Episode Title: The Joke’s on Catwoman
Original Airdate: January 4, 1968

In our last episode we had a less than satisfying team up between Cesar Romero’s Joker and Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman. It was a convoluted plot involving stealing a pair of pajamas and a baby’s cradle to learn the location of some gun powder that’s been hidden for 200 years. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Let’s see if things get any better in part two of the story, the first episode to air in 1968, The Joke’s on Catwoman.

As we begin, the villains are lying in wait outside the mansion of Karnaby Katz. When the heroes emerge, Batman and Robin climb into the Batmobile and head off. Batgirl, however has a problem starting her Batgirlcycle. Makes sense since Catwoman swiped a sparkplug. The villains then tie Batgirl up in some special wire which contracts when it comes into contact with body heat. Batgirl is doomed to be strangled. However, after the crooks leave, Batgirl manages to roll over to the on/off switch for the lawn sprinklers. The water causes the wire to expand and Batgirl frees herself.

Back at the villains’ lair, they use the pajamas and the cradle to learn where to go to find the gunpowder. Don’t ask me to explain it all, it just made my brain hurt. Meanwhile, Batgirl has told the dynamic duo where the villains’ lair is. Then the three heroes all meet up and start tracing Catwoman’s Cat-car.

Catwoman and Joker end up at a lighthouse and find the gunpowder hidden inside a secret room. The heroes then show up just as they see Joker do something stupid. He tries to examine the print on the barrels of gunpowder by using a match. He then accidentally ignites the powder. Lucky for everyone, Batman uses some Anti Blast Bat Powder to keep them all from being blown up.

Now, the bad guys are caught, but Catwoman convinces Batman to grant her her prison phone call. She’s not in prison yet, but whatever. He even gives her a dime to use. She calls her shifty lawyer Lucky Pierre. Next thing we know, this episode shifts into a courtroom drama. All the various characters from both this episode and the last are brought in, with Batman serving as the prosecuting attorney. Strangely, the jury determines the two crooks are not guilty. However, when it is revealed that one of the jurors is wearing a false moustache, the Dynamic Duo realize that the whole jury is made up of former cohorts of the two villains. The final fight then breaks out and all the criminals are locked up.

Well, this episode certainly lives up to its predecessor, which is to say it’s not very good. Once again, the story gets so convoluted and confusing that it becomes very easy for the viewer to just tune out. The explanations of the map on the nightshirt, and the instructions on the cradle (written backwards and in french) are just plain stupid. Even more stupid is that when we finally get to the discovery of the gunpowder we’ve been hearing so much about over the last two episodes, Joker accidentally blows it all up. The villains don’t even get to use it to commit a crime! Then things instantly switch over to Perry Mason Gotham City style! It’s one of the strangest story shifts this series has ever seen.

There are a few silly moments that make this episode at least somewhat bearable. The strange bickering couple that run the Gotham City lighthouse have a weird sequence as Joker and Catwoman show up to steal the goods. I also got a bit of a kick out of Batman playing the role of a prosecuting attorney. He runs through the list of charges against Catwoman and Joker which includes stuff like attempted murder, mayhem, assault AND battery…oh, and overtime parking. There’s also a strange moment after the villains are captured for good when Batman stares directly into the camera and speechafies about how “morals are the stuff men are made of.”

So, things continue to be pretty lackluster here in season three, despite having two iconic villains. Speaking of that, we should mention that after being featured in just two stories, this is the final appearance of Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman. Though I really enjoy her portrayal of the character, it’s a shame that the material she was given wasn’t of higher quality. Will things improve next time, though? Well, our villain teaser this time has Barbara Gordon running into none other than Louie the Lilac at the Gotham City Library. Milton Berle returns for next week’s episode Louie’s Lethal Lilac Time. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Anti Blast Bat Powder
Bat-a-rang

Holys:
Holy Return from Oblivion

Episode Title: Louie’s Lethal Lilac Time
Original Airdate: January 11, 1968

In this week’s episode, we see the return of a villain we were first introduced to earlier this season, Louie the Lilac as played by Milton Berle. I wasn’t all that thrilled with his first appearance, I gotta admit. Let’s see if things end up any better in this second appearance, Louie’s Lethal Lilac Time.

As we begin this time, we are at Bruce Wayne’s beach house. Dick Grayson and some of his friends are going to have a bit of a party there, and Bruce and Barbara Gordon a chaperones. When Dick and his friends come in from the beach, they have with them a large piece of ambergris…a grease produced by whales that is used in making perfume. A few moments later some gun-toting goons come in a demand the valuable substance. Leading them is Louie the Lilac, who decides to take Bruce Wayne and his ward along for a possible ransom.

