Billion Dollar Batman
Page 35
With the release of the film, the merchandising campaign went into overdrive. Batman board games, bubble gum cards, books, bedspreads, toy Batmobiles, dolls, key chains, hats, raincoats, towels and hundreds of other items flooded store shelves—and quickly disappeared. J.C. Penny stores set up special “Batman shops” in 1,100 outlets.306 By September, Licensing Corporation of America was reporting more than $300 million in retail sales, with Christmas season yet to come.307 Retail sales ultimately outgrossed the film’s worldwide box-office, hitting the $1.5 billion mark.308 Black T-shirts with the yellow Batman logo brought in over $75 million;309 the 30 million shirts sold caused a global shortage of black material.310
To celebrate both the release of the film and Batman’s 50th anniversary, Chicagoland Processing Corp. released a set of three individually matched and numbered Batman medallions of 1-troy ounce pure silver with a retail price of $105. On one side of all three coins was the Batman logo and the words “50th anniversary.” The other sides showed Batman, the Batmobile and the Joker. The sets were packaged in a box that opened like a book and featured information on the character and letters of authenticity. Only 5,000 of the sets were sold, but an additional 20,000 of each of the three designs were made available for individual purchase, with a price tag of $29.95 per coin.311
Taco Bell, which had a tie-in with Batman, did especially well. Over a period of four weeks, the chain gave away 21 million 32-oz. Batman cups, more than twice the amount initially planned. Tim Ryan, senior vice president of marketing for the food chain, said, “We had 50,000 employees wearing Batman T-shirts, and we had employees who came to work for us to get a shirt. We had pre-screenings in 64 of our 180 markets for our employees, just so they could give their opinion of the movie when they handed out the cups on the first day.” Eight foot tall cardboard standees of Batman, Batman banners and counter displays used to advertise the promotion were stolen from dozens of Taco Bells nationwide.312
By November, Batman, having taken in $250 million in theatrical grosses, had become the sixth most successful film of all time. On the 15th of that month, while the film was still playing in theaters, Warner Bros. Home Video released it on videotape. In an era when videotapes were generally released six months or more after a film’s release, it was a precedent-setting move. Also precedent-setting was the price. At that time, newly released videotapes were meant to be rented more than sold, and carried average price tags of $89.95. Batman retailed for $24.95, a price meant to generate sales, not rentals.313 Retailers expected to sell from 9 million to 11 million videocassettes, resulting in $150 million in sales. The videotape came with an extra bonus. At the beginning of the tape was a commercial for Diet Coke, shot while the film was in production, featuring Michael Gough as Alfred calling a Gotham store to order the soda while Batman sped to pick it up in the Batmobile.314
The success of Batman came at an opportune time for Steve Ross. Warner Communications was now poised for a merger with Time Inc., a union that would produce the world’s largest entertainment conglomerate. Time Inc. was part owner of the cable station HBO, as well as the publisher of 24 magazines, including People, Sports Illustrated and Time. Warners had DC Comics, the world’s largest record business, Warner Bros. studios, and the TV production company Lorimar. The success of Batman helped boost Warner Bros.’ finances. In the second quarter of 1989, the company made $83 million, or 46 cents a share, compared with $69.9 million or 38 cents a share in the previous year’s second quarter. Revenue rose from $1.13 billion to $1.3 billion.315 During the merger negotiations, Warner CEO Steve Ross and Time Inc. CEO Richard Munro code-named themselves “Batman” and “Robin.” The deal was placed in jeopardy when Paramount Communications Inc. tried a hostile run at Time, offering $200 a share. Ross and Munro nicknamed Paramount “The Joker.”316 To keep the offer from being put to a shareholder vote, Ross and Munro revised their deal; now, instead of Warner Communications making a debt-free purchase of Time Inc., Time would buy Warners for $14 billion, taking on $11 billion in debt. Upon completion of the deal, the new Time-Warners stock plummeted. Time’s shareholders were furious that they had been denied the chance to vote on the Paramount offer. Tensions between Time Inc. and Warner Bros. increased when, shortly after the merger, Munro stepped down and Nicholas J. Nicholas Jr. became head of Time Inc. He often clashed with Ross, whose free-wheeling style offended his button-down sensibilities.317
With the sudden financial downturn that resulted from the Time-Warner merger, Warner Bros. needed another overwhelming success. They needed another Batman. A sequel, however, would be a long time coming.
