Convincing Jack Nicholson To Play The Joker Put Tim Burton In A Less Than Ideal Situation
Calling the production of 1989's "Batman" an uphill struggle is an understatement. There's a reason director Tim Burton claims bringing his vision of the Dark Knight to fruition was "torture." Lawyer-turned-producer Michael E. Uslan, who'd acquired the rights to a Batman movie in the '70s, envisioned a darker cinematic take on the character, and Burton was brought on to make it happen. But keeping things on track was a slog from the outset.
Burton had to work hard to convince Uslan that Michael Keaton should play Batman, and that was just the beginning of his struggles. The director clashed with producer Jon Peters, who reportedly caused Burton to run off set in tears after he told him to add more "pathos and romance" to his movie. Carl Grissom actor Jack Palance also gave Burton a dressing down after a miscommunication on-set. And all of this was happening within the context of a grueling shoot that required the crew to work into the early hours of the morning, often for six days a week.
But Burton at least had Jack Nicholson in his movie, which was nothing short of a coup. The filmmaker, who'd only made 1985's "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" and 1988's "Beetlejuice" prior to taking on the Dark Knight, immediately gave "Batman" some prestige by signing up Nicholson. As producer Peter Guber said in a making-of featurette, "This is the guy from 'The Last Detail' and 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' we're talking about a force of nature — an acting force of nature." But like everything else on "Batman," getting Nicholson to agree was a struggle for Burton.
'I was terrified'
Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime remains one of the best versions of the character we've yet seen. The "Chinatown" star brought his characteristic ability to play crazy a little too well to the role, imbuing his portrayal of Jack Napier with a quiet menace that eventually exploded into maniacal psychopathy once the character was transformed into The Joker. Nicholson always wanted his Joker to be dark in a way that left kids scared, and he certainly came through on that front.
But before Burton could secure the perfect Joker for his dark vision of Batman, he had to convince Nicholson to take the job. As Peter Guber explained in the making-of featurette, he and Burton traveled to Aspen to meet with the actor. Guber continued, "Jack says, 'Let's go riding' [...] Tim says 'I don't ride' and I said to him, 'You do today.' There's a picture of him on the horse with Jack, and Jack's a really good rider, and Tim Burton looks like he discovered god on that horse."
Burton recalled the episode, adding, "I was terrified and I'm out with Peter Guber and Jack Nicholson on horseback up in Aspen, I'm going 'I didn't realize horseback riding was part of my job description.' But that was a surreal moment." Guber explained that while Burton "was not a happy camper," he did follow through with Nicholson's request and the star ultimately committed to play Jack Napier. Guber added, "I don't know [if it was] because of the horse riding but I think that they had a good bonding there and that moved the project yet further ahead."
All's well
In hindsight, Jack Nicholson needn't have been hesitant at all to play The Joker. Despite being a box office smash, "Batman" likely never made a profit. But Nicholson himself sure did. The veteran star had negotiated not only for top billing ahead of Michael Keaton, but he also somehow managed to wangle a percentage of the film's gross profits. That meant Nicholson was paid his share before Warner Bros. could pull any creative accounting to make it seem as though the movie never made a profit.
Meanwhile, Tim Burton, who'd struggled his way through a troubled production, saw his career take off after "Batman" debuted in the summer of '89 and the ensuing "Bat-mania" made his film into a pop culture phenomenon. And considering the work he'd put in, he certainly deserved it.
Interestingly enough, horse riding is a recurring trope in the history of the film. After Sean Young, who was originally set to play Vicki Vale, almost tanked "Batman" by mumbling through a table read, the actress sadly injured herself in a horse riding incident. Young was rehearsing for a scene in the film and fell from her horse, breaking her collarbone. After Bassinger took over the role, the horseriding scene ultimately never made it into the final cut anyway. Maybe Burton's aversion to equestrianism in general had a part to play there.