Later, at Louie’s hideout, his lady friend Lotus (Nobu McCarthy) tells Louie that she needs all sorts of animal products from various musk producing animals to make the perfumes Louie wants to conquer the marketplace. Muskrats, Musk Deer, etc. So, Louie’s men head off to the zoo to steal the animals. Knowing that Bruce Wayne is an international sportsman, he decides that the millionaire will be the one to remove the glands from the animals.

Of course, knowing who kidnapped Bruce and Dick, Barbara Gordon heads off to change into Batgirl and save the Caped Crusaders. She gets a tip from Alfred (and the Bat Computer) as to where Louie’s hideout might be. She shows up at the perfume factory with the police in tow just after the Batmobile has arrived thanks to Alfred and a remote control. That makes everyone think the Caped Crusaders are looking for a way in. Not content with waiting, Batgirl busts in but is quickly overcome by Louie’s men. He decides to boil her alive if Bruce won’t extract the glands from the animals. Bruce ends up giving in, but says he needs two glasses of warm water to do the job. Louie obliges and sends Bruce and Dick off to the basement. Now alone, Bruce pulls out two tablets…which are actually Instant Unfolding Bat Costumes. Drop in water and they become full-sized bat costumes, complete with functioning utility belts. After donning their costumes, our heroes bust in for the final fight. During the battle, Batgirl frees herself and joins in. Then, our heroes sneak off, and become Bruce and Dick again in time to be rescued from the basement.

I actually found this to be one of the more enjoyable third season episodes so far. In it’s favor is a strong streak of originality. Just the fact that the whole premise revolves around Bruce and Dick being kidnapped, and therefore unable to become Batman and Robin, is a clever one. It is a bit of a bummer, though, that in the end they do become their superhero selves and save the day. I was kind of hoping that Batgirl would be the one to take charge of the situation and that we might not even see the Dynamic Duo show up in this one. Oh well. However, the way that they end up becoming Batman and Robin, tablets that become their costumes when disolved in water, is one of the most wonderfully wacky gadgets we’ve had in the whole run of this series.

As for Louie the Lilac, Milton Berle does a much better job with the character than he did in his debut. Last time, Berle seemed to be playing the role straight, which just did not fit the tone of the episode. Here he’s got the right mix of sinister and slyly comedic. He gives us a bit of a funny roll of the eye when Lotus tells him about all the animal parts she needs to make her perfume, and yet when he threatens to boil Batgirl alive, you kind of believe he’s bloodthirsty enough to do it. Berle is much better in his sophomore effort.

Speaking of Batgirl, there’s one other fun sequence involving her I want to address. When she goes off to change into Batgirl in the secret room in her apartment, she is briefly halted due to the presence of a maintenance man played by actor Percy Helton. He discovers that there is a secret room behind the wall, but thanks to a button labeled Secret Batgirl Room Instant Transformer, she is able to turn the room into a regular closet until he leaves.

Overall, this is a surprisingly good entry for the otherwise lackluster 3rd season. After this episode I would’ve been more agreeable to seeing more of Louie the Lilac, but this is the character’s last appearance. Next time, though, we get a new baddie (who, of course, shows up in a teaser at the end of this episode). Get ready to meet Nora Clavicle in Nora Clavicle and the Ladies Crime Club. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Two-way Transistor Wristwatch
Batcomputer
Secret Batgirl Room Instant Transformer
Secret Batgirl Room Instant Re-Transformer
Batmobile Remote Bat Control
Instant Unfolding Bat Costumes
Bat Hooks
Laser Bat Cutter
Batgirl Vat Opener

Holys:
Holy Finishing Touches

Episode Title: Nora Clavicle and the Ladies Crime Club
Original Airdate: January 18, 1968

Throughout its three season run, Batman was always a very harmless show. It never really dealt with hot topics, it was just good natured fun. Which brings us to today’s episode which, unlikely as it seems, is sure to offend a number of people. Get ready to see what happens when the women’s movement comes to Gotham in Nora Clavicle and the Ladies Crime Club.

As we begin this story, we are at a special luncheon honoring the long and faithful service of Commissioner Gordon. There is a notable absence, though. It seems that Mayor Lindseed and his wife are nowhere to be found. Eventually, though, they are spotted in the back of the room seeming to have an argument. Then, the mayor takes the stage and presents Gordon with a gold watch, just before relieving him of duty. He announces that the new police commissioner is none other than women’s activist Nora Clavicle (Barbara Rush). She then quickly announces that Chief O’Hara is fired and the new police chief is Mayor Lindseed’s wife. Everyone is confused by what has just happened, but the Mayor later tells Bruce and Dick that he was forced to do this by his wife who has refused to cook or do his laundry for the last several weeks.

