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I continue to avoid writing new stuff by revisiting my old stuff.
“Hi Diddle Riddle”/”Smack in the Middle”
According to the indispensable To the Batpoles! blog, Batman was originally intended for a fall 1966 premiere, with the film being used to build up interest for the show (how Marvel of TPTB ...). Unfortunately, most of ABC’s fall programming for ’65 flopped, so the network rushed the show into production and started clearing the schedule. Batman took 7:30 p.m. timeslots that belonged to Shindig! (which was cancelled) and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (which took Shindig!'s Saturday slot).
Different Times: No Origin Story! I repeat, No Origin Story! Let’s say it one more time, shall we? No Origin Story! Just a few mentions of Thomas & Martha’s* murder, and how it set up Bruce’s conviction to fight crime, and away we go. Speaking of Bruce’s family situation, note how often Aunt Harriet is referred to as “Mrs. Cooper”. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was originally penciled in as Wayne Manor’s housekeeper, or something like that.
*They’re not named, just “my parents”.
Our marquee villain is the Riddler, played by Renaissance man Frank Gorshin, who was equally at home being funny as he was being flat out scary. Check out the end of “Hi Diddle Riddle”, when he’s got an unconscious Robin on an operating table. You almost believe he’d smash his brains in just for the fun of it. Amusingly enough, Riddler was chosen as the initial rogue because it was worried ABC wouldn’t accept a pilot built around the more physically unsettling and flamboyant Joker or Penguin.
Fanservice Junction: Jill St. John as Molly, the Riddler’s girl, who falls to her death into the Batcave’s nuclear reactor (!). Bruce is inconsolable and slightly sexist: “Poor deluded girl ... if only she’d let me save her.” Oh well, at least we get a funny callback in the next episode, when Alfred assures Robin that the reactor’s safety lock is on as he cleans atop it. And Molly never got fat from all that caviar.
Twink Wonder: The credits might as well have read “Adam West, Burt Ward, Burt Ward’s Package ...” And check out Ward’s body language when he’s playing Molly in disguise as Robin! So fey.
All this, and the What a Way to Go-Go! disco, featuring what appears to be a grown-up Charlie Brown on the dance floor, and the debut of the Batusi!
I do wish they would have followed up on the plot twist that Riddler was setting Batman & Robin up for a defamation suit (which would have led to their unveiling). Seems like that could have sustained a two-parter better than the attempted robbery of Moldavia’s jewels and stamps. And the use of laughing gas (at the Moldavian prime minister’s “climax dinner”) pales in comparison to when the Trickster did it on old-school The Flash. But I’m trying to remember if the crimes were ever really that important in the grand scheme of Batman. This is my first time watching some of these episodes in nearly 20 years.
Jay S.
Batman's network competition in its first season: Lost In Space/The Virginian (Wednesdays) and The Munsters/Daniel Boone (Thursdays).
"ABC and 20th Century Fox must have figured every bit of color they could load Batman with would help viewers turn the channel from NBC and CBS." (I was referring to mauve gas used by the Penguin in the next episodes.) This can't be emphasized enough. Batman was the first network show to really go crazy with mid-60s-style bright colors, which helped it make a huge immediate impression.
Col. Alphonse
It helped that ABC and CBS were still just converting to color- even NBC still had a couple of black-and-white programs:
Me
Correct. I have to imagine a show like Batman was great to use for appliance store displays.
askyermom
I'm so glad you're doing Batman!! It made such a HUGE impression!!
I remember watching it when I was pre-spelling. It was on before That Girl with Marlo Thomas, which I totally believed was Bat Girl for some reason. I was patiently waiting for her to get suited up to fight crime, but all she ever did was go to work and fight her boyfriend. Heh.
Evil Lincoln
When I was in elementary school a local channel showed reruns of Batman at like 6:00 AM on weekdays, and I would get up early before school (something I would never otherwise willingly do) to watch it, I loved it that much.
Me
The first time I ever pulled an all-nighter was so I wouldn't miss FX's Saturday morning airing.
Watching the Joker introduction as I'm typing this. A spring. A damn spring, "forged secretly in the metal shop". This is why I loved Batman more than certain relatives.
