyworth’s Gotham City destiny begins to take shape when he accepts a security job with a young American tycoon named Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge), who is not yet the father to Bruce Wayne.

Pennyworth is from executive producer/writer Bruno Heller and executive producer/director Danny Cannon.

Alfred Pennyworth first appeared in the pages of DC Comics in 1943 and has been portrayed...

Epix’s drama Pennyworth has found its villainess at the top of the British pop charts: Platinum-selling singer Paloma Faith has joined the cast in the role of Bet Sykes, a cruel adversary who will test the courage of young Alfred Pennyworth and his new boss, Thomas Wayne, the future father of Bruce Wayne.

Faith’s character is described as a “spirited, sadistic and sharp-tongued villain,” according to Warner Horizon Scripted Television. The characters are based on the adventures dating back to the Fdr years and published in the pages of Batman, Detective Comics and other DC Comics titles.

Faith has acted before — her onscreen credits include Peter & Wendy and Doctor Parnassus — but is best known as a UK music star with a strong track record at home but little traction in the American market.

The singer’s fourth full-length album, The Architect, was released last November and hit No.

The new 10-episode straight-to-series live-action drama prequel, "Pennyworth", set in the 'Batman' universe, follows the origin and back story of  'Alfred Pennyworth', the butler, bodyguard and confidante of 'Bruce Wayne', airing in 2019:

"...'Pennyworth' is based on DC characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger...

"...following the legendary butler of 'Bruce Wayne', 'Alfred Pennyworth'...

"...a former British 'Sas' soldier who forms a security company...

"...then goes to work for 'Thomas Wayne', Bruce's billionaire father, in 1960's London, UK..." 

Bruno Heller ("Gotham") and executive producer Danny Cannon will serve as showrunners for the first season.

Debuting in DC's "Batman" #16 (April 1943), by writer Don Cameron and illustrator Bob Kane, 'Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth' is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler...

...housekeeper, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of 'Thomas' and 'Martha Wayne'. 

As an ex-Special...

Fritz Lang’s third wartime anti-Nazi film is an Alfred Hitchcock-type spy chase taken from a psychological novel by Graham Greene, with the psychology angle transferred mostly to physical threats — ticking clocks, a mystery cake, and German bombs in the Blitz. Ray Milland is cool and collected for a man just released from a mental asylum, and proves up to the task of defeating a Nazi conspiracy.

Ministry of Fear

Region B Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1944 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 86 min. / Street Date August 27, 2018 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £14.99

Starring: Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, Carl Esmond, Hillary Brooke, Percy Waram, Dan Duryea, Alan Napier, Erskine Sanford, Byron Foulger.

Cinematography: Henry Sharp

Film Editor: Victor Young

Original Music: Victor Young

Written by Seton I. Miller from the novel by Graham Greene

Produced by Seton I. Miller

Directed by Fritz Lang

Why do we go for certain Region B Blu-ray imports, even...

Epix will produce the 10-episode straight-to-series live-action drama prequel, "Pennyworth", set in the 'Batman' universe, following the origin and back story of young 'Alfred Pennyworth', the butler/bodyguard/confidante of 'Bruce Wayne' aka 'Batman', airing in 2019:

"...'Pennyworth' is based on DC characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, following the legendary butler of 'Bruce Wayne', 'Alfred Pennyworth'...

"...a former British 'Sas' soldier who forms a security company...

"...then goes to work with 'Thomas Wayne', Bruce's billionaire father, in 1960's London, UK..." 

Bruno Heller ("Gotham") and executive producer Danny Cannon will serve as showrunners for the first season.

Debuting in DC's "Batman" #16 (April 1943), by writer Don Cameron and illustrator Bob Kane, 'Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth' is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, housekeeper, legal guardian, best friend, aide-de-camp, and surrogate father figure following the murders of 'Thomas' and 'Martha Wayne'.

Proving there’s still life beyond Gotham, Epix has served up a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for Pennyworth, a Batman prequel series primed to explore Alfred’s time as a former Sas soldier in 1960s London.

The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop, stressing that this is not a Gotham spinoff, but rather something else entirely – the only connective tissue here is Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller, who has agreed to develop the origin story for the MGM-owned premium cable network.

Casting is yet to begin, though we understand Sean Pertwee, who plays Alfred Pennyworth on Fox’s flagship Gotham series, won’t be involved, which presumably leaves the door open to cast a new and younger (?) incarnation of Batman’s loyal ally and friend. Jeremy Irons, Michael Gough, Michael Caine, Alan Napier and William Austin have all portrayed the world-famous butler over the years, so we’re curious to see who lands the gig.

