Burt Ward
Encyclopedia
Burt Ward is an American
television
actor
and activist. He is best known for his portrayal of Robin
in the television series Batman
(1966–68) and its theatrical film spin-off
.
, California
. At the age of two, Ward was listed in the magazine Strange as It Seems as the world's youngest professional ice skater
. Growing up, he was an avid reader of comic book
s like Superman and Superboy
, and enjoyed the action-adventure show Adventures of Superman
. He acquired the nickname "Sparky" in youth, possibly from the sparks his skates used to kick up during his routines or energetic nature.
He excelled in high school
sport activities such as football
, track
, and wrestling
; he was also a member of the chess
club and earned a black belt
in Taekwondo
. After graduation, he enrolled in college
, while working part-time for his father's real estate
company.
were up against Lyle Waggoner
and Peter Deyell for the roles of Batman and Robin, respectively. During this time, the show was being planned as a campy
style action-adventure series, and their screen tests consisted of staged fight scenes and, at one point, Ward chopping a set of boards with his hand.
Selected for the role of Robin, Ward thought people would find Gervis (the G is soft, as in gentleman) hard to pronounce and adopted his mother's maiden name Ward. He also changed the spelling of Bert to Burt to add "punch".
Unlike the series' lead, Adam West, Ward was required to do some dangerous stunt
work, because his costume
revealed more of his face, making it impractical for all of his stunt scenes to be performed by a stuntman
. According to a 2000 A&E Biography interview of his series' co-star, the "Dynamic Duo" had a lot of fun, both on and off the set.
At the height of Batman's
popularity, Ward recorded a series of tracks under the production of Frank Zappa
. The first two, "Boy Wonder, I Love You" (which Zappa wrote) and "Orange Colored Sky
," were released as a single on November 14, 1966. Two other tracks from these sessions, "Teenage Bill of Rights" and "Autumn Love", remained unreleased.
During the first months of shooting, Ward was paid $350 per week. By the series' end, he was earning up to $600 a week. The series only lasted two and a half seasons, for a total of 120 episodes; according to Ward in an interview, this was because of the high cost of production. It was still high in the ratings, but ABC
was losing a great deal of money. Later, NBC
offered to pick it up for a fourth season, but the offer was withdrawn after learning that the sets had been destroyed.
Adam West and Burt Ward recreated their TV roles of Batman and Robin in the 20th Century Fox film "Batman, The Movie" released on 05/22/1966.
Burt said of Adam West, his mentor and friend for more than four decades, “We were completely opposite, Adam has been in many shows, tremendous, terrific background, but very ‘Mr. Hollywood’. He wanted his tea at 4pm. in the afternoon, and me, I’m just like this kid ‘that does not care,’ having a great time. And I think that’s one of the reasons that the public like them because Adam was very introspective and I’m just this exuberant kid.” In 1969, a year after Batmans cancellation, West's mother Audrey died, bringing the two men closer together. They have been reunited many times at conventions and TV reunion specials. In turn, Ward also made two guest-appearances with West on two separate cartoons: one was a 2002 episode of The Simpsons
and eight years later in 2010, on an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants
.
Although reportedly wanted by the producer, Ward did not get the Dustin Hoffman
part in The Graduate
because he chose to renew his contract with the Batman TV show, and 20th Century Fox
did not want to dilute his popularity and identification as Robin.
In 1985, DC Comics named Ward as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great
for his work on the Batman series.
In June 1995, Ward wrote a tell-all autobiography
called Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights (ISBN 0-9647048-0-3), which described his time playing Robin.
Ward did, however, appear in numerous reunions with co-star Adam West. The most memorable included reprising their roles as Batman and Robin on a short-lived animated television series called The New Adventures of Batman
, the theater show Legends of the Superheroes
, and the 2003
television movie, Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
.
During a Pro Wrestling Unplugged angle with wrestler Johnny Kashmere
, Ward "knighted" Kashmere as the "New Batman". Ward has appeared on the show multiple times, walking out to the theme music from the 1960s Batman.
In 2001, Ward began Boy Wonder Visual Effects, Inc. which has provided visual effects for various television series and films such as Bulletproof Monk
.