Between (the colors) and the Dutch angles (and the "Bop! Pow!" fight scenes), I have a mental image of TV viewers thinking, "What the hell's wrong with my set?"
Jay S.
Especially as a mid-season replacement in Ozzie and Harriet's time slot. Talk about culture shock for O&H's audience.
Alien Jesus
No my little Franko, all of us thought, or at least as the wee lads we were, it was the greatest thing since Tang, and ouchless Band-aids
Me
Well, I assumed you kids weren't swearing.
Funny how Batman's something that children latch onto. I was six when these episodes first aired on FX, and I ate them up with a spoon. Got me to see Batman Forever (and Returns when it premiered as an NBC Sunday Movie ... talk about night and day).
Alien Jesus
Holy shit you're that young?
I could never ask you out, the best I could hope for is adoption.
Me
26 going on 27 ... and don't count yourself out just yet.
(DISCLAIMER: I hold onto most of the commentary, even if it's aged awkwardly.)
The Singulatarian
Mmmmm Jill St. John. She awakened something in the young Singulatarian when Diamonds are Forever was in heavy rotation as the ABC Sunday Night Movie in the late 70s/early eighties.
Me
And she looked gorgeous throughout this installment!
Core Concept
Let me know when you get to Catwoman.
[* Adjusts Utility Belt *]
The Singulatarian
Mmmmm Jill St. John. She awakened something in the young Singulatarian when Diamonds are Forever was in heavy rotation as the ABC Sunday Night Movie in the late 70s/early eighties.
Me
And she looked gorgeous throughout this installment!
Core Concept
Let me know when you get to Catwoman.
[* Adjusts Utility Belt *]
Arundel
I tripped drunkenly through YouTube the other night and realized my very first impression of Foggy Olde England came from Batman on TV. A place of jewels and villains, pea-green misty dungeons and young temptresses in miniskirts. I understand now that it was pretty accurate. But they're way more broke-ass now. They can't even afford fog these days. And the temptresses are all fat and on welfare selling their sob stories to the Daily Mail.
As a 70s kid I always confused Jill St. John with Susan St. James. And as an altar boy, I presumed they were Holy somehow by virtue of their names, even if they were cavorting under the sheets on The Love Boat. Honestly, I took the "Saint" seriously, I thought it was especially bestowed in a way I did not know.
I tripped drunkenly through YouTube the other night and realized my very first impression of Foggy Olde England came from Batman on TV. A place of jewels and villains, pea-green misty dungeons and young temptresses in miniskirts. I understand now that it was pretty accurate. But they're way more broke-ass now. They can't even afford fog these days. And the temptresses are all fat and on welfare selling their sob stories to the Daily Mail.
As a 70s kid I always confused Jill St. John with Susan St. James. And as an altar boy, I presumed they were Holy somehow by virtue of their names, even if they were cavorting under the sheets on The Love Boat. Honestly, I took the "Saint" seriously, I thought it was especially bestowed in a way I did not know.
Core Concept
As a young lad of 5, I was quite upset when Molly died.
I was even more disturbed by Burt Ward's fey grunting (when portraying Molly in a Robin-suit with an unexplained throat injury).
Me
The death feels slightly random. I wonder if it was taken directly from the comics?
Core Concept
I think it was one of the few actual deaths on the series. Perhaps network execs realized, "Hey, lighten up! This ain't Christopher-fucking-Nolan we're doing here!"
After that, it was just "BAP!", "POW!", and the occasional mysterious fate of Catwoman, after she falls into an underground crevasse.
"Holy Nine Lives, Batman! Will we ever see her again?"
"Who know, old chum... who knows!"
Me
I think you're right. I know "Middle" ends with a "Is the Riddler alive or dead?" twist, too.
edked
Somehow, I just caught that falling-into-the-reactor scene as a kid, without having seen the rest of the episode, or any subsequent stuff about safety precautions.
From then on, that thing instilled a slight feeling of dread in me, just the knowledge that Batman had this open atomic death pit that was always in the background of Batcave scenes.
