Author, playwright, and screenwriter Samuel Garza Bernstein takes us deep into the extraordinary life of Cesar Romero, the Hollywood icon who became the Joker in the 1960s Batman series.
In his new book Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild, Samuel uncovers surprising family history, reveals how Romero’s career spanned six decades, and shares why Romero embraced being remembered as the Joker. From ballrooms to Broadway, Rat Pack hangouts to Falcon Crest, this is the untold story of a star who never stopped entertaining.
Episode Highlights:
- Cesar Romero’s surprising family connection to Cuban national hero José Martí
- How Romero’s ballroom dancing led him to Broadway and Hollywood stardom
- The unusual reason Romero refused to shave his mustache as the Joker
- Why Romero outshined the Rat Pack in Ocean’s 11
- Romero’s late-career comeback on Falcon Crest that brought him back into the spotlight
You're going to love my conversation with Samuel Garza Bernstein
- IMDB
- Website
- Buy the book: Cesar Romero - the Joker is Wild
Follow Jeff Dwoskin (host):
- Jeff Dwoskin on Twitter
- The Jeff Dwoskin Show podcast on Twitter
- Podcast website
- Podcast on Instagram
- Subscribe to my Youtube channel
- Yes, the show used to be called Live from Detroit: The Jeff Dwoskin Show
Ways to support the show:
- Buy me a coffee (support the show)
- Dashery/TeePublic Store: Classic Conversations merch and more!
- Love the books I talk about on the show? Here is my Amazon store to shop.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com