Special #2: Batsalaries: May 15, 2022

64 minutes

Vince asks "RD Is Also Unseasonably Warm" to humor him (and his difficulty with small Lego pieces in assembling and disassembling his own Batmobile) to detour from discussing "Faster Catwoman! Kill! Kill!" to analyzing the cast salaries of Season 1 and 3. 

You heard it here first - Vince Russo has his own scoops. 

MRS. RUSSO! GET DAVE MELTZER ON THE PHONE!

  • :11 Shockingly (to RD's correct guess) Bert Burt Ward John Jervis Jr. made the least amount of anyone. It was most likely due to it being his first actual role at 19 years old and not having an aiding agency (officially) representing him at the audition. (He was also an old friend of Bruce Lee.) Rate per half hour of episode: $350 (or $3,069 as of this writing, which is obviously far above minimum wage for a first time teenage actor). 
  • RD is shocked two other actors got paid less than Alfred and Aunt Harriet: Commissioner Jim Gordon (Neil Hamilton) and Chief O'Hara (Stafford Repp) at $450 each ($3,945). RD: "That's way too much for O'Hara." (Also too much for the man was a first name that's not "Chief"; it would take 2013 when it was revealed to be Miles.)
  • Alfred Not Yet Pennyworth (Alan Napier) and Aunt Harriet Cooper (Madge Blake) got $500 each ($4,384). RD: "You've thought she could have afforded a bra for that."
  • The Villainous Quartet (Julie Newmar's Catwoman, Cesar Romero's Joker, Burgess Meredith's Penguin, and Frank Gorshin's Riddler) equally made $1,250 ($10,960). (:20) RD thinks there should have been pay differences based on acting caliber from prior acting experience and stardom, much to Vince's initial confusion. (It does remind me of the time I watched a recreation of a 30's radio adaptation of Hamlet with Meredith as the Prince of Denmark and all us spectators made (respectful) Penguin references and laughs. "I'll get you next time Claudius! Next time, YOU will not to be! WAH! WAH!")
  • RD is on the nose of Adam West's $2,000 ($17,535).
  • Since the cast got raises for Season 3, it would be a given that the remaining shooting budget would be less as a result. Despite this, Ward...was still at the bottom with $450 ($3,813). (:26) RD: "How much did Victor Paul get paid? He had as much screen time as Burt Ward did!"
  • Next is Aunt Harriet, though she had less presence due to her illness (perhaps from not wearing bras) at $500 ($4,237).
  • Next is Alfred falling below the two (inept) policemen, but at least he got $650 ($5,508).
  • Said Undyamic Duo got $750 ($6,356). RD: "That's completely unacceptable."
  • 30 year old Yvonne Craig as Batgirl Barbara Gordon got a shockingly high $1,500 ($12,711). RD was sure they didn't go about comparing their salaries in public, based on his experience as a senior manager and corroborated with my experience in human resources. (:32)
  • Vince saw some documentary on how the Dynamic Duo were always on the road between shootings promoting all over the country. RD: "You could say they were up all the time." Despite this West was only getting $2,250 ($19,067). 
  • Vince links the high salaries (Craig's in particular) to Hogan and Bischoff's high salaries in TNA draining from other departments to do fuck all. (:40) RD thinks it was just part of the common practice of the time of large salaries in short running shows airing more than weekly. Vince wonders if they should have actors in more than one role, perhaps with Aunt Harriet also as Batgirl. RD thinks Batgirl should have also been Aunt Harriet with the power of their makeup. 
  • Vince now understands Ward being all about money nowadays since he was at the bottom of the totem pole. Nowadays his Gentle Giant Dog Food (Company) is said to keep them alive to 20 years old. (:51) RD remembers his prior dogs, including when one relieving themself on his couch made him laugh to no end. 

 

RD plans to have Mario Teaches Typing as part of their King of Arcade competition at the Arcade. (:58) One of the prior years had one of Billy Mitchell's retinue perform extremely well on Ms. Pac-Man and then lose at the air hockey table.

 

  • RD Time Outs:  1
  • WrestleCrap Joker's Mustache 'Gongs': 1

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