I am a man of few words, but many riddles
May 18, 2005 12:04 PM   Subscribe

Actor/impressionist Frank Gorshin, aka The Riddler of the Batman TV series, has died at age 72.
posted by QuestionableSwami (53 comments total)
 
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posted by Robot Johnny at 12:05 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by nthdegx at 12:08 PM on May 18, 2005


Riddle me this, Batman: What are the chilliest 12 inches in the world?
posted by WaterSprite at 12:20 PM on May 18, 2005


*koff*newsfilter*koff*
posted by Specklet at 12:20 PM on May 18, 2005


"He's black on the left side, we are black on the right
side!"
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 12:31 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 12:32 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by Outlawyr at 12:34 PM on May 18, 2005


Damn! I was just reminiscing with some friends about Frank Gorshin. He's one of a handful of actors who have appeared in Batman and Star Trek. I also remember him from Rich Little's impressionist/variety show, "The Copycats". Funny guy. I only wish I had caught his George Burns show on Broadway. Very sad. But thanks, QuestionableSwami.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 12:38 PM on May 18, 2005


Riddle me this, Batman: What are the chilliest 12 inches in the world?

Batman: Cold Feet!
posted by WaterSprite at 12:42 PM on May 18, 2005


Riddle me this: The more you take away, the larger it grows. What is it?
posted by ssmith at 12:44 PM on May 18, 2005


He was a happy little sprite with that hop and skip. At least we know his suit went to a good home.
posted by fenriq at 12:46 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by wolftrouble at 12:52 PM on May 18, 2005


to ssmith: a hole

Riddle me this: When does a painter use a trigger instead of a brush?
posted by WaterSprite at 12:57 PM on May 18, 2005


Aren't all of these "." and "?" are little tedious and unimaginative? I would much prefer that a moment of silence be observed by, well, silence... which in blog terms would more appropriately be NO entry, rather than this silly poser-punctuation nonsense.
posted by Chasuk at 1:01 PM on May 18, 2005


Per JKF's allusion
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 1:02 PM on May 18, 2005


Chasuk- You're messin' with the local culture, man!
posted by Doohickie at 1:07 PM on May 18, 2005


Chasuk: shhhhh, you're interrupting the silence.
posted by Robot Johnny at 1:26 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by grabbingsand at 1:28 PM on May 18, 2005


Chasuk, when people are physically present, their silence is observable. Here they are not. Your request is specious.
posted by kenko at 1:31 PM on May 18, 2005


WaterSprite: When he's a stickup artist.
Riddle me this: Where might one find all the Riddler's riddles (and many of the Joker's, too)?

and, for Mr. Gorshin (and Chasuk):

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posted by yhbc at 1:31 PM on May 18, 2005


Riddle me this, Batman: there are two men onboard a boat with three cigarettes and no matches. How do they smoke?
posted by mazola at 1:32 PM on May 18, 2005


They thrown one cigarette overboard and make the boat a cigarette lighter...

(finally, one I know...)
posted by Snowflake at 1:37 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by keswick at 1:50 PM on May 18, 2005


!
posted by alumshubby at 2:00 PM on May 18, 2005


YHBC: Not fair, mine were from memory. But thanks for the great site.

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posted by WaterSprite at 2:02 PM on May 18, 2005


¿
posted by eriko at 2:23 PM on May 18, 2005


Aw, damn. George Burns died again.
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:26 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by jeribus at 2:39 PM on May 18, 2005


kenko:
You make my point. In a group conversation, which this is - and, at the time that I am typing this, it ostensibly consists of 27 participants - it wouldn't be productive if nearly half of those participants not only elected to remain silent, but decided to interject: "I'm being silent." Silence itself can be interesting, but it isn't as interesting as a shared anecdote or observation, at least not in the context of group dialogue.
posted by Chasuk at 2:54 PM on May 18, 2005


"A moment of silence" to mark someone's passing is only effective as a formal marker if it's observed. My ordinary silence is not "a moment of silence", because, first, it doesn't take place in the right circumstances, and second, it isn't noted. You're silent instead of saying something. But here, where no one can note your solemn (oral) silence, you have to say: I am typing something deliberately meaningless, so that you can see I am being "silent". You're fundamentally misunderstanding the purpose.