Cmndr_X
1960s Batmania cannot be overestimated, it was off-the-charts.
For example for a time in a San Francisco suburb there was a Batman themed nightclub called Wayne Manor
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A...
Here, on Google Books, is an issue of Life magazine where they have an article devoted to the Batman craze and associated fads, and a cover with Adam West in full Batcapering mode.
Me
Skimming through that Life issue, I'm amused at how, about 30 or so pages in, the magazine would go page, page, page of ads, then one page that's practically wall to wall text with maybe a picture in the top corner.
And dig the coverage of The Mad Show, and Marat/Sade. Plus, a (censored by her hair) topless waitress! I can't even imagine how they tackled Hair.
ETA: As if that weren't enough, Geraldine Chaplin atop an elephant.
Jay S.
A certain part of that topless waitress was getting dangerously close to that plate she was serving. Just sayin'.
The Anachronism
They charge extra to have your food touched by "those".
Looking that old Life over, I was imagining every ad being conceived by Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.
souse chef
And now, folks, it's time for "Who do you trust!" Hubba, hubba, hubba! Money, money, money! Who do you trust? Me? I'm giving away free money. And where is the Batman? HE'S AT HOME WASHING HIS TIGHTS!
Are your tights clean yet @Franko?
As a young lad of 5, I was quite upset when Molly died.
I was even more disturbed by Burt Ward's fey grunting (when portraying Molly in a Robin-suit with an unexplained throat injury).
Me
The death feels slightly random. I wonder if it was taken directly from the comics?
Core Concept
I think it was one of the few actual deaths on the series. Perhaps network execs realized, "Hey, lighten up! This ain't Christopher-fucking-Nolan we're doing here!"
After that, it was just "BAP!", "POW!", and the occasional mysterious fate of Catwoman, after she falls into an underground crevasse.
"Holy Nine Lives, Batman! Will we ever see her again?"
"Who know, old chum... who knows!"
Me
I think you're right. I know "Middle" ends with a "Is the Riddler alive or dead?" twist, too.
edked
Somehow, I just caught that falling-into-the-reactor scene as a kid, without having seen the rest of the episode, or any subsequent stuff about safety precautions.
From then on, that thing instilled a slight feeling of dread in me, just the knowledge that Batman had this open atomic death pit that was always in the background of Batcave scenes.
Cmndr_X
1960s Batmania cannot be overestimated, it was off-the-charts.
For example for a time in a San Francisco suburb there was a Batman themed nightclub called Wayne Manor
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A...
Here, on Google Books, is an issue of Life magazine where they have an article devoted to the Batman craze and associated fads, and a cover with Adam West in full Batcapering mode.
Me
Skimming through that Life issue, I'm amused at how, about 30 or so pages in, the magazine would go page, page, page of ads, then one page that's practically wall to wall text with maybe a picture in the top corner.
And dig the coverage of The Mad Show, and Marat/Sade. Plus, a (censored by her hair) topless waitress! I can't even imagine how they tackled Hair.
ETA: As if that weren't enough, Geraldine Chaplin atop an elephant.
Jay S.
A certain part of that topless waitress was getting dangerously close to that plate she was serving. Just sayin'.
The Anachronism
They charge extra to have your food touched by "those".
Looking that old Life over, I was imagining every ad being conceived by Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.
souse chef
And now, folks, it's time for "Who do you trust!" Hubba, hubba, hubba! Money, money, money! Who do you trust? Me? I'm giving away free money. And where is the Batman? HE'S AT HOME WASHING HIS TIGHTS!
Are your tights clean yet @Franko?
You know, for all the talk that Tim Burton's Batman was such a radical departure from the West series, you see an installment like this and realize that's a great big hunk of bullshit. To the Batpoles backs me up -- surely it couldn't be coincidental, the scenes where the Joker attacks a local newscast? Speaking of that, Jerry Dunphy (from KCBS' Big News) just might be the comedy highlight of the installment.
"In this hour of peril and need, perhaps all our prayers are best summed up by my small son Harold, just eight years old. Kneeling beside his little bed, hands clasped reverently before him, he said, 'God bless mommy, God bless daddy, God bless my dog, Spot. And please, Batman, whoever you are behind that mask of yours, please save us."
