Episode 357- "Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild" with author Samuel Garza Bernstein

from Forgotten Hollywood · host JLJ Media

In this episode, I spoke with author Samuel Garza Bernstein about his book "Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild". Dynamic and debonair, Cesar Romero was best known for creating the role of the Joker in the 1960s Batman television series. As the first actor to play Batman and Robin's villainous nemesis, Romero established the character's giddy, manic tone and the distinctive laugh that subsequent actors like Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Joaquin Phoenix would use as the starting points in their own Oscar-nominated (Nicholson) and Oscar-winning (Ledger and Phoenix) performances. As a closeted gay man of Latin American descent, Romero gracefully faced many personal challenges while maintaining his suave public image and starring opposite legends ranging from Shirley Temple to Marlene Dietrich, Carmen Miranda to Frank Sinatra, and Kurt Russell to Jane Wyman.Forgotten Hollywood is on Facebook.Forgotten Hollywood book series is on Amazon

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Episode 357- "Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild" with author Samuel Garza Bernstein

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This episode was published on August 21, 2025.

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