, founded a charitable organization
called Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions, Inc., which rescues giant breed dogs like Great Danes and some smaller breed dogs. Their work with the organization has been featured in such outlets as People
magazine, ASPCA Animal Watch, Hard Copy
, Inside Edition
, and Entertainment Tonight
. Burt Ward was also seen in an episode of Animal Planet
's Adoption Tales.
. Their daughter Lisa Ann Ward was born in 1966, and became a mother in 1991. Ward and Lindsey were married in 1965, and divorced in 1967. He was briefly married to actress Kathy Kersh and to model Mariana Torchia.
Since 1989, Ward has been married to Tracy Posner. Their daughter, Melody Lane Ward, was born on February 16, 1991.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and activist. He is best known for his portrayal of Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
in the television series Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
(1966–68) and its theatrical film spin-off
Batman (1966 film)
Batman, often promoted as Batman: The Movie, is a 1966 film based on the Batman television series, and the first full-length theatrical adaptation of the DC Comics character of the same name. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. The film was...
.
Early life
Ward was born Bert John Gervis, Jr., in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. At the age of two, Ward was listed in the magazine Strange as It Seems as the world's youngest professional ice skater
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
. Growing up, he was an avid reader of comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s like Superman and Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
, and enjoyed the action-adventure show Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
. He acquired the nickname "Sparky" in youth, possibly from the sparks his skates used to kick up during his routines or energetic nature.
He excelled in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
sport activities such as football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
; he was also a member of the chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
club and earned a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
. After graduation, he enrolled in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, while working part-time for his father's real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
company.
Batman
At the age of 20, Ward auditioned for the part of Robin. He and Adam WestAdam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
were up against Lyle Waggoner
Lyle Waggoner
Lyle Wesley Waggoner is an American actor and former model, best known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman television series from 1975 to 1979...
and Peter Deyell for the roles of Batman and Robin, respectively. During this time, the show was being planned as a campy
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
style action-adventure series, and their screen tests consisted of staged fight scenes and, at one point, Ward chopping a set of boards with his hand.
Selected for the role of Robin, Ward thought people would find Gervis (the G is soft, as in gentleman) hard to pronounce and adopted his mother's maiden name Ward. He also changed the spelling of Bert to Burt to add "punch".
Unlike the series' lead, Adam West, Ward was required to do some dangerous stunt
Stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
work, because his costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
revealed more of his face, making it impractical for all of his stunt scenes to be performed by a stuntman
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
. According to a 2000 A&E Biography interview of his series' co-star, the "Dynamic Duo" had a lot of fun, both on and off the set.
At the height of Batman's
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
popularity, Ward recorded a series of tracks under the production of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
. The first two, "Boy Wonder, I Love You" (which Zappa wrote) and "Orange Colored Sky
Orange Colored Sky
"Orange Colored Sky" is a popular song, written by Milton DeLugg and Willie Stein and published in 1950.The best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole , but a number of other singers have recorded it, including Cole's daughter, Natalie.The recording by Nat King Cole was recorded...
," were released as a single on November 14, 1966. Two other tracks from these sessions, "Teenage Bill of Rights" and "Autumn Love", remained unreleased.
During the first months of shooting, Ward was paid $350 per week. By the series' end, he was earning up to $600 a week. The series only lasted two and a half seasons, for a total of 120 episodes; according to Ward in an interview, this was because of the high cost of production. It was still high in the ratings, but ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
was losing a great deal of money. Later, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
offered to pick it up for a fourth season, but the offer was withdrawn after learning that the sets had been destroyed.
Adam West and Burt Ward recreated their TV roles of Batman and Robin in the 20th Century Fox film "Batman, The Movie" released on 05/22/1966.
Burt said of Adam West, his mentor and friend for more than four decades, “We were completely opposite, Adam has been in many shows, tremendous, terrific background, but very ‘Mr. Hollywood’. He wanted his tea at 4pm. in the afternoon, and me, I’m just like this kid ‘that does not care,’ having a great time. And I think that’s one of the reasons that the public like them because Adam was very introspective and I’m just this exuberant kid.” In 1969, a year after Batmans cancellation, West's mother Audrey died, bringing the two men closer together. They have been reunited many times at conventions and TV reunion specials. In turn, Ward also made two guest-appearances with West on two separate cartoons: one was a 2002 episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and eight years later in 2010, on an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
.
