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Like "The Little Rascals" and "Lassie" before them, the Three Stooges were once a regular part of Saturday morning network programming. 

The Three Stooges shorts date back to 1930, with the release of "Soup To Nuts," starring Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Shemp Howard. In 1932, Shemp left the act to work on solo material, and he was replaced by his younger brother Jerome Horowitz, aka Curly. The Moe-Larry-Curly lineup became the troupe's best-known, and, beginning in 1934, they began starring in a very long series of short films, starting with "The Woman Haters." The trio proceeded to star in 97 Three Stooges shorts, released through 1947. 

When Curly suffered a stroke in 1946, Shemp returned to the troupe, and the Stooges continued apace. From 1947 to 1955, the Moe-Larry-Shemp lineup starred in 77 additional shorts. Shemp, sadly, passed away in 1955, and he was replaced by Joe Besser, who starred in 16 shorts with Moe and Larry. Besser's stint with the Stooges was brief,...

Sneak Peek footage of actor Adam West in the first "Batman" TV episode, his early TV commercials as 'Captain Q' for Nestle's Quick and an amusing comedy stint on the TV series "Hollywood Palace' hosted by Milton Berle:

Besides the "Batman" TV series...

...West played in the Western "Geronimo"...

...with "The Three Stooges In The Outlaws Is Coming"...

He also appeared in the science fiction film "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" (1964)...

...and performed voice work on "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Adam West...

It's with great sorrow that I report fan-favorite Batman star Adam West has passed away. He was 88 years old and he died after a short battle with leukemia. His family offered the following statement:

“Our dad always saw himself as The Bright Knight, and aspired to make a positive impact on his fans’ lives. He was and always will be our hero."

A spokesperson for the actor added:

“A true American icon and beloved father and husband, he will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and millions of fans around the world."

I grew up watching reruns of the original 1960's Batman series and I've always enjoyed seeing him pop up in other films and TV shows over the years. It's so sad to hear that he's passed on, but he's left behind a legacy of greatness.

West's career as an actor all began in the 1950's as a...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Adam West, one of the most enduring pop culture figures of the 1960s, has passed away at age 88 after a battle with leukemia. West was a hunky young actor laboring in bit parts in films such as "The Young Philadelphians", "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" and co-starring with the Three Stooges in their last feature film "The Outlaws is Coming!" when he got the opportunity to audition for the role of Batman in ABC's new TV series. The essence of the show was that it would be played as a broad comedy. West impressed the producers with his ability to pretend his character wasn't in on the joke. West played Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne as stalwart, incorrupt heroes. He approved young Burt Ward to play the role of Robin despite not having any previous acting experience. The show, which premiered in January 1966, took off like...

Variety is reporting that Adam West, star of the 60's television show Batman as well as his voice work on shows such as Family Guy, has died at the age of 88. He passed away after a short battle with leukemia.

I first became aware of Adam West when reruns of Batman hit the airwaves soon after the 1989 film. His deadpan take on Bruce Wayne and Batman were quite different to the tone that the modern movies took. The show was intended to make you smile at the camp and silliness you saw on screen. What made it work for me was the seriousness the actors brought to the roles. Adam West got the most laughs as Batman by playing it straight.

Mr. West faced the woes of typecasting that such an iconic role could bring onto an actor. He found work through voice over roles and through personal appearances which kept the money rolling in.

Some of the international movie posters presented in Cinema Retro issue #28, which features in-depth coverage of the making of Zulu.

By Brian Hannan

The 50th anniversary showing of Zulu in Britain next month is unlikely to be repeated in the U.S. where the film flopped. But even the poorest box-office performer has an afterlife. So in 1965 Zulu was pushed out again anywhere that would have it. That meant it supported some odd, not to say ugly, bedfellows – exploitationer Taboos of the World in Kansas City, The Three Stooges in The Outlaws Is Coming in Phoenix, B western Stage To Thunder Rock in Long Beach, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini in Des Moines and Rhino in Abilene. They liked it in Long Beach where it supported both Circus World and That Man from Rio. It was the second feature to None But the Brave in Provo, Utah, and to two more successful Joe E.

Paul Dunlap was a prolific film composer in the 1950s and 1960s, scoring over 200 features. He was best known for providing themes and scores for numerous science fiction and horror thrillers of the decades. His music highlighted attacks by prehistoric beasts in 1951’s Lost Continent starring Cesar Romero, and an alien robot invasion in 1954’s Target Earth with Richard Denning and Kathleen Crowley. He scored Michael Landon’s transformation from man to monster in I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), and provided music for such other Aip and United/Allied Artist cult classics as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957), Blood of Dracula (1957), How to Make a Monster (1958), Frankenstein – 1970 (1958), Invisible Invaders (1959), The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959), Angry Red Planet (1959), Shock Corridor (1963), and Black Zoo (1963).

Dunlap was born in Springfield, Ohio, on July 19, 1919. He began working in films in the early 1950s, scoring westerns, war and action films including The Baron of Arizona...

The Outlaws is Coming!

Turner Classic Movies (North America) will have a rare showing of The Three Stooges' last feature film, The Outlaws is Coming! tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 7:30 Am (Est). The 1965 film co-stars Adam West, who would soon become a major star due to his role as Batman. If that isn't enough to keep you indoors, at 6:00 tomorrow morning, Fox Movie Channel launches a back-to-back lineup of top-notch westerns beginning with John Wayne's North to Alaska and continuing with Rio Conchos starring Richard Boone, The Undefeated starring Wayne and Rock Hudson, Bandolero! with James Stewart, Dean Martin and Raquel Welch and, finally, Take a Hard Ride starring Jim Brown and Lee Van Cleef.