Who else thought Burgess Merideth was a better Penguin then Devito?

[Darthboy]

I do! at least he wasn't some freak but a real criminal with a strange noise, Merideth fit the role quite well in the original 60's TV show and movie.Who else agrees?

 

[El Payaso]

I thought it before 1992.

But Meredith was no more than a fine charicature. He was great for the time, but no past no motivation for the character, just the walking and the awks.

I don't mean to be derogatory to Mr. Meredith, he did great and was fun and all. But DeVito owned the Penguin.

 

[cryptic name]

Burgess Merideth was a better anything than anybody.

 

[Merkel]

The only time I saw the Penguin as a full developed interesting character was in Batman Returns. Even in TAS he was rather uninteresting.

 

[Bathead]

Depends on what you want from the chracter. Meredith's portrayal was straight off the pages of the comics, a faithful adaptation of the character at the time.
DeVito was a personification of Burton's conception. Both had their virtues.
My personal preference is for Meredith, doesn't mean Devito did a bad job. Just different.

 

[frodawgg]

Burgess Merideth was a better anything than anybody.

well said. well said.

 

[The Chairman]

I think both portrayals are incredibly well done. It's hard to choose one. Meredith's portrayal is a classic, and was in tone with the regular portrayal of the character.

But DeVito's is just too good IMO. He took an intriguing but somewhat one-dimensional character and turned him into a much more fleshed out and thus interesting character.

But still, I love Burgess. He was truly one of a kind.

 

[Cobblepot]

Out of the two, I must say Burgess.
Next to Gorshin, he really nailed his character how it was at that time.
If the series had a more serious tone, he'd own DeVito.

But I love BR, it's not the Penguin we we're used to see. But like Anthony stated more fleshed out and interesting to see on screen.

 

[Bat Attack]

Eh, it's a tie for me. Burgess Meredith said my favorite batman villian line ever though; "Everyone of them has a mother! Whack!!".

 

[TheJuice]

Meredith could've been better if the camp was removed and taken a more subtle approach to the character.

 

[El Payaso]

Meredith could've been better if the camp was removed and taken a more subtle approach to the character.

The thing is Burguess' Penguin - as everything else in the show - was essentially camp. You remove the camp in his Penguin and you have nothing. Sure, maybe a more serious Penguin would have allowed Burguess do a better acting, but that's like saying that if X actor had been more talented he would have done a better job.

 

[The Joker]

There was no serious approach to Batman back then. They were being very faithful to the comics of that time. For Burgess to take a 'serious' approach to the Penguin would have alienated him from the tone of the show and the comics.

 

[Morgoth]

I think sometimes I liked Burgess better because he looks more like the classic Oswald, but I like Deito too for what he did. t:

 

[El Payaso]

Well the question is about a better Penguin not a more faithful one.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I hated Burtons version of the Penguin but I haven't watched enough of the old series to decide.