Post-Batman career
After the end of Batman, Ward found himself hard-pressed to find other acting jobs. He re-emerged to act in more than 30 made-for-television films such as Virgin High.Although reportedly wanted by the producer, Ward did not get the Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
part in The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
because he chose to renew his contract with the Batman TV show, and 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
did not want to dilute his popularity and identification as Robin.
In 1985, DC Comics named Ward as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great
Fifty Who Made DC Great
Fifty Who Made DC Great is a one shot published by DC Comics to commemorate the company's 50th anniversary in 1985. It was published in comic book format but contained text articles with photographs and background caricatures...
for his work on the Batman series.
In June 1995, Ward wrote a tell-all autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
called Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights (ISBN 0-9647048-0-3), which described his time playing Robin.
Ward did, however, appear in numerous reunions with co-star Adam West. The most memorable included reprising their roles as Batman and Robin on a short-lived animated television series called The New Adventures of Batman
The New Adventures of Batman
The New Adventures of Batman is an animated series produced by Filmation in 1977 featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman and Robin, and Batgirl. The current distributor is Warner Bros. Television due to parent company Warner Bros's ownership of DC Comics, which publishes the Batman titles...
, the theater show Legends of the Superheroes
Legends of the Superheroes
Legends of the Superheroes is an umbrella title for two one-hour and live-action Hanna–Barbera TV specials based on the Super Friends cartoon show that aired on NBC in January 1979...
, and the 2003
2003 in television
The year 2003 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2003.For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
television movie, Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 television movie reuniting the cast of the 1960s Batman TV show. It stars the original stars of the series Adam West and Burt Ward as themselves, with Jack Brewer and Jason Marsden portraying the young West/Batman and Ward/Robin...
.
During a Pro Wrestling Unplugged angle with wrestler Johnny Kashmere
Johnny Kashmere
Johnny Kashmere is an American professional wrestler, best known as one half of The Backseat Boyz, along with the late Trent Acid...
, Ward "knighted" Kashmere as the "New Batman". Ward has appeared on the show multiple times, walking out to the theme music from the 1960s Batman.
In 2001, Ward began Boy Wonder Visual Effects, Inc. which has provided visual effects for various television series and films such as Bulletproof Monk
Bulletproof Monk
Bulletproof Monk is a 2003 action film starring Chow Yun-fat, Seann William Scott and Jaime King. The film was directed by Paul Hunter. It is loosely based on the comic book by Michael Avon Oeming....
.
Charity work
In 1994, Ward and his wife, Tracy Posner WardTracy Posner
Tracy Posner Ward is an actress, animal rights rescuer and activist, with her husband, actor Burt Ward. She is a daughter of the late American businessman and philanthropist Victor Posner...
, founded a charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
called Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions, Inc., which rescues giant breed dogs like Great Danes and some smaller breed dogs. Their work with the organization has been featured in such outlets as People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine, ASPCA Animal Watch, Hard Copy
Hard Copy
Hard Copy is an American tabloid news television show that ran in syndication from 1989 to 1999. Hard Copy was aggressive in its use of questionable material on television, including gratuitous violence....
, Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, and Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
. Burt Ward was also seen in an episode of Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
's Adoption Tales.
Personal life
Ward's first wife was Bonney Lindsey, daughter of conductor Mort LindseyMort Lindsey
Mort Lindsey, is an orchestrator, composer, pianist, conductor and musical director for Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Merv Griffin.Lindsey attended Newark Arts High School....
. Their daughter Lisa Ann Ward was born in 1966, and became a mother in 1991. Ward and Lindsey were married in 1965, and divorced in 1967. He was briefly married to actress Kathy Kersh and to model Mariana Torchia.
Since 1989, Ward has been married to Tracy Posner. Their daughter, Melody Lane Ward, was born on February 16, 1991.