Trivia

At one point, the producers of Batman (1966) wanted to fire Madge Blake, for reasons best known to themselves. Adam West, with whom she had become friends, stood up for her and she kept her job. The next day, he found a freshly baked cake in his dressing room. To this day, West considers that one of the greatest compliments he has ever been paid.

Both Madge and her husband worked for the government and their job necessitated top secret clearance as they worked in Utah during construction of the detonator for the atomic bomb.

At age 50, after her government career and by then a grandmother, Blake pursued her first dream and enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse and studied acting. A prolific twenty years of television and movie appearances followed.

Contrary to popular belief her Batman character of Dick Grayson's Aunt Harriet Cooper was not created for the TV Show. Aunt Harriet first appeared in Detective Comics #328 in June 1964. Two years before. Some details from the television series (her last name, her status as a widow) were added to the comic stories in Detective Comics #373.

During World War II, she joined millions of woman across the nation who filled the manpower shortage by working to help the war effort.

In addition to her role as Aunt Harriet Cooper on Batman (1966), Madge Blake's other well-known roles include her semi-regular role as Larry Mondello's mother on Leave It to Beaver (1957) and gushy gossip columnist Dora Bailey in Singin' in the Rain (1952).

Was one of the models for the fairies in Sleeping Beauty (1959).

Following her death, she was interred with her mother, Alice Cummings, at Grand View Memorial Park and Crematory in Glendale, California. Her father, Albert, a Methodist circuit rider who tried to discourage her from taking up acting, is buried alongside them.

Parents are Albert and Alice Cummings.

Her father, a Methodist circuit rider, discouraged her from taking up acting.

Her character Aunt Harriet Cooper was added to the television series Batman (1966) partly so that there was someone else in the house to prevent the two heroes from spending all their time in their Batman and Robin costumes and partly because of nervousness behind the scenes about two young, unattached men like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson (Batman and Robin) residing together unchaperoned.

Studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Although Blake worked extensively with Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, and Adam West in Batman (1966), she did not share scenes with them when they made appearances on her previous series, The Real McCoys (1957).