__________________________
1 Shapiro, Marc, “Dark Knight Director,” Starlog #180, July 1992, p. 75
2 Cohen, Roger, “The Creator of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross, Is Dead at 65,” The New York Times, Dec. 21, 1992, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/21/obituaries/the-creator- of-time-warner-steven-j-ross-is-dead-at-65.html?scp=2&sq=steve%20ross%20dead&st=cse, accessed Oct. 14, 2011
3 Jones, Gerard, Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book, © 2004, Basic Books, New York, pg. 311
4 Cohen, Roger, “The Creator of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross, Is Dead at 65,” The New York Times, Dec. 21, 1992, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/21/obituaries/the-creator- of-time-warner-steven-j-ross-is-dead-at-65.html?scp=2&sq=steve%20ross%20dead&st=cse, accessed Oct. 14, 2011
5 Ibid.
6 Jones, Gerard, Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book, © 2004, Basic Books, New York, pg. 312
7 Ibid., pg. 313
8 Cohen, Roger, “The Creator of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross, Is Dead at 65,” The New York Times, Dec. 21, 1992, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/21/obituaries/the-creator- of-time-warner-steven-j-ross-is-dead-at-65.html?scp=2&sq=steve%20ross%20dead&st=cse, accessed Oct. 14, 2011
9 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
16 “Jett,” “An Interview with Michael Uslan,” Batman-on-Film.com, http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_2.html, accessed July 5, 2010
17 Markoutsas, Elaine, “For 40 years, Kane has gone to bat for justice,” The Chicago Tribune, November 8, 1979, p. A1
18 “Jett,” “An Interview with Michael Uslan,” Batman-on-Film.com, http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_2.html, accessed July 5, 2010
19 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
20 Ibid.
21 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 165
22 Pollock, Dale, “Producers Guber and Peters: An Endless Honeymoon?” The Los Angeles Times, July 26, 1981, p. M1
23 Ibid., p. M30
24 Pirani, Adam, “A Dark Night in Gotham City,” Starlog # 142, May 1989, p. 72
25 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 165
26 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
27 Grant, Lee, “Sho-West: New Films Unveiled,” The Los Angeles Times, Feb. 12, 1981, p. J1
28 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 165
29 Cohen, Roger, “The Creator of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross, Is Dead at 65,” The New York Times, Dec. 21, 1992, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/21/obituaries/the- creator-of-time-warner-steven-j-ross-is-dead-at-65.html?scp=2&sq=steve%20ross%20dead&st=cse, accessed Oct. 14, 2011
30 Interview with Tom Mankiewicz, conducted July 26, 2009
31 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
32 Interview with Tom Mankiewicz, conducted July 26, 2009
33 Pirani, Adam, “A Dark Night in Gotham City,” Starlo
g # 142, May 1989, p. 72
34 Interview with Tom Mankiewicz, conducted July 26, 2009
35 Ibid.
36 Ibid.
37 Mankiewicz, Tom, The Batman, revised first draft screenplay, June 20, 1983
38 Interview with Tom Mankiewicz, conducted July 26, 2009
39 Ibid.
40 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
41 Interview with Tom Mankiewicz, conducted July 26, 2009
42 —, “Director Dante Has No Regrets About Batman Snub,” WENN, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000474/news#ni3153117, accessed July 4, 2010
43 Interview with Tom Mankiewicz, conducted July 26, 2009
44 Ibid.
45 Ibid.
46 —, “’Batman’ Premieres Tomorrow,” The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa, June 22, 1989, p. 6A
47 Ibid.
48 Pirani, Adam, “A Dark Night in Gotham City,” Starlog # 142, May 1989, p. 40
49 Strauss, Bob, “Producers Try to Make Batman for All Seasons,” New Mexican, Santa Fe, NM, June 23, 1989, p. C1
50 Adler, Shawn, with reporting by Josh Horowitz, “Bill Murray Longs For a More Heated Presidential Race...and a Girl Ghostbuster,” MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/news/ articles/1596656/20081008/ story.jhtml, accessed July 7, 2010
51 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
52 Ibid.
53 Pond, Steve, “The Darker Side of Batman Emerges,” The Los Angeles Times, Mar 15, 1986, p. H8
54 Ibid.
55 Ibid.
56 Broeske, Pat H., “Bat Guy’s Back on Film With Some Advice From `Dad’—Bob Kane, Who Created the Caped Crusader in 1939, Is a Consultant on Warners’ Big-Budget Batfeature,” The Los Angeles Times, Oct 16, 1988, p. 27
