Batman Returns
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Tim Burton
Michael Keaton
Michelle Pfeiffer
Danny De Vito
Christopher Walken
Michael Gough
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Batman is up against the Penguin, a bitter killer obsessed with Gotham's high society. To complicate matters, the mysterious Catwoman seems to be playing the game on both sides.
Cast
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/MichaelKeaton.99745.2.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Michael Keaton
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/MichellePfeiffer.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Michelle Pfeiffer
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/DannyDeVito.46882.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Danny De Vito
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/ChristopherWalken.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Christopher Walken
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/MichaelGough.525179.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Michael Gough
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/PatHingle.86806.2.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Pat Hingle
David Manhan
Stuart Lancaster
Rick Zumwalt
Steven Brill
Neal Lerner
Cristi Conaway
Cal Hoffman
Erik Onate
Ashley Tillman
Robert Gossett
Niki Bothelo
Joan Jurige
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i80/paulreubens_cu_188x141_051220090313.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Paul Reubens
Gregory Scott Cummins
Frank Dielsi
Denise Killpack
Sean Whalen
Anna Katarina
Debbie Lee Carrington
Steve Witting
Margarita Fernandez
Travis Mckenna
Felix Silla
Jan Hooks
Susan Rossitto
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i65/michaelmurphy_cu_188x141_032020080305.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Michael Murphy
Adam Drescher
Lisa Guerrero
Joey Depinto
Henri Kingi
Erika Andersch
Andrew Bryniarski
Vincent Schiavelli
Branscombe Richmond
Biff Yeager
Doug Jones
Robert N Bell
Diane Salinger
Joan Giammarco
Elizabeth Sanders
Rosie O'connor
John Strong
Crew
Jan H. Aaris
Rachel Abrahams
Richard Alarian
Vanessa Theme Ament
Richard L Anderson
Mary Andrews
Tim Angulo
Tim Angulo
Bob Badami
Bob Badami
Don Baker
Myron Baker
Paul Barrett-brown
Craig Barron
Steve Bartek
Steve Bartek
Donah Bassett
Bill Basso
Michael Bastings
Jackie Baugh
James Belkin
James Belkin
Jennifer C. Bell
Michael J. Benavente
David Beneke
Bill Bernstein
Brent Boates
Brent Boates
Larry Bolster
Holly Borradaile
Wendy Breck
Richard Brown
John Bruno
Ian Bryce
Ian Bryce
Cheryl Budgett
Dorothy Bulac
Len Burge Iii
Don Burgess
Don Burgess
Vin Burnham
Tim Burton
Eddie Burza
Norman Burza
Greg Callas
Paul Campanella
Craig Canton-largent
Cheryl Carasik
Roberto M Carneiro
John F Carney
John Cassidy
Mike Cassidy
Marjorie K Chan
Wade Childress
Michael Chock
Jim Christopher
Keith Claridge
Kenneth C Clark
Kevin Clark
Peter Clarson
Damon Cohoon
Chistopher Connors
Linda Conrad
Doug Corring
Carla Corwin
Joe Coscia
Mitchell Coughlin
Philip Crescenzo
Carolyn Crittenden
Charlie Croughwell
Joshua Cushner
Stefan Czapsky
Stefan Czapsky
Robin D'arcy
Jeff Dash
Kenny Davis
Richard Davison
Jon Dawe
Robert Dawson
Barry Dempsey
Patrick Denver
John Desjardin
George Dodge
George Dodge
Marion Dougherty
Marilyn Dozer-chaney
Tom Duffield
Kevin Duncan
John Dunn
Antoine Durr
Elaine Edford
Drummand A Edmand
Mike Edmonson
Jeff Edwards
Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Andy Evans
Christopher Evans
Julia Evershade
Alli Eynon
Greg Figiel
Michael L. Fink
Carl Fischer
Ashley Fleming
Stephen Hunter Flick
Brian Flora
Don Fly
Scott Forbes
Bruce L. Fowler
Christine C Fransen
Nathalie Fratti
Vaune Kirby Frechette
Jenny Fulle
Rick Galinson
Jessica Gallavan
Michael R Gannon
Lee Garibaldi
Chuck Gaspar
Dan Gaspar
Bryson Gerard
Gary Gero
Scott Giegler
Nansea Lee Goldberg
Joseph Goldstein
Bob Gorlick
David Grasso
Ron Gress
Oda Groeschel
Peter Guber
Rhonda Gunner
Jeffrey J. Haboush
Stephen Hague
Robert S Hahn
Warren Hamilton
Sam Hamm
Sam Hamm
Alan Harding
Bret Harding
Beth Hathaway
Rich Haugen
Rick Heinrichs
Erik Henry
Rob Hinderstein
Petur Hliddal
Hilda Hodges
Richard Hoffenberg
Richard Hollander
Elmer Hui
Ian Hunter
Jill Jacobs
Paul James
Rick James
Derek Johansen
Don Johnson
Adam Jones
Michael Joyce
Mark Jurinko
Alec Kamp
Bob Kane
Bob Kane
Sandra Kaufman
Tom Keefer
Jamie Kehoe
Ian C Kelly
Max Kleven
Bill Klinger
Andy Kopra
Neil Krepela
Neil Krepela
Richard Joseph Landon
Dave Lea
Chris Lebenzon
Norma Lee
Joshua Levinson
Stanley Liu
Mark Lohff
Kathy Long
Dennis J Lootens
Barry Lopez
Barbara Lorenz
Andrea Losch
Shane Mahan
Gregory Manion
Steve Maslow
Karen Mason
Mary Mason
Bill Mather
Martin Matzinger
Tommy May
Richard F Mays
Kaye Mccall
Mark Mccreery
Karin L Mcgaughey
David Mcgiffert
Patti Mcguire
Rich Mckay
Mark Mckenzie
Gregory L Mcmurry
Tara Meaney-crocito
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Nominations
Best Makeup
Best Visual Effects
Articles
Batman Returns
Burton needed more than a new script, however, to be sold on the project. He also required a completely new look, abandoning the idea of working in England on Anton Furst's still existing sets from the first movie and hiring production designer Bo Welch, who had designed the director's earlier features Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990). Burton also secured the services of a large number of King Penguins, which had to be flown from England in a refrigerated plane and kept happy and healthy with a refrigerated trailer, a swimming pool stocked daily with a half ton of ice, and a daily delivery of fresh fish.
Michael Keaton was also not a shoe-in to return as the Dark Knight until the studio offered him a substantially larger salary. With the new script, Keaton was also able to bring deeper shades of anger and neurosis to Batman's alter-ego Bruce Wayne. Presumably, the greater acting opportunities and bigger pay helped assuage the fact that with so much focus on the over-the-top Penguin and Catwoman characters, the title role was almost a supporting player in his own story.
Burton wanted to cast Marlon Brando as the Penguin, but this was nixed by the studio (which preferred Dustin Hoffman) and most vehemently by Batman creator Bob Kane. Consideration was also given to Christopher Lloyd when the character bore a closer resemblance to the tuxedoed dandy familiar from the Batman TV series. When Burton and Waters redrew the character to be a deformed, vengeful half-human/half-bird villain, attention turned to Danny DeVito. He, too, was initially reluctant but consented after talking with pal Jack Nicholson, for whom the Joker role in the first movie was a major financial windfall. DeVito threw himself into the part despite the hours of make-up required to make him the Penguin and a level of secrecy surrounding the character's look that prevented DeVito from discussing it even with his family.