Actually, all the TV scenes are great, from the Joker's performance as Paglicacci really wowing those barflies, to his game of "What's My Crime?" Special mention has to go to Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara's decidedly ineffective press conference, where they admit Gotham City is screwed without Batman. The Gotham PD also continues to toady like crazy towards Batman -- one cop moves a stop sign so the Batmobile can park -- which makes for a funny contrast to Chief O'Hara not being all that impressed by Bruce Wayne.
Today's marquee villain is Cesar Romero's Joker. Till my dying day, I'm always going to think of that musical sting. Talk about effective. Like all of the best Batman villains, the Joker combines a truly offbeat sense of humor (he escapes from Gotham State Penitentiary by a concealed spring!) with a sense of danger (that administrator at the Gotham Museum of Modern Art seems about ready to faint, he wants to get out of there so badly). That said, there are better installments to come.
And for such a "silly" show, Batman had its share of angst, like when Robin gets frustrated over apparently not giving enough to the citizens of Gotham. Batman: "Try explaining that to little Harold." So, see, it's not even an outlier in the TV scheme of superhero portrayals!
"Wild" ends with the Joker planning to unmask Batman & Robin on television, making this the second time in three installments that threat came up. If you really feel the need to watch Batman with a metaphor, one could do worse than thinking of B&R as celebrities in the closet. Also, note that the narrator (William Dozier himself) refers to the "same bat-time, same bat-channel" for the first time.
I get that the Joker's narcissistic, but was he really expecting to share museum space with Laurel & Hardy, Ernie Kovacs and W.C. Fields in the comedian hall of fame?
Hey, It's 1966!: Dick scoffs at practicing the piano, but is reminded by Bruce that music is essential to an eventual brotherhood of man.
Fanservice Junction: Nancy Kovack as Queenie, Joker's "poor deluded child". She gets today's subtext moment, making a wish (and rubbing) the Joker's utility belt. Granted, it's not on his person, but we're clearly invited to think of the belt as a phallic symbol -- Batman and Robin are "impotent" when the elder's given a defective one.
Flag On the Moon
"God bless mommy, God bless daddy, God bless my dog, Spot. And please, Batman, whoever you are behind that mask of yours, please save us."
I'd join that church.
"The Penguin Goes Straight"/"Not Yet He Ain't"
I have to wonder if Chuck Menville and Brynne Stephens watched this installment before writing "Birds of a Feather" for the animated series. Besides the Penguin's interest in culture (raving about the play he's seeing -- "It's a penetrating documentary of our time, it's a mirror of our cliched minds, of our sadly weakened moral fiber."), we have society leader Sophia Starr, who's a more earnest Veronica Vreeland. She just adores riding in the Batmobile!
Another excellent performance by Burgess Meredith, even if the Penguin's motives go from plausible (establish the trust of Gotham's wealthy so as to bilk them) to slightly juvenile (run off with his and Sophia's wedding presents, worth at least $1 million; was he going to fence them?). Favorite acting moment: that cocky head bob he gives after retrieving Sophia's necklace. As Meredith admitted, he kept doing Batman because it was hip, and for the money ($2,500 for both episodes; no residuals).
Again, B&R (Bobbin?) are way too casual about handling radioactive material and letting it loose. Gotham City must have a high cancer rate.
Aunt Harriet wins the supporting player crown for today, with her touching grief over the apparent death of Batman and Robin, and how she wishes Bruce and Dick could be there to console her. Not a bad scene for Alfred, either.
Really cool cliffhanger, of Batman and Robin positioned behind an amusement park shootout's cutouts. The Penguin gives Gordon & O'Hara special guns ... Speaking of shooting, it's really weird to see O'Hara and a deputy suddenly try to be badasses, chasing B&R through the streets and firing at them.
"You ... you abominable avian!"
And a fun conclusion, of Batman taking control of the Batmobile back from the Penguin ("This filthy beast seems out of my control!"). All's well that ends well, except Batman now has to get the car fumigated.
