In 1966, actor Cesar Romero made his indelible mark on pop culture when he donned a purple suit, white-and-red face paint, and green hair, becoming the Joker on TV’s Batman. With his signature laugh and painted-over mustache (Romero’s trademark), his Joker on the colorful and campy series left a lasting impression on viewers then and on viewers of the show today.
But Romero’s career in films and television had spanned decades prior to his role as the Clown Prince of Crime, and it’s within the pages of The Joker is Wild that we learn about his extensive work in the industry and his life.
Author Samuel Garza Bernstein presents the reader with an interesting premise: “[Romero] is gay but his sense of family, partnership, and masculinity conform to the straight dictates of twentieth-century America” (4). As I read this excellent profile on one of Hollywood’s legendary icons, there was a question that kept gnawing at the back of my mind: was Cesar Romero really gay?
The book presents gossip, rumors, speculation, innuendos, and passing comments from others that allude to this concept as being fact, but we get no concrete proof that the actor was gay. Romero comes across as a down-to-earth, hardworking actor and dancer, whose life was focused on his career and family.
While I’m sure Romero could have dated or married anyone in Hollywood, his home was packed with relatives, and he seems like the type of man whose priorities were not aligned with settling down.
This is not to say that the author got it wrong, but I never felt that, by the end of the book, there was a revelatory moment in which Romero was open about his sexuality, as other actors of the era eventually were. Bernstein states that even a book that freely outed celebrities of the time makes no mention of Romero or his having dalliances with men: “And Cesar Romero’s name does not appear once in the book” (108).
It’s clear from the biography that the author loves and reveres Cesar Romero. He looks up to him and feels connected to him and his performances. That’s great. While Romero being gay seems speculative here, it’s not done in malice or with any ill intent toward the actor’s reputation. He may very well have been in the closet and afraid to come out for self-preservation. Either way, The Joker is Wild delivers a comprehensive and entertaining look at Romero’s life.
The Joker is Wild is split into two parts. The first is Romero’s biography, delving into his life and his career ups and downs. The second part is an extensive filmography that provides a detailed breakdown of Romero’s roles in film and television, as well as his appearances as himself on game shows and talk shows. It’s a great bonus, and you can tell Bernstein put a lot of time, effort, and energy into providing the reader with accurate information and details about each project. And his commentary on many of the projects is also a fun addition.
Whether you know him from his film work, his roles on Batman and Falcon Crest, or from his guest-starring roles on Murder, She Wrote, or The Golden Girls, Cesar Romero’s life and career are worth celebrating and enjoying.
I highly recommend The Joker is Wild by Samuel Garza Bernstein.