No, it’s not a the-day-after sequel to The Lost Weekend, but a class-act mystery-horror from 20th-Fox, at a time when the studio wasn’t keen on scare shows. John Brahm directs the ill-fated Laird Cregar as a mad musician . . . or, at least a musician driven mad by a perfidious femme fatale, Darryl Zanuck’s top glamour girl Linda Darnell.

Hangover Square

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1945 /B&W / 1:37 Academy / 77 min. / Street Date November 21, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Laird Cregar, Linda Darnell, George Sanders, Faye Marlowe, Glenn Langan, Alan Napier.

Cinematography: Joseph Lashelle

Film Editor: Harry Reynolds

Original Music: Bernard Herrmann

Written by Barré Lyndon

Produced by Robert Bassler

Directed by John Brahm

Here’s a serious quality upgrade for horror fans. Although technically a period murder thriller, as a horror film John Brahm’s tense Hangover Square betters its precursor The Lodger in almost every department. We don...

Long before movies routinely created ‘worlds’ with their own twisted fantasy logic, only a few paranoid thrillers, usually odd genre items, tried out twisted stories of deceptive ‘hidden realities.’ Like an extended Twilight Zone entry, this lively James Garner war pic morphs into a bizarre conspiracy worthy of Philip K. Dick. If only it weren’t so “L-a-o” — Literal And Obvious.

36 Hours

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1965 / B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 115 min. / Street Date April 11, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Taylor, Werner Peters, John Banner, Russell Thorson, Alan Napier, Oscar Beregi, Ed Gilbert, Sig Ruman, Celia Lovsky, Karl Held, James Doohan.

Cinematography Philip H. Lathrop

Art Direction Edward Carfagno, George W. Davis

Film Editor Adrienne Fazan

Original Music Dimitri Tiomkin

Written by George Seaton, Carl K. Hittleman, Luis H. Vance from a story by Roald Dahl

Produced by William Perlberg

Directed by George Seaton

Released...

Ben Affleck is a solid Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and I think Jeremy Irons could end up being a great Alfred if he's given enough material to work with. As it is, he didn't have very many moments to shine in the new film, but he made the most of it and did a fine job. The character of Alfred Pennyworth has traditionally been a source of dry wit in the comics and movies, and since humor seems to be something the new Batman and Superman films in the Dceu are largely looking to avoid, I wonder if Irons will get the chance he deserves to leave his mark and make a lasting impact as this character.

In any case, Slate is here with a supercut to the live-action versions of Batman's beloved butler. I really enjoyed Michael Gough's take, and Alan Napier was...

Merle Oberon films: From empress to duchess in 'Hotel.' Merle Oberon films: From starring to supporting roles Turner Classic Movies' Merle Oberon month comes to an end tonight, March 25, '16, with six movies: Désirée, Hotel, Deep in My Heart, Affectionately Yours, Berlin Express, and Night Song. Oberon's presence alone would have sufficed to make them all worth a look, but they have other qualities to recommend them as well. 'Désirée': First supporting role in two decades Directed by Henry Koster, best remembered for his Deanna Durbin musicals and the 1947 fantasy comedy The Bishop's Wife, Désirée (1954) is a sumptuous production that, thanks to its big-name cast, became a major box office hit upon its release. Marlon Brando is laughably miscast as Napoleon Bonaparte, while Jean Simmons plays the title role, the Corsican Conqueror's one-time fiancée Désirée Clary (later Queen of Sweden and Norway). In a supporting role – her...

Whether you love or hate the DC Cinematic Universe, most fans can agree there have been some significant shifts in personality and tone from the comic book source material. Some fans like that, some fans don’t. Personally I fall into the second category and I’ve made my opinion no secret. Despite my reservations that Superman should ever be a grimdark character, it’s where Batman has always lived (at least since the death of the Adam West era). Batman was made for this gritty universe where suspicion and paranoia rule the day. But what about Alfred? While revealing the new BatCave, Entertainment Weekly also posted information from Jeremy Irons about what his role as Alfred would be in “Batman v Superman.” And it might be the most hands-on version (in canon) ever. Image Credit: Warner Bros/EW “Alfred is a lot more hands-­on in our film than he has previously been.

Oscar-winning actor Ralph Fiennes has signed on to voice Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, in the "Lego Batman" movie at Warner Bros. Pictures.

The spin-off to last year's successful "The Lego Movie" sees Will Arnett reprising his role as the Caped Crusader. This time he's joined by Michael Cera as Robin, Rosario Dawson as Batgirl and Zach Galifianakis as The Joker.

Chris McKay directs from a script by Seth Grahame-Smith. Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are producing.