The theater used in the establishing shot is Broadway's Booth, where Luv was playing. (The following week, the musical ... It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman! opened at what's now the Neil Simon. The creative staff claimed the show never caught on due to the public's "capelash.")
As Newmar revealed, she took the role (after Suzanne Pleshette passed or was taken out of consideration) thanks to the urging of her brother, who said Batman was a favorite with he and his college buddies, they would drop everything to watch it, etc. That college? Harvard.
Batman & Robin are (still) way too casual about handling radioactive material. Mist or not, they're setting themselves (and Catwoman) up for actual superpowers.
Runner-up in the acting crown goes to Burt Ward, for Robin's suprisingly anguished response to Catwoman's apparent death.
Hey, look, it's Ralph Manza as Felix the henchman! And he gets more respect from Catwoman than he ever did from Banacek. Why, Felix is even allowed to brush the pussywillows!
There's a funny fourth wall break from Commissioner Gordon, who wishes Batman "Good luck ... to all of us." In sort of the same vein, we have Batman and Robin taking a minute to talk about the importance of bucking one's seatbelt, or Batman reminding Catwoman that pets, especially man-eating tigers, are a responsibility.
Co-written by Stanley Ralph Ross, who went on to create Wonder Woman and had a decent voiceover career.
"Catwoman, you are not a nice person."
Jay S.
"Batman and Robin taking a minute to talk about the importance of bucking one's seatbelt..."
Midway through the run, they began being very careful about showing B&R bucking their seat belts before tearing out of the Batcave.
Suzanne Pleshette as Catwoman? She played all manner of tough ladies on the small screen in the early-to-mid sixties, so I can see why she'd be in the running. But Newmar had such height and grace, it was easy to accept her as every bit the match for Batman.
Me
Points for the positive message, but I can't decide if it's meant here as satire or genuine.
And I just can't picture Pleshette doing the cat gestures/stretching (like when Newmar brings her head to her knee).
Actually, all the TV scenes are great, from the Joker's performance as Paglicacci really wowing those barflies, to his game of "What's My Crime?" Special mention has to go to Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara's decidedly ineffective press conference, where they admit Gotham City is screwed without Batman. The Gotham PD also continues to toady like crazy towards Batman -- one cop moves a stop sign so the Batmobile can park -- which makes for a funny contrast to Chief O'Hara not being all that impressed by Bruce Wayne.
Today's marquee villain is Cesar Romero's Joker. Till my dying day, I'm always going to think of that musical sting. Talk about effective. Like all of the best Batman villains, the Joker combines a truly offbeat sense of humor (he escapes from Gotham State Penitentiary by a concealed spring!) with a sense of danger (that administrator at the Gotham Museum of Modern Art seems about ready to faint, he wants to get out of there so badly). That said, there are better installments to come.
And for such a "silly" show, Batman had its share of angst, like when Robin gets frustrated over apparently not giving enough to the citizens of Gotham. Batman: "Try explaining that to little Harold." So, see, it's not even an outlier in the TV scheme of superhero portrayals!
"Wild" ends with the Joker planning to unmask Batman & Robin on television, making this the second time in three installments that threat came up. If you really feel the need to watch Batman with a metaphor, one could do worse than thinking of B&R as celebrities in the closet. Also, note that the narrator (William Dozier himself) refers to the "same bat-time, same bat-channel" for the first time.
I get that the Joker's narcissistic, but was he really expecting to share museum space with Laurel & Hardy, Ernie Kovacs and W.C. Fields in the comedian hall of fame?
Hey, It's 1966!: Dick scoffs at practicing the piano, but is reminded by Bruce that music is essential to an eventual brotherhood of man.
Fanservice Junction: Nancy Kovack as Queenie, Joker's "poor deluded child". She gets today's subtext moment, making a wish (and rubbing) the Joker's utility belt. Granted, it's not on his person, but we're clearly invited to think of the belt as a phallic symbol -- Batman and Robin are "impotent" when the elder's given a defective one.
Flag On the Moon
"God bless mommy, God bless daddy, God bless my dog, Spot. And please, Batman, whoever you are behind that mask of yours, please save us."
I'd join that church.