And now I leave, so I won't see your response, if any. Don't take my silence the wrong way, pls.
posted by kenko at 3:02 PM on May 18, 2005


When I think of Frank Gorshin, I always remember him as the obnoxious, dorky boyfriend to Connie Francis in my favorite silly beach movie, Where the Boys Are. RIP Basil.
posted by marsha56 at 3:08 PM on May 18, 2005


He did this funny sucky-wanky-sound thing with his lower lip in "12 Monkeys", which I do to this day when pondering things. Bless.
posted by John Shaft at 3:10 PM on May 18, 2005


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he was great in Bells Are Ringing too.
posted by amberglow at 3:13 PM on May 18, 2005


I second John Shaft's nomination for Gorshin's 12 Monkeys tongue-and-bottom lip suckwarble as one of the most memorable character tics ever filmed. ?, Frank.
posted by steef at 3:15 PM on May 18, 2005


You're fundamentally misunderstanding the purpose.

I'm not, really. I understand the purpose, I just find it (generally) disingenuous. Call me a cynic, but I don't believe that most (if any) of the respondents here were so stricken by Gorshin's death that they were sincerely observing a moment of silence. However, I understand that public lamentations might be therapeutic. In light of this, I withdraw my objections, as it would be petty of me to let my own irritation at a practice save others a trip to their analyst.
posted by Chasuk at 3:24 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by interrobang at 3:29 PM on May 18, 2005


Hmm. That was an interrobang on preview...

Oh well. Sad he's dead. He was funny.
posted by interrobang at 3:29 PM on May 18, 2005


Once I was in a taxi trying to get to Midway Airport, and the taxi driver was trying a "new route." I had ample time to get to the airport, and the boss-man was paying for the taxi ride, so I said what the hell.

Along the way, the taxi driver started to tell me all about how over the years he'd picked up all kinds of people -- business people, regular joes, mothers with children. But the only celebrity he'd ever picked up with Frank Gorshin.

And then he began to tell me in very precise, exquisite, prolonged detail not only about the entire car ride with Frank Gorshin, but about Frank Gorshin's entire career. Apparently this cabbie became quite a Frank Gorshin fanatic/expert after he'd picked him up.

The "new route" to Midway ended up being way longer than I had ever dreamed, and I learned all anyone could ever learn about Frank Gorshin. He was apparently a good tipper to taxi drivers.
posted by macadamiaranch at 3:31 PM on May 18, 2005


Everyting from 'That Darn Cat" to Guy Maddin's "Twilight of the Ice Nymphs."

I will miss you Frank.
posted by tkchrist at 3:37 PM on May 18, 2005


"Gorshin's final performance will be broadcast on Thursday's CBS-TV series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." "

I probably wouldn't have watched. Now I'll make it a point.
posted by schmedeman at 3:41 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by shmegegge at 4:28 PM on May 18, 2005


?

What a bummer. The Riddler was always my favorite Batman villain. Gorshin kicked Jim Carrey's ass.
posted by MrBadExample at 4:39 PM on May 18, 2005


"Anyone else get the urge to see Nancy Reagan in Frank Gorshins Riddler cotume from Batman or is that just me?" --Dennis Miller
posted by jonmc at 4:59 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by zardoz at 5:40 PM on May 18, 2005


Riddle me this: What did the chick say to the other chick, when the hen laid an orange instead of an egg?

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(Thanks for the idea, Robot Johnny.)
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:53 PM on May 18, 2005


What's with all the ?'s


Did Matthew Lesko die or something?


(I keed, I keed. We'll miss ya Frank...)
posted by stenseng at 5:59 PM on May 18, 2005


"Look at the orange mama laid."

Somebody else can do the next one.
posted by John Shaft at 5:59 PM on May 18, 2005


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posted by geekyguy at 7:02 PM on May 18, 2005


Chasuk -- Very well said. Though I admit I am guilty of similar public acts of private solitude.

LOOK AT ME. I'M SAD.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:48 PM on May 18, 2005


He put up a valiant fight with lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia.

The cigarette demons have taken another one.
posted by crunchland at 9:24 PM on May 18, 2005


Gorshin's Riddler had the best laugh of any villain ever.

A s l o w l y-building pressure which his speech served to restrain only temporarily until it exploded, as Homer would say, past the barrier of his teeth. A laugh orgasm unlike anyone else's.

RIP, Mr. G.
posted by the sobsister at 8:01 AM on May 19, 2005


Code Zero. Zero. Zero. Destruct. Zero.

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posted by zoogleplex at 1:29 PM on May 19, 2005


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posted by tzikeh at 11:43 AM on May 26, 2005


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