The role is a distinguished one with actors such as Michael Caine, Michael Gough, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Alan Napier having portrayed it in the past. Currently Sean Pertwee plays him on Fox's "Gotham," while Jeremy Irons will take on the role in next year's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice".

This also adds yet another major franchise to Fiennes' resume following his roles as Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" films,...

Robert Walker: Actor in MGM films of the '40s. Robert Walker: Actor who conveyed boy-next-door charms, psychoses At least on screen, I've always found the underrated actor Robert Walker to be everything his fellow – and more famous – MGM contract player James Stewart only pretended to be: shy, amiable, naive. The one thing that made Walker look less like an idealized “Average Joe” than Stewart was that the former did not have a vacuous look. Walker's intelligence shone clearly through his bright (in black and white) grey eyes. As part of its “Summer Under the Stars” programming, Turner Classic Movies is dedicating today, Aug. 9, '15, to Robert Walker, who was featured in 20 films between 1943 and his untimely death at age 32 in 1951. Time Warner (via Ted Turner) owns the pre-1986 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer library (and almost got to buy the studio outright in 2009), so most of Walker's movies have...

When it comes to the world of heroic fantasy, there have been a hell of a lot of really great butlers. We’ve got such luminaries as Ram Singh (The Spider), Bernardo (Zorro), Cadbury (Richie Rich), Ianto Jones (Torchwood), Lurch (The Addams Family), Max von Mayerling (Sunset Boulevard), two different Smitherses (Veronica Lodge and the Simpsons), Fritz Brenner (Nero Wolfe), Birmingham Brown (Charlie Chan) and of course Edwin Jarvis (The Avengers or Agent Carter – take your pick). There were the Green Hornet’s Kato, but that dude was more of a partner/sidekick than a butler, and Jack Benny’s pal Rochester was only technically a butler. He was actually Benny’s arch-enemy.

But head and shoulders above all other butlers, the king of the mountain of butlers is Bruce Wayne’s own Alfred Pennyworth. You can tell from the actors who played him on film and television – Michael Caine,...

Jeremy Irons has said that his version of Alfred Pennyworth in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be "more hands-on".

The actor said that his take on Bruce Wayne's butler would be "quite different" from those that have come before.

"Zack Snyder had very clear views about what he wanted," Irons told The Hollywood Reporter.

"I would just say he's more hands-on perhaps than just a butler."

Irons added that his part in the film is "not a large role".

Pennyworth is currently being played on screen by Sean Pertwee in Fox's Gotham.

He has previously been portrayed by actors including Michael Caine, Alan Napier and Michael Gough.

Although usually confined to his role as a butler on screen, Pennyworth has also been portrayed as a former actor, army field medic and spy.

Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jesse Eisenberg and Holly Hunter...

Opening Batman: The Complete Series, I said, “This is my childhood in a box.” When the ABC series debuted in January 1966, I was seven, the exact perfect age to be utterly captivated by seeing a comic book faithfully adapted to the small screen. Without fail, I was glued to the television set on Wednesday and Thursday evenings right until the final episode aired in March 1968, leaving indelible images in my mind. These were reinforced just a few years later when local syndicated reruns burned the stories, sounds, and characters deeper into my psyche.

I was too young to understand the context of the show and its impact on popular culture, DC Comics, or the world of licensing. I didn’t get the wry jokes, it’s knowing pop camp approach to storytelling, or how it cleverly worked on multiple levels (a rare occurrence on prime time back then). Instead,...

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will officially unveil the details of its highly-anticipated November 2014 release of "Batman: The Complete Television Series" at a Comic-Con International panel -- featuring special guests Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar -- on Thursday, July 24 from 6:00-7:00pm in Hall H. Starring Adam West, Burt Ward, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, John Astin, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, Madge Blake and Yvonne Craig with special guest appearances by George Sanders, Otto Preminger, Victor Buono, David Wayne, Eli Wallach, Cliff Robertson, Carolyn Jones, Milton Berle and Vincent Price, 1960s series was known for its comic camp, upbeat theme music and overt moral lessons geared towards children. The actors...

Conan O'Brien, whose show Conan is shot on the Warner Bros. lot, announced today that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release the original 1966 Batman series on DVD later this year. Take a look at the late-night talk show host's tweet, which includes a photo of him with the original Batmobile.

Very excited @WBHomeEnt is releasing the Batman '66 Complete TV Series in 2014! The seat smells like Adam West: http://t.co/cqWjlpW1Gn

— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) January 15, 2014

Although it isn't the most conventional way to announce a highly-anticipated DVD set like this, Conan O'Brien does have somewhat of a history with the legendary franchise. He lent his voice to talk show host David Endocrine in the animated adventure Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 last year.

The original Batman series spanned 120 episodes over three seasons from 1966 to 1968, starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin. The series...

