1966 Batman TV Frank Gorshin as The Riddler 45 & PS

$

103

Here is another item from the Craig Warren vintage Batman collection. Featured in a recent Scoop spotlight article, the entire collection is going up for auction (only), here and also in conjunction with Hake’s Americana over the upcoming weeks/months. There will be an incredible array of items available, all hand selected to be the finest quality extant. There are pieces not found in ANY other collection, right down to the mundane, all in magnificent condition, all guaranteed original and all from the period of 1966 to 1969. The collection is the result of more than two decades of diligent searching and is arguably among the finest such collections in the country.

Thanks to all that made this collection possible and also to all the friends found along the way, but it is now time to end the quest and liquidate. Our descriptions will be briefer than usual, in order to concentrate on bring more items to you faster. However, our high definition pictures will speak much more eloquently than we ever could.

In 1966 there were a multitude of tie-in records issued to capitalize on the wildly popular ABC TV show "Batman" which starred Adam West, Burt Ward, that fabulous George Barris Batmobile and a host of renowned actors as the villain of the week. Only a scant few records featured the actual performers from the show. Arguably one of the best (along with the Burgess Meredith 45 as the Penguin - be sure to see our other auctions for a terrific example of that rarity!), is this vintage 1966 Frank Gorshin single, A&M 804, "The Riddler" b/w "Never Let Her Go." What really sets this 45 release apart is the sensational full color picture sleeve of Frank in costume as the Riddler. Not only that, but the title song is actually sung by Frank IN FULL CHARACTER, complete with his manic laughs! A staple of bizarre oldies radio programming, the Riddler song is quite listenable, for it was written by crooner Mel Torme. The flip-side song, however, is completely forgettable.

When looking for this difficult to find release, one should be very careful not to mistakenly purchase one of the virtually worthless late 1990's foreign "re-releases" of this rare sleeve and disc. Even Frank himself would sell and sign those reissues at public appearances, until the supply ran out. One easy way to tell the 1966 release is by the typical "close-out" drill hole that appears in almost all of the original examples that turn up. Initially not a very popular record, the remaining copies had their retail prices slashed and were put into the "cut-out" bin of bargain records. To ensure that such budget purchases were not returned for a full credit, the typical practice was to clip a corner, saw a slot into the side, or punch a hole through the cover and disc. That last measure is what happened to most of the Riddler sleeves and is also evident on our copy offered here.

Clearly an original 1966 release, the sleeve shows a true minimum of wear and is only very lightly aged, graded as a very solid VG+, C8+ or better. That drill hole here is right in Frank's left palm, perfectly placed where it does not impact the portrait of Frank much and actually barely disturbs the overall graphics. At the bottom edge are a few barely visible foxing spots. On the rear photo, however, where few more touches of wear are evident, the drill hole lands just off Frank's right ear. As the hole positioning was drilled completely at random, this sleeve is affected minimally compared to many others we have witnessed.

Naturally, the drill hole goes through the label area of the record as well, where it cannot affect play. In general, this disc is VG or better, with numerous small scuffs toward the outside edge, but with excellent labels. An absolute treat to listen to, this difficult to find record is a must-have for Batman, character or TV collectors alike.

Please note that we will be away and unable to ship any parcels or send any Invoices from Thursday, April 3, 2008 until Tuesday, April 8, 2008. Sorry for any inconveniences, but another trip out of state calls us. We will be back to normal beginning on April 9th once again. 

Before making payment, please WAIT for our Invoice, normally emailed to you the day following the close of the auction! If after three days you do not see an Invoice from us, it was probably blocked by your ISP's anti-spam techniques (especially if you use AOL or one of the free e-mail services). Email us and we will send a duplicate through a different account. We have experienced a great difficulty with Invoice delivery recently and have no way of verifying whether Invoices were received or not. It is YOUR responsibility to contact us if no Invoice is received!

For estimation purposes only, when packaged this item will weigh approximately 1#, although actual shipping costs will be Invoiced upon the auction's close. But, to get a shipping cost estimate, even for a foreign destination, click here and enter the pertinent information. Shipping point is Zip 06460. Estimated weight is stated stated above. Preferred service class is Priority Mail, although the less expensive Media Mail is certainly an alternative within the US and usually Airmail Letter Post if abroad, for small parcels.

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