RIP George Barris

[bradl]

This one rather hits home for me.

I didn't get to know George personally, but I do his nephew (son of his brother, Sam, who both went into the custom car business), their children, and his sister-in-law (Sam's wife). Lovely people. Anyway, you'll know George and his work from this:

http://www.npr.org/2015/11/06/455049103/batmobile-creator-george-barris-dies-at-89

Batmobile Creator George Barris Dies At 89
November 06, 2015 4:21 PM ET

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

While Henry Ford was the father of the mass-produced automobile, George Barris was the master of the custom car. Barris died yesterday at age 89.

MCEVERS: Although he made his name in California, the whole country saw George Barris's cars in film and on TV.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BATMAN THEME")

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing) Batman.

MCEVERS: In the 1960s, the producer of the TV show "Batman" came to George Barris with a request. They asked him to build a car fit for a superhero. Barris told the story to NPR in 2010.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

GEORGE BARRIS: If you'll remember, that pow, bang, wow was going out throughout his whole script. That gives you an idea of what I had to contend with. I said, well, if you're going to make these exciting sounds and all this zing that comes up, I'm going to do the same thing to the car.

MCEVERS: In three weeks, he turned a Lincoln Futura into the Batmobile.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Barris created a very different kind of custom car for another '60s TV show.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE BALLAD OF JED CLAMPETT")

JERRY SCOGGINS: (Singing) Well, the first thing you know, old Jed's a millionaire. The kinfolk said, Jed, move away from there, said California's the place you ought to be. So they loaded up the truck, and they moved to Beverly.

SIEGEL: "The Beverly Hillbillies" called for a real clunker, so Barris slapped together parts of a flatbed truck and a 1921 Oldsmobile to make the Clampett family car.

MCEVERS: Some of the Barris custom cars were designed for legendary stars, like Elvis Presley and Bob Hope. As for Barris himself, The LA Times says he liked to drive a Toyota Prius, custom-built with vertical doors and painted in shiny green and gold.

SIEGEL: George Barris died yesterday. He was 89 years old.

Some of his noted other work:

The Munster Koach:

The Hirohata Merc:

KITT:

A Prius:

Yes, that bottom one is a Prius, and one he drove every day.

BL.

 

[JamesMike]

A great designer.

 

[vkd]

I was wondering if Yanks had stopped snuffing it temporarily; haven't seen any death notices here for a short while.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I was wondering if Yanks had stopped snuffing it temporarily; haven't seen any death notices here for a short while.

Oh, what an absolute ray of sunshine….

 

[vkd]

Oh, what an absolute ray of sunshine….

So death notices are sunshine (for you)?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

So death notices are sunshine (for you)?

No. Just a means of saluting and recognising the achievements and accomplishments of the deceased.