Before they were family in Batman, Neil Hamilton and Yvonne Craig played father and daughter in Perry Mason

They appeared together on the classic court drama almost a decade before reuniting in Gotham.

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Though not introduced until the third season of Adam West’s Batman, Batgirl was a welcome addition to the kooky comic book show. By day, she was Barbara Gordon, a mild-mannered librarian and daughter of Gotham’s police commissioner. By night, or any time there were crimes to be fought in Gotham, Barbara transformed into butt-kicking, Bat-cycle riding Batgirl. She not only helped Batman and Robin battle the city’s many villains, she came to the Dynamic Duo’s rescue on many occasions.

Yvonne Craig played Gotham’s newest hero and perfectly embodied both sides of the character. Though only 30 when she joined Batman, Craig was already a TV veteran. Before her superhero debut, she played dancer Ecstasy La Joie in The Wild Wild West, romanced Lee Majors in The Big Valley and rode a motorcycle as a parking attendant who gives Mr. Douglas a ticket in My Three Sons.

She also appeared in early Sixties shows Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, My Favorite Martian and 77 Sunset Strip.

Yvonne Craig’s career started in the 1950s with a small part in one of the era’s many juvenile delinquent dramas Eighteen and Anxious. She then landed roles in anthology series like Schlitz Playhouse and The DuPont Show with June Allyson.

But the part that stands out the most from her early career is a role in the 1958 Perry Mason episode “The Case of the Lazy Lover.” She plays a girl annoyed with her stepfather for blocking the driveway with his car. She claims she was forced to swerve into the hedges to avoid it. The plot thickens when an unconscious man is found right by those same hedges, presumably hit by her car.

Playing Craig’s stepfather is none other than Neil Hamilton, who played her father again when he became Commissioner Gordon in Batman.

Commissioner Gordon may be Hamilton’s most recognizable role but his career stretches all the way back to silent films! He was a dependable character actor working for decades with over 150 credits to his name.

The first-season Perry Mason case is an early glimpse of Hamilton and Craig’s bickering, father-daughter chemistry almost a decade before they brought it to their most famous roles in Batman.

Watch Perry Mason on MeTV!

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23 Comments

K 3 months ago
"Neil Hamilton and Yvonne Craig played father and daughter in Perry Mason"---the headline is wrong. The body of the article got it right, though. He played her Step-father....not her Father. And if you've seen the episode, you know she wouldn't have claimed him as "Father".
eddiecantorfan 28 months ago
Riddle Theater:
What is Jack Webb's Favorite
Day Of The Week?
Friday of course.. along with Harry Morgan
F5Twitster 28 months ago
Let's not forget Craig's turn as green-skinned convict Marta in the "Star Trek" episode "Whom Gods Destroy."
SexyMate 28 months ago
The "Perry Mason" Theme Song Is An "Original" No Doubt About It.!!! The Composer Was Superb And Still Is One Of The Greatest Theme Songs Of All Time I Congratulate Him.!! Raymond Burr And The Cast Were Excellent And A Great Set Of Talented Actors And Actresses 'IN My Opinion.!! And I Love It May They Rest In "Peace" (AMEN).!!

RichLorn SexyMate 28 months ago
Agree completely.
bagandwallyfan52 28 months ago
https://youtu.be/SFiLqpPeNK0
The Perry Mason Theme Song
is one of the best TV Theme Songs in the history of TV.
RichLorn bagandwallyfan52 28 months ago
Take note of the executive producer in the closing credits. Gail Patrick Jackson is the very same Gail Patrick who was a frequent and recognizable supporting actress in movies such as My favorite Wife, Stage Door, My Man Godfrey, etc.
MichaelSkaggs 28 months ago
He was on a Saturday Evening Post cover is November, 1919 (?). He was a soldier who was leading a turkey on a leash to become that day main course.
Andybandit 28 months ago
Reading this reminds me of when I watch Svengoolie and he when he introduceds the actor and actresses of the movie he says they were on Perry Mason.
ELEANOR Andybandit 28 months ago
He limped through The Case of the Drifting Dropout and six others.
MrsPhilHarris Andybandit 28 months ago
I love when Sven mentions the actors were on a Perry Mason episode. I swear once he mentioned about 8 actors had all appeared on Perry Mason. I can’t remember the movie though. 🤔
MrsPhilHarris 28 months ago
When I was a tiny kid I thought she was beautiful.
Pacificsun MrsPhilHarris 28 months ago
I thought she was, and appeared in everything I watched. Until she took that featured supporting role in ST:TOS. After that, I could never see her personality in any other way.
MrsPhilHarris Pacificsun 28 months ago
Isn’t it weird when that happens.
Michael MrsPhilHarris 28 months ago
There wss never enough Barbara/Batgirl
Michael 28 months ago
Yvonne Craig was in Kissin' Cousins with Elvis. Likely other films.
Barry22 28 months ago
Neil Hamilton was in the first two Johnny Weissmuller (sp?) Tarzan films.
daDoctah Barry22 28 months ago
I saw him within the last two weeks in a silent film called WHY BE GOOD?, which I watched mainly for the leading lady Colleen Moore. Hamilton played her very young and somewhat naif boyfriend.
Stemplr1 Barry22 28 months ago
He was also in a Saint movie with George Sanders..who would play Mr Freeze on Batman season 1 episode
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