VIDEO: ‘Batman’ Star Adam West Honored With Real-Life Bat-Signal
Los Angeles paid tribute to the late actor and Stern Show guest by lighting up City Hall
June 16, 2017The city of Los Angeles paid tribute to recently deceased “Batman” star Adam West on Thursday by shining an actual Bat-Signal onto the exterior of City Hall.
West, who played the Caped Crusader on the ‘60s TV show, died last week at 88 after battling leukemia. His portrayal of the iconic DC Comics crime-fighter was notably chaste when compared to that of his successors, but the series was nevertheless beloved by many—including the King of All Media himself—and hundreds of fans gathered in Downtown L.A. on Thursday night to witness the lighting of the Bat-Signal, which was supervised by the city’s mayor Eric Garcetti and police chief Charlie Beck.
Check out the moment they flipped on the switch (below):
We gather tonight to pay our respects to the original caped crusader, our beloved Adam West. #BrightKnight pic.twitter.com/ocW6aeXIgV
— Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) June 16, 2017
In the comics, Gotham City Police Department would broadcast the Bat-Signal into the clouds when the city needed Batman’s help. In real life, operating under the real laws of physics, officials were forced to project his signal onto a building to ensure clarity. Nevertheless, many costumed fans came out to pay their respects. In addition to the Bat-Signal ceremony, attendees got to see the original 1966 Batmobile, which was dusted off and put on display at the steps of City Hall.
Earlier this week Howard paid tribute to the actor and five-time Stern Show guest. “I loved Adam West, he was a good guy,” Howard said. While Adam never brought his Batmobile into the studio, he did once bring a piece of superhero memorabilia that he encouraged Howard to try on—his Batman mask from the series.
“Would you do me the honor of trying on my classic, original Batman cowl?” Adam asked Howard that day. Check out a clip from that segment (below).
Click here for more on the life and passing of TV star and cultural icon Adam West.