57 Ibid.
58 Gelb, Jeff, “Bob Kane: ‘I Never Talk About Batman. Actually, I’m Bruce Wayne,” Comics Interview Super Special: Batman—Real Origins of the Dark Knight, © 1989 Fictioneer Books Ltd., p. 120
59 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
60 Breskin, David, “Yaaarrrgghh!! The Tim Burton Interview,” Rolling Stone, July 9th-23rd, 1992, p. 41
61 Salisbury, Mark, editor, Burton on Burton, © 1995 Faber & Faber Ltd., United Kingdom, p. 1
62 Breskin, David, “Yaaarrrgghh!! The Tim Burton Interview,” Rolling Stone, July 9th-23rd, 1992, p. 41
63 Gerani, Gary, editor-in-chief, The Batman Official Souvenir Magazine, 1989 The Topps Company, Inc., New York, p. 60
64 Breskin, David, “Yaaarrrgghh!! The Tim Burton Interview,” Rolling Stone, July 9th-23rd, 1992, p. 41
65 Ibid., p. 40
66 Morgenstern, Joe, “Tim Burton, Batman and the Joker,” The New York Times, Apr 9, 1989, p. A.45
67 Breskin, David, “Yaaarrrgghh!! The Tim Burton Interview,” Rolling Stone, July 9th-23rd, 1992, p. 40
68 Morgenstern, Joe, “Tim Burton, Batman and the Joker,” The New York Times, April 9, 1989, p. A.45
69 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 165
70 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
71 Pirani, Adam, “A Dark Night in Gotham City,” Starlog # 142, May 1989, p. 40
72 Mangels, Andy, “Burton-Hickson Batman Treatment Summary.” Wizard # 11, July 1992, http://www.batmanmovieonline.com/articles.php?showarticle=49, accessed Aug. 8, 2010
73 Ibid.
74 Mougin, Lou, “Steve Englehart,” Comics Interview #70, © 1989 Fictioneer Books Limited, New York, p. 32
75 Ibid., p. 35
76 Gelb, Jeff, “Sam Hamm,” Comics Interview #70, © 1989 Fictioneer Books Limited, New York, p. 9
77 Ibid., p. 11
78 Gerani, Gary, editor-in-chief, The Batman Official Souvenir Magazine, 1989 The Topps Company, Inc., New York, p. 47
79 Gelb, Jeff, “Sam Hamm,” Comics Interview #70, © 1989 Fictioneer Books Limited, New York, p. 15
80 Zehme, Bill, “No Joking: Keaton’s Batman is Dead Serious,” The Daily Herald, Chicago, IL, June 28, 1989, p. 3
81 Gerani, Gary, editor-in-chief, The Batman Official Souvenir Magazine, 1989 The Topps Company, Inc., New York, p. 15
82 Zehme, Bill, “No Joking: Keaton’s Batman is Dead Serious,” The Daily Herald, Chicago, IL, June 28, 1989, p. 3
83 Breskin, David, “Yaaarrrgghh!! The Tim Burton Interview,” Rolling Stone, July 9th-23rd, 1992, p. 115
84 Gelb, Jeff, “Sam Hamm,” Comics Interview #70, © 1989 Fictioneer Books Limited, New York, p. 23
85 Ibid., p. 17
86 Ibid., p. 21
87 Ibid., p. 17
88 Salisbury, Mark (editor), Burton on Burton, © 1995 Faber and Faber, Ltd., London, p. 70
89 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 166
90 Gelb, Jeff, “Sam Hamm,” Comics Interview #70, © 1989 Fictioneer Books Limited, New York, p. 15
91 Jankiewicz, Pat, “The Dark Knight Revised,” Comics Scene # 14, August 1990, Starlog Publications, p. 48
92 — ,”Warren Skaaren, 44; Fixed Movie Scripts,” The New York Times, Dec 31, 1990, p. 1.24
93 Jankiewicz, Pat, “The Dark Knight Revised,” Comics Scene # 14, August 1990, Starlog Publications, p. 49
94 Ibid., p. 48
95 Ibid.
96 Ibid.
97 Zehme, Bill, “Batman: As the Classic Comic Becomes a Movie, Its Star Contemplates Life in the Bat Lane,” Rolling Stone, June 29, 1989, p. 43