"The Penguin Goes Straight"/"Not Yet He Ain't"
I have to wonder if Chuck Menville and Brynne Stephens watched this installment before writing "Birds of a Feather" for the animated series. Besides the Penguin's interest in culture (raving about the play he's seeing -- "It's a penetrating documentary of our time, it's a mirror of our cliched minds, of our sadly weakened moral fiber."), we have society leader Sophia Starr, who's a more earnest Veronica Vreeland. She just adores riding in the Batmobile!
Another excellent performance by Burgess Meredith, even if the Penguin's motives go from plausible (establish the trust of Gotham's wealthy so as to bilk them) to slightly juvenile (run off with his and Sophia's wedding presents, worth at least $1 million; was he going to fence them?). Favorite acting moment: that cocky head bob he gives after retrieving Sophia's necklace. As Meredith admitted, he kept doing Batman because it was hip, and for the money ($2,500 for both episodes; no residuals).
Again, B&R (Bobbin?) are way too casual about handling radioactive material and letting it loose. Gotham City must have a high cancer rate.
Aunt Harriet wins the supporting player crown for today, with her touching grief over the apparent death of Batman and Robin, and how she wishes Bruce and Dick could be there to console her. Not a bad scene for Alfred, either.
Really cool cliffhanger, of Batman and Robin positioned behind an amusement park shootout's cutouts. The Penguin gives Gordon & O'Hara special guns ... Speaking of shooting, it's really weird to see O'Hara and a deputy suddenly try to be badasses, chasing B&R through the streets and firing at them.
"You ... you abominable avian!"
And a fun conclusion, of Batman taking control of the Batmobile back from the Penguin ("This filthy beast seems out of my control!"). All's well that ends well, except Batman now has to get the car fumigated.
The theater used in the establishing shot is Broadway's Booth, where Luv was playing. (The following week, the musical ... It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman! opened at what's now the Neil Simon. The creative staff claimed the show never caught on due to the public's "capelash.")
"The Purr-fect Crime"/"Better Luck Next Time"
LET US REJOICE! For she is upon us! That's right, it's Julie Newmar's debut as Catwoman, and she hits the ground running. Like the best Batman villains, Newmar throws herself into the insanity. I forgot there were moments like her laugh gradually becoming a snarl, or her use of a gag bomb that releases a "Meow!" flag. She manages to be more than just a gorgeous lady in a sexy costume (not that anyone's complaining). As Newmar revealed, she took the role (after Suzanne Pleshette passed or was taken out of consideration) thanks to the urging of her brother, who said Batman was a favorite with he and his college buddies, they would drop everything to watch it, etc. That college? Harvard.
Batman & Robin are (still) way too casual about handling radioactive material. Mist or not, they're setting themselves (and Catwoman) up for actual superpowers.
Runner-up in the acting crown goes to Burt Ward, for Robin's suprisingly anguished response to Catwoman's apparent death.
Hey, look, it's Ralph Manza as Felix the henchman! And he gets more respect from Catwoman than he ever did from Banacek. Why, Felix is even allowed to brush the pussywillows!
There's a funny fourth wall break from Commissioner Gordon, who wishes Batman "Good luck ... to all of us." In sort of the same vein, we have Batman and Robin taking a minute to talk about the importance of bucking one's seatbelt, or Batman reminding Catwoman that pets, especially man-eating tigers, are a responsibility.
Co-written by Stanley Ralph Ross, who went on to create Wonder Woman and had a decent voiceover career.
"Catwoman, you are not a nice person."
Jay S.
"Batman and Robin taking a minute to talk about the importance of bucking one's seatbelt..."
Midway through the run, they began being very careful about showing B&R bucking their seat belts before tearing out of the Batcave.
Suzanne Pleshette as Catwoman? She played all manner of tough ladies on the small screen in the early-to-mid sixties, so I can see why she'd be in the running. But Newmar had such height and grace, it was easy to accept her as every bit the match for Batman.
Me
Points for the positive message, but I can't decide if it's meant here as satire or genuine.
And I just can't picture Pleshette doing the cat gestures/stretching (like when Newmar brings her head to her knee).
More episodes to come!
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