A short time later, Commissioner Clavicle calls up Batman on the batphone and informs him that they will no longer be needing the service of he or any other man…Bat or otherwise. She even cuts the cord of the batphone. Plus, she fires all the other police officers and replaces them with women. Now, she is able to start her real plans, which begins with a bank robbery. It goes off pretty easily since all of the female cops are too busy exchanging recipes and talking about where the big sales are happening to go after the crooks.

Later, thanks to the mobile batcomputer in the batmobile, Batman, Robin and Batgirl end up at Clavicle’s hideout of sorts. Clavicle gets the jump on Batgirl though, holding a giant knitting needle to her throat. Next thing we know, all three heroes are tied up in a siamese human knot. Any movement will cause things to just get tighter, causing certain death. It’s at this point the the villainess reveals her true plan, to destroy all of Gotham and then collect on the insurance money. Of course, after the baddies leave, Batman figures out how to get out of it thanks to wiggling his ears and other such nonsense.

Meanwhile, Nora and her ladies have unleashed what will destroy Gotham, and army of wind-up explosive mice. However, the quick thinking Caped Crusader breaks out some small pipes…as in the sort that the Pied Piper would have used. Batman, Robin, and Batgirl then all head off in separate directions, playing their tune to lure the mice to follow them to their end in the river. Then, Gordon, O’Hara and Alfred all show up with Clavicle and her goons captured via citizen’s arrest.

This is such a delightfully silly episode that I gotta admit I enjoyed, probably partially because it’s full of stuff that will make many people in our over-sensitive age foam at the mouth. After all, some people aren’t going to like that the bad guy is a women’s rights activist. The same people won’t like that the female cops are inept and all carry rolling pins instead of billy clubs. But I dare say that if you get caught up in all that stuff you are missing a very important fact: this is the 60’s Batman series!! Has there EVER been anything on this show that was meant to be taken seriously? The show strives to be ridiculous…so let’s all lighten up a bit.

Having said all that, though, the writers of this particular episode do miss a pretty big opportunity given their chosen premise. With Batgirl now a part of the fray, it seems like we could’ve brought in a different angle where she is a more positive force championing women’s rights going up against Nora and her gang. Batgirl ends up just being along for the ride in this one, though. It’s interesting given that earlier in this season, Batgirl was the one who was often helping the boys get out of a jam, whereas now it seems that the writer’s have run out of ideas for her.

One interesting aspect of this episode is that it doesn’t feature a fight sequence. That’s right folks, a Batman episode without any “Pow!,” “Biff!,” or “Zowie!” graphics. I’m sure this is because the bad guys are all ladies, and there is no way that Batman is going to bring himself to trade punches with a lady…no matter what sort of evil scheme she’s up to. In place of the fight scene, though, we do get one of the weirdest sequences the series has ever seen, featuring our three heroes parading a large group of robot mice down the road.

All in all I thought this was a fun episode, especially given some of the dreck that has filled up much of season three.  At the end of the episode, everything is back to normal with Gordon back behind his desk a City Hall. He’s there just in time to get a phone call from next week’s villain…none other than the Penguin. It’s the final appearance of Burgess Meredith in his iconic role in Penguin’s Clean Sweep. Join us, same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Portable Bat Computer

Holys:
Holy Bargain Basements
Holy Knit One Purl Two
Holy Hamstrings
Holy Underwritten Metropolis
Holy Slipped Disc
Holy Mechanical Armies

Episode Title: Penguin’s Clean Sweep
Original Airdate: January 25, 1968

As we inch closer to the end of this series, we will begin to see the final appearances of some of the iconic guest villains this show is known for. Today we bid farewell to that waddling criminal the Penguin, as portrayed by Burgess Meredith. He’s still got one more caper up his sleeve, though, in today’s episode, Penguin’s Clean Sweep.

As our story opens, Penguin and his gang have shown up to rob the Gotham City Mint. Of course, the Caped Crusaders are called into action and when they show up at City Hall, they find Penguin and his gang getting out of the elevator. The crooks are taken to Gordon’s office, however there’s a problem…Penguin didn’t actually steal anything. He threatens to sue the city for false arrest, but he’s still guilty of breaking and entering. So, Batman agrees to drop those charges if Penguin will forget about the lawsuit. The crooks then leave just as Batgirl shows up. She helps the Dynamic Duo determine that if Penguin didn’t steal anything from the mint, maybe he left something there instead.