98 Pirani, Adam, “The Lord of Gotham City,” Starlog # 145, Aug 1989, p. 37
99 Gelb, Jeff, “Sam Hamm,” Comics Interview #70, © 1989 Fictioneer Books Limited, New York, p. 22
100 Jankiewicz, Pat, “The Dark Knight Revised,” Comics Scene # 14, August 1990, Starlog Publications, p. 48-49
101 Gelb, Jeff, “Sam Hamm,” Comics Interview #70, © 1989 Fictioneer Books, New York, p. 16
102 Hamm, Sam and Warren Skaaren, Batman, Fifth Draft Screenplay, Oct. 5, 1988
103 Ibid.
104 Jankiewicz, Pat, “The Dark Knight Revised,” Comics Scene # 14, August 1990, Starlog Publications, p. 50
105 Ibid., p. 48
106 Ibid., p. 50
107 Pirani, Adam, “A Dark Night in Gotham City,” Starlog # 142, May 1989, p. 40
108 Jankiewicz, Pat, “The Dark Knight Revised,” Comics Scene # 14, August 1990, Starlog Publications, p. 49
109 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 167
110 Pirani, Adam, “The Lord of Gotham City,” Starlog # 145, Aug 1989, p. 40
111 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
112 Marriott, John, Batman: The Official Book of the Movie, © 1989 Mallard Press, New York & London, p. 88
113 Morgenstern, Joe, “Tim Burton, Batman and the Joker,” The New York Times, April 9, 1989, p. A.45
114 —, “Robin Williams: ‘I Would Do ‘Batman’ in a Second,’” www.StarPulse.com, posted June 30, 2010, http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2010/06/30/robin_ williamsi_would_do_batman_in_a_s, accessed August 16, 2010
115 —, “’Batman’ Premieres Tomorrow,” The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa, June 22, 1989, p. 6A
116 McGilligan, Patrick, Jack’s Life: A Biography of Jack Nicholson, © 1994 W.W. Norton and Co., New York, NY, p. 52
117 Thompson, Peter, Jack Nicholson: The Life and Times of an Actor on the Edge, © 1997 Birch Lane Press, p. 63
118 —, Interview with Tim Burton, “Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight Pt. 2: The Gathering Storm,” Batman DVD Special Features, © 2005 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
119 Thompson, Peter, Jack Nicholson: The Life and Times of an Actor on the Edge, © 1997 Birch Lane Press, p. 212
120 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon
Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 167
121 Pirani, Adam, “A Dark Night in Gotham City,” Starlog # 142, May 1989, p. 40
122 Thompson, Peter, Jack Nicholson: The Life and Times of an Actor on the Edge, © 1997 Birch Lane Press, p. 212
123 Griffin, Nancy and Kim Masters, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, © 1996 Simon & Schuster, New York, p. 168
124 Busch, Anita M., “Arnold’s Hot Deal for Mr. Freeze,” Daily Variety, June 18, 1996, p. 7
125 McGilligan, Patrick, Jack’s Life: A Biography of Jack Nicholson, © 1994 W.W. Norton and Co., New York, NY, p. 360
126 Chaillet, Jean-Paul, “Joker of the Pack: Jack Nicholson at 54 Has Exalted Celebrity, Fabulous Wealth and His Feet Planted Firmly Atop the Hollywood Pile,” The Vancouver Sun, Dec 17, 1991, p. C.1
127 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
128 Thompson, Peter, Jack Nicholson: The Life and Times of an Actor on the Edge, © 1997 Birch Lane Press, p. 213
129 McGilligan, Patrick, Jack’s Life: A Biography of Jack Nicholson, © 1994 W.W. Norton and Co., New York, NY, p. 361
130 Broeske, Pat H., “Bat Guy’s Back on Film With Some Advice From `Dad’—Bob Kane, Who Created the Caped Crusader in 1939, Is a Consultant on Warners’ Big-Budget Batfeature,” The Los Angeles Times, Oct 16, 1988, p. 27
131 Ibid.
132 Salisbury, Mark, editor, Burton on Burton, © 1995 Faber & Faber Ltd., United Kingdom, p. 80
133 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
134 Pirani, Adam, “A Dark Night in Gotham City,” Starlog # 142, May 1989, p. 40
135 Zehme, Bill, “No Joking: Keaton’s Batman is Dead Serious,” The Daily Herald, Chicago, IL, June 28, 1989, p. 3
136 Interview with Michael Uslan, conducted Sept. 1, 2009
137 Zehme, Bill, “No Joking: Keaton’s Batman is Dead Serious,” The Daily Herald, Chicago, IL, June 28, 1989, p. 3
138 Ibid.
139 Shapiro, Marc, “Detective Comic,” Comics Scene # 9, 1989, p. 34
140 Zehme, Bill, “No Joking: Keaton’s Batman is Dead Serious,” The Daily Herald, Chicago, IL, June 28, 1989, p. 3