Batman residuals were a lifesaver for Alan Napier, the show's Alfred

The checks hit at just the right time!

Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution

Ah, those golden years. Whether you're in them or still have them to look forward to, you know that nothing can beat those halcyon days when your life's work has been done. Now, it's time to enjoy. Oh, and by the way, you have to save up your whole life to make sure you can relax in your old age. As if keeping food on the table your whole life isn't enough of a pain, you'll also have to ensure there's plenty of money left for when you stop working.

For a lot of actors, there aren't too many plans in place. Sure, while they're working actors are protected by their unions. Lots of great programs are in place to provide medical coverage and even basic income when the industry isn't thriving. While there are a few similar services for actors who have retired, some have to rely on what they've already made.

Luckily, there are also— or were also— residuals for actors to depend on. These are the profits that studios share with the actors who made TV shows, and for the most part, they're an absolutely bygone practice. But, back when they were still a consideration, a residual check could help someone stay afloat during times of strife.

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For Alan Napier, most famous as Alfred in Batman, the show's residual checks helped him keep a roof over his head in his old age. A 1975 interview with the San Luis Obispo Tribune included lots of details, the most interesting of which were about how Batman helped Napier long after the show ended.

"Your readers would know me best from the Batman series with Adam West," Napier told the Tribune.

"When I turned 65, it was Social Security and Batman."

In his semi-retirement, Napier spent his days with his dog, a poo-huahua (which is a mix between a cockapoo and a chihuahua). The dog's name was Tippi.

"She's named after the actress Tippi Hedren," said Napier, "and she suffers from old age and constipation."


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20 Comments

Bapa1 29 days ago
Back then, residuals were small, if you got them at all. Nothing compared to what they're getting today. (Friends, Seinfeld, etc.)
SteveMcnary 1 month ago
Anyone who claims that your Golden Years are when you're old is a liar. The body & the mind are deteriorating and all the things you did when you were younger come back to haunt you in the form of arthritis and other pains.
Badge714 1 month ago
In the 1989 Michael Keaton 'Batman', Tim Burton paid homage to Alan by naming The Joker's character 'Jack Napier'.

Yep, its tough going for a lot of actors. In the mid-90s my brother in law had to pick up a construction helper at his cheesy apartment building in a pretty run down part of L.A. He knocked on the door and the door one apartment over creaked open ... it was Huntz Hall from The Bowery Boys/Dead End Kids. He said he was ancient but smiled that smile and said "Oops, sorry!" and closed the door. He was shocked.
SalIanni 1 month ago
Alan Napier's grand-nephew was Brian Forster, who played the 2nd Chris Partridge (the blond one) on "The Partridge Family".
cperrynaples SalIanni 1 month ago
Yes, and I believe Brian's father was Whit Bissell, best known to MeTV fans from The Time Tunnel!
LadySnake cperrynaples 1 month ago
General Kirk!
BrittReid cperrynaples 1 month ago
And Creature From The Black Lagoon, I was a Teenage Frankenstein, I was A Teenage Werewolf.
cperrynaples BrittReid 26 days ago
Yes, he gave Michael Landon the drugs that changed him!
Scott76112 1 month ago
Compared to today, actors from those days didn't make much per episode. They typically supplemented their income by making personal appearances, even at some pretty small-time events
I can remember as a little kid, when I was living in Wausau, Wisconsin (about 30,000 people then), I met Ted Cassidy ("Lurch" from The Addams Family).

Residuals could help a lot.
But not always. There's a story that Barbara Eden signed away her rights to "I Dream of Jeannie" reruns for $5,000. Apparently she didn't think anyone would watch.

Anyway, Alan Napier had a pretty long career, appearing in serious and not-so-serious movies. (Check out IMDB for a filmography.)
cperrynaples Scott76112 1 month ago
Yes, he was in I Killed The Count, the only 3 part AHP! He also did a Twilight Zone!
JHP 1 month ago
Love the actor - Love even more the character
musicman37 1 month ago
How much the checks were wasn't the point. The point was that he had them to get him thru some otherwise rough times. And from what I understand, he lived to a ripe old age, so good for that.
cperrynaples musicman37 1 month ago
Yes, he did a Batman reunion in 1988!
justjeff 1 month ago
What an empty, dead-end of an article. Nothing was mentioned about Napier's early years as an actor or anything aslse about his career.... The writers must be "phoning it in" today...

Even Wikipedia goes into more detail about his life and career... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Napier
Robersot justjeff 1 month ago
I mean the subject was about redidualsl how much were the checks.
MarioNYC justjeff 1 month ago
Right on, Jeff. They end the "article" talking about his dog's name. I expected to read about his expenses, sacrifices he had to endure (or almost endured), and falling behind on payments. But, nooo, his dog's name is Tippi.
justjeff MarioNYC 1 month ago
I think it gets to a point where the MeTV writers milk a subject almost dry, then scratch around for *any* tidbit to turn into an article. Personally, I wish they'd do articles about TV shows and stars of general interest - even if they are not in the Weigel library of licensed programming...

The only time they make an exception is when a notable personality passes away...
Robersot justjeff 30 days ago
They didn't mention Ron Popeil when he passed away. His ronco commercials were classic 70s television. I still have two of the ronco albums
justjeff Robersot 29 days ago
There are more well-known people that get overlooked by the media when they pass than your realize. For example, Fred Parris, whose "In the Still of the Nite" went on to become a rock and roll classic got little to no mention.

The media only focuses on "big" personalities. Gene Hackman - yes... lesser-known supporting players - no...
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