BATMAN AT WASHBURN - 1966 - Early Batman Fan Film

The earliest known Batman fan-film based on the 1966 television series, and the third known Batman fan-film ever made. This 16mm footage was shot at Washburn High School and the surrounding areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, by members of the Washburn senior class in April and May of 1966 (just 3 months after the release of the Batman TV series). Popular local venues shown in the footage include Porky’s Drive-In Restaurant, The Richfield Lanes Bowling Alley and Blue Cue Billiard Lounge, and the Tom-Tom Drive-In which was used for the exterior scenes of the Smut gang hideout. Fully costumed and staged from gargoyle to Batmobile, what started off as a fun project conceived by members of the high school debate club (Olson, Ashman, and Smith) the film ended up being used to raise money to bring foreign exchange students to Washburn and was featured on the local WCCO-TV evening news with costumed appearances of Batman and Robin at the Minnesota Twins baseball stadium on Bat Day. Special thanks to John Powers of Minnetonka for his invaluable research into the film’s production! Cast Batman: Tim Olson Robin: Frank Ashman Professor Sin: Mike Smith The Sorcerer: Chris Gossett Bad Brownie: Kathy Johnson Villain: Betsy King Lab Assistant I: Pat Cooper Lab Assistant II: Mark Hegnauer Principal: Carl W. Anderson (actual principal) Teachers: George Sverdrup and Robert Krause (actual teachers) Trumpet Player: John Powers Narrator: Ross Olson (Batman’s brother) Cameraman: Kurt Scheid Sound: Doug Nelson Editor: Mike Kurtz