Frank Gorshin's Hippest role

I've always been a fan of Gorshin, but sadly he never really reached his acting potential in Films.

Early in his career he was a sidekick or the fast talking funny guy, but it was rare to hear him wrap his facile mind around some smart juicy dialog.
That's why he's the best thing in this film, IMHO. WTBA is certainly a dated artifact, but Frank's role as a farsighted hipster musician named Basil Demotomos stands the test of time. He's passionate about his music, he's an egomaniac who demands adulation and he's helpless without his glasses.

I just watched "Boys" and scrutinized his upright bass playing and you can tell he really studied the fingering and the stylized way "Dialectical" Jazz was played. His early scenes, Although played for laughs in a mostly light comedy, add the sole intellectual heft the movie otherwise lacks. Written as just an eccentric weirdo for the 'normal' kids to play off of, I wanted more of him and his post beatnik perspective on the otherwise shallow proceedings.

"Let's keep things as frantic and cerebral as possible. We're incorrupt!", says pompous Basil onstage to his audience...

Hilarious, Frank. You were great!

Sam K