Rex Harrison hat on TCM: ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘Anna and the King of Siam’ Rex Harrison is Turner Classic Movies’ final "Summer Under the Stars" star today, August 31, 2013. TCM is currently showing George Cukor’s lavish My Fair Lady (1964), an Academy Award-winning musical that has (in my humble opinion) unfairly lost quite a bit of its prestige in the last several decades. Rex Harrison, invariably a major ham whether playing Saladin, the King of Siam, Julius Caesar, the ghost of a dead sea captain, or Richard Burton’s lover, is for once flawlessly cast as Professor Henry Higgins, who on stage transformed Julie Andrews from cockney duckling to diction-master swan and who in the movie version does the same for Audrey Hepburn. Harrison, by the way, was the year’s Best Actor Oscar winner. (See also: "Audrey Hepburn vs. Julie Andrews: Biggest Oscar Snubs.") Following My Fair Lady, Rex Harrison...

Ann Blyth movies: TCM schedule on August 16, 2013 (photo: ‘Our Very Own’ stars Ann Blyth and Farley Granger) See previous post: "Ann Blyth Today: Light Singing and Heavy Drama on TCM." 3:00 Am One Minute To Zero (1952). Director: Tay Garnett. Cast: Robert Mitchum, Ann Blyth, William Talman. Bw-106 mins. 5:00 Am All The Brothers Were Valiant (1953). Director: Richard Thorpe. Cast: Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Ann Blyth. C-95 mins. 6:45 Am The King’S Thief (1955). Director: Robert Z. Leonard. Cast: Ann Blyth, Edmund Purdom, David Niven. C-79 mins. Letterbox Format. 8:15 Am Rose Marie (1954). Director: Mervyn LeRoy. Cast: Ann Blyth, Howard Keel, Fernando Lamas. C-104 mins. Letterbox Format. 10:00 Am The Great Caruso (1951). Director: Richard Thorpe. Cast: Mario Lanza, Ann Blyth, Dorothy Kirsten, Jarmila Novotna, Richard Hageman, Carl Benton Reid, Eduard Franz, Ludwig Donath, Alan Napier, Pál Jávor, Carl Milletaire, Shepard Menken, Vincent Renno, Nestor Paiva, Peter Price, Mario Siletti, Angela Clarke,...

Joan Fontaine movies: ‘This Above All,’ ‘Letter from an Unknown Woman’ (photo: Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine in ‘Suspicion’ publicity image) (See previous post: “Joan Fontaine Today.”) Also tonight on Turner Classic Movies, Joan Fontaine can be seen in today’s lone TCM premiere, the flag-waving 20th Century Fox release The Above All (1942), with Fontaine as an aristocratic (but socially conscious) English Rose named Prudence Cathaway (Fontaine was born to British parents in Japan) and Fox’s top male star, Tyrone Power, as her Awol romantic interest. This Above All was directed by Anatole Litvak, who would guide Olivia de Havilland in the major box-office hit The Snake Pit (1948), which earned her a Best Actress Oscar nod. In Max Ophüls’ darkly romantic Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Fontaine delivers not only what is probably the greatest performance of her career, but also one of the greatest movie performances ever. Letter from an Unknown Woman...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Released in 1954 at the height of Marlon Brando's popularity, Desiree has the dubious distinction of being one of his least-remembered films, possibly because it was eclipsed by Kazan's On the Waterfront, released the same year. Desiree was a prestigious Fox production based on a romance novel that apparently had been so much the rage during this time that it was marketed as rivaling Gone With the Wind. The film version purports to explore the romantic relationship between Napoleon Bonaparte (Brando) and Desiree Clary (Jean Simmons), a young French girl of humble background who is employed in a shop owned by her family. When we first meet young Napoleon, he is on skids, his career and life threatened by the madness and paranoia that engulfed France in the aftermath of the Revolution. Still, he perseveres and survives the threats. He enters a playful romance with Desiree and even proposes to her.

He was the best of bats, he was the worst of bats.

The origins of the plot for The Dark Knight Rises, the new Batman movie, lie in "A Tale of Two Cities," according to its director, Christopher Nolan.

At a press conference yesterday, Nolan answered a question by the website SuperheroHype about the movie’s literary allusions by saying:

"When Jonah [Jonathan Nolan] showed me his first draft of his screenplay, it was 400 pages long or something. It had all this crazy stuff in it. As part of a primer when he handed it to me, he said, 'You've got to think of "A Tale of Two Cities" which, of course, you've read.' I said, 'Absolutely.'

I read the script and was a little baffled by a few things and realized that I'd never read "A Tale of Two Cities." It was just one of those things that I thought I had done.