One of the Internet archaeologists over at BuzzFeed dug up this old “Batman” clip in which Adam West conducts a telephone conversation between Bruce Wayne and Batman. It’s awesome — not just for the content, but for the historical value. The carbon dating tests on the YouTube video haven’t come back from the lab yet, but the technology and fashion on display suggest that this video may be up to 150 years old. True fact.

Anyway, I know the old “Batman” series was intentionally cheesy, but that doesn’t subdue the hilarity of this clip. Watch Adam West’s face as he pauses to channel Batman and Wayne in between lines. ACTING!

As the nation continues its day of mourning for Ed McMahon, I’d like to shed light on something that likely won’t make McMahon’s list of credits: he hosted the second (and final) episode of “Legends of the Superheroes,” a 1979 special on NBC designed to be a live-action version of “Super Friends,” the popular cartoon featuring DC Comics’ famed Justice League of America.

McMahon’s purpose here?  Emcee of a roast of the Super Friends (minus Superman and Wonder Woman, who were busy with movie and TV commitments, respectively).  Sounds bad, right?  I haven’t even gotten to the “celebrity” “roaster”: supposed superhero Ghetto Man (Brad Sanders), a casually racist caricature of an inner-city black man in the ’70s.  Yikes.  You’ll notice NBC uses a laugh track here.  It works; I can’t imagine real laughter following these jokes.

(thanks to Mike for the tip)

The Internet spoils us with its riches.  This is Adam West — seemingly inebriated and wearing what appears to be a tracksuit version of the Batman costume — on a Memphis TV station in 1977, promoting his appearance at a car show that weekend.  He goes head-to-head with wrestler Jerry “Evil King of Memphis” Lawler (perhaps best known for his fake feud with Andy Kaufman), and the results are the greatest thing I’ve seen since… well, yesterday. (Those Star Trek mash-ups were pretty sweet.)

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