AUSTIN, Texas — Thousands of people lined Congress Avenue in Austin on a hot day in July 1966 to watch a parade featuring the stars of one of the most popular TV shows on the air at the time. The "Batman" TV program on ABC drew millions of viewers across the country and had become a pop culture phenomenon.
The show’s producers decided to create a full-length movie – aptly titled "Batman: The Movie" – that featured characters from the TV show.
The world premiere was held at Austin’s Paramount Theatre.
Film from the Austin History Center archives shows actor Adam West, who played Batman on the TV show, being mobbed by fans along the parade route.
Several TV villains from the show were also in town for the movie premiere, including actor Burgess Meredith, who played The Penguin; Cesar Romero as The Joker; and Lee Meriwether, who played the role of Catwoman.
In case you’re wondering why the Batman movie had its world premiere in Austin instead of, say, Hollywood or Gotham City, it was because of the sleek fiberglass Batboat, which played a key role in the movie and had been created by Austin’s Glastron Boat Company.
It’s been reported that the company didn’t want to be paid any money for fabricating the boat. Instead, they asked the movie’s producers to host the film’s premiere in Austin.
Though it's not exactly "Gone with the Wind," the film does have its entertaining moments. "Batman: The Movie" still shows up on TV from time to time and can be found online.
The city has hosted a number of big movie premieres since then, but in the Austin of 1966, this was a very big deal.