Michelle Pfeiffer was also not the first choice to play Catwoman. Annette Bening was signed but had to drop out when she became pregnant. Julie Newmar, one of three actresses to play the role in the TV show, reportedly lobbied for the part, despite being close to 60. Tense moments were caused when Sean Young showed up at the Warner Brothers lot to pursue the job. Young was originally cast as Vicki Vale in the first film, but after breaking her collar bone in an on-set accident, she was replaced by Kim Basinger. In the early 90s Young had a reputation for difficult, erratic behavior, so when she showed up at the studio in a Catwoman costume, producers went to great lengths to avoid her and Burton allegedly hid under his desk. It was reported that Lena Olin and Madonna were also briefly in the running, but Pfeiffer was finally signed for the part at $3 million, $2 million more than Bening's asking price.
Burgess Meredith, who played the Penguin on the TV series, was asked to play the character's father in the opening of the film but illness prevented him from it. Burton then brought in two of the stars of his feature debut, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens and Diane Salinger, to play the character's parents.
Batman Returns garnered some good reviews and a number of nominations and awards but ran into controversy, and some diminishment of box office, when parental groups complained of its violence and sexual innuendo. The McDonald's fast food chain caught the most flak because they were giving away Batman Returns toys in their child-oriented Happy Meals.
Director: Tim Burton
Producers: Denise Di Novi, Tim Burton
Screenplay: Daniel Waters, Sam Hamm, based on characters created by Bob Kane
Cinematography: Stefan Czapsky
Editing: Bob Badami, Chris Lebenzon
Production Design: Bo Welch
Art Direction: Rick Heinrichs
Original Music: Danny Elfman, Steven Severin (song "Face to Face")
Cast: Michael Keaton (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman/Selina), Danny DeVito (Penguin), Christopher Walken (Max Shreck), Michael Gough (Alfred).
C-122m. Letterboxed.
by Rob Nixon
![Batman Returns](https://prod-images.tcm.com/img/film-participant-detail/Featured-Artilce_Placeholder.png)
Batman Returns
Vincent Schiavelli (1948-2005)
He was born on November 10, 1948 in Brooklyn, New York. After he studied acting at New York University's School of the Arts, he quickly landed a role in Milos Foreman's Taking Off (1971), and his career in the movies seldom dropped a beat. Seriously, to not recognize Schiavelli's presence in a movie or television episode for the last 30 years means you don't watch much of either medium, for his tall, gawky physique (a towering 6'6"), droopy eyes, sagging neck skin, and elongated chin made him a casting director's dream for offbeat and eccentric parts.
But it wasn't just a striking presence that fueled his career, Schiavelli could deliver the fine performances. Foreman would use him again as one of the mental ward inmates in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975); and he was hilarious as the put-upon science teacher, Mr. Vargas in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982); worked for Foreman again as Salieri's (F. Murray Abraham's) valet in Amadeus (1984); unforgettable as an embittered subway ghost who taunts Patrick Swayze in Ghost (1990); downright creepy as the brooding organ grinder in Batman Returns (1992); worked with Foreman one last time in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996); and was a dependable eccentric in Death to Smoochy (2002). Television was no stranger to him either. Although he displayed a gift for comedy playing Latka's (Andy Kaufman) confidant priest, "Reverend Gorky" in a recurring role of Taxi, the actor spent much of his time enlivening shows of the other worldly variety such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tales from the Crypt, The X Files, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
In recent years, Schiavelli curtailed the acting, and concentrated on writing. He recently relocated to the Sicilian village of Polizzi Generosa, where his grandparents were raised. He concentrated on his love of cooking and in 2002, wrote a highly praised memoir of his family's history as well as some cooking recipes of his grandfather's titled Many Beautiful Things. He is survived by two children.
by Michael T. Toole
Vincent Schiavelli (1948-2005)
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States on Video October 21, 1992
Released in United States Summer June 19, 1992
Sequel to "Batman" (USA/1989), directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Kim Basinger.
Due to her pregnancy, Annette Bening was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer in the role of Catwoman.
Began shooting September 3, 1991.
Completed shooting February 20, 1992.
Released in United States Summer June 19, 1992
Released in United States on Video October 21, 1992