Theater

Tom Titus

In the kingdom of show business, the woods are full of impressionists.

But only two qualify for the genre’s hall of fame -- Rich Little and

Frank Gorshin. Little is, undeniably, a master of his craft, a dead

ringer for the sounds of his subjects. Gorshin, however, is the complete

package -- an entertainer who not only sounds like Burt Lancaster, Kirk

Douglas or whomever he’s doing, but also looks like them -- without

benefit of makeup.

Gorshin, who brings his many characterizations to the Robert B. Moore

Theater at OCC tonight, is more than a master impressionist. He’s an

actor, singer and all-around showman who, nevertheless, will go down in

television history as the guy in the green tights with the question mark

on the front who tickled audiences of the 1960s as the Riddler on TV’s

‘Batman’ series.

‘I like to do all things, and hopefully do them well,’ he remarked

recently. ‘I love to sing, I love doing impressions. I’m happiest when

I’m on stage working, giving the audience my all.’

Long before his Riddler days, Gorshin was giving his all on TV variety

shows where he would turn his back, then slowly reemerge, and you’d know

whether he was doing Douglas, Lancaster or whomever before he uttered a

word. He simply looked like his subject.

One of my favorite actors from the 1950s was Richard Widmark, and Gorshin

had his persona nailed -- from his giggling killer in ‘Kiss of Death’ to

his menacing drill sergeant in ‘Take the High Ground’ or his

hair-triggered Jim Bowie in ‘The Alamo.’ I’ve often wondered what the

real Widmark thought of Gorshin’s backhanded tributes.

The Frank Gorshin story began in Pittsburgh, where he worked is a theater

usher as a teenager and won a talent contest at 17. His prize was a

week’s engagement at a night club -- but two nights before his opening,

his 15-year-old brother was hit and killed by a car. At his family’s

insistence, Gorshin went through with the engagement, which launched his

show business career.

‘I was almost hit by a truck the other day and Kirk Douglas’ life flashed

before my eyes,’ he will say. ‘My wife can’t complain; I’ve given her the

best years of Burt Lancaster’s life.’

What does Gorshin think of Jim Carrey’s Riddler in ‘Batman Forever?’ He

still hasn’t brought himself to watch the movie.

‘I really wasn’t crazy about seeing somebody else playing a role that I

had done before,’ he commented, ‘but I was flattered to know that Jim

Carrey was going to play it.’

You can be sure you’ll get your money’s worth; where else could you

encounter Douglas, Lancaster, Widmark, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson and

Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lechter all in one place?

WHO: Frank Gorshin

WHERE: OCC’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

WHEN: 8 p.m. today

HOW MUCH: $25 in advance; $28 at the door

PHONE: (714) 432-5880