The three heroes head for the mint where they find all the employees fast asleep. They use the Portable Batlab to find that the money has been infected with Ligerian Sleeping Sickness, using a bacteria carried the the Ligerian Fruit Fly. Unfortunately, some of the money has already made it into circulation. Batgirl heads for the bank while Batman heads to the hospital to get the vaccine for the sickness. However, Penguin is already at the hospital insuring that he and his gang are the only ones inoculated. Batman and Robin show up, but not before the remaining vaccine is destroyed. Penguin then makes his escape by releasing three deadly Ligerian Fruit Flies. Batman uses a big bat shaped fly swatter to take care of them.

Meanwhile, at the bank, Batgirl finds out that the infected bills have made it to the public. Batman ends up sending out a warning to the radio and TV stations about the money, so people start dumping all their cash out on the street like garbage. Who’s there to pick it all up…why Penguin and his gang, of course. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has been calling various international bigwigs to tell them not to accept any Gotham City money. This causes problems for Pengy since he can’t make any of the big purchases he had intended on. In retaliation, Penguin announces he’s going to unleash 500 Ligerian Fruit Flies on the city.

Later, Penguin returns to the Gotham City National Bank where he finds Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Gordon and O’Hara all asleep due to the fruit flies. Or are they? The heroes soon wake up and the obligatory fight ensues. It turns out that the temperature in Gotham City was a mere 45 degrees, which was too low for the fruit flies to handles.

This is an episode that starts very strong and feels much more like a season two episode. It’s got a wonderfully convoluted plot from the villain. The idea of people throwing out their money because they fear it is infected, only to have it scooped up by the bad guys is classic. I love how this is portrayed, as well. We see an old woman dump her purse out in the street, then we see a man dump a bucket full of bills out his second story apartment window. Why we even see bank robbers go back and return the money they just stole because they fear the Ligerian sleeping sickness. I also love the idea of having the big threat be a bunch of flies. The opportunity to see the All-purpose Bat Swatter was reason enough for this plot device!

Even for all this episode has going for it, sadly this is still season three. After the mid-episode commercial break, things really start to drag. There’s also a really lame cop-out on Penguin’s part just before the break. His men get the jump on Batgirl with some knock-out gas, but rather than take her back to their lair and put her into some sort of cliffhangery situation, they leave her on the street because they are too busy scooping up piles of money. Lame!! Still, I will say that Burgess Meredith is very much at the top of his game as Penguin for this swan song. His squawking and sputtering is as classic as ever, though it actually does look like Meredith is a bit slimmed down from some of his other appearances. I don’t know if he usually wore padding or not, but this bird is much more svelte than usual.

So, Penguin’s final appearance is a bit of a mixed bag, but still far better than the average season three installment. As for the teaser of next week’s villain, we get a brief glimpse of a baddie we’ve only seen in one other story, ready to make his one and only return appearance on the show. Join us next time for the return of Cliff Robertson as Shame in The Great Escape. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Portable Batlab
All-purpose Bat Swatter
Bat Tweezers
Batweather Instruments

Holys:
Holy Hypodermics
Holy Rip Van Winkle

Episode Title: The Great Escape
Original Airdate: February 1, 1968

It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen the villain featured in today’s Batman episode. Shame, that modern day western outlaw portrayed by Cliff Robertson, last showed up at about the midway point of the second season. Unlike many of Gotham’s other villains, Warden Crichton has been able to keep him locked up in Gotham State Prison. We even see him at the beginning of this episode being visited behind bars by his lady Calamity Jan (Dina Merrill) and her mother Frontier Fanny (Hermione Baddeley). But Shame isn’t going to stay locked up for long. Let’s see what happens in today’s episode, The Great Escape.

A short time after Calamity Jan’s visit, she busts him out by smashing through the prison wall with a stolen, bright red tank. Word of this reaches Commissioner Gordon, who is enjoying fondue with his daughter Barbara and Bruce Wayne. Gordon has Chief O’Hara patch in the batphone to the call, and Bruce uses a secret button hidden his cufflink to alert Robin and Alfred to engage a recorded message so Gordon will think he’s talking to Batman. Later at police headquarters, a message arrives from Shame informing our heroes that he intends to rob the Gotham stage and that he plans on stealing a rock and a roll.

Later in the Batcave, Batman and Robin figure out that the “rock” must be a diamond and the “roll” probably means a bank roll. They can’t figure out the “stage” part of things, though. Luckily, they get a call from Batgirl who tells them that she’s figured out the part about the stage…none other than the Gotham City Opera House since they are opening The Girl of the Golden West. Not only that, but the female singer starring in the opera always wears a large diamond (the rock) and the lead male singer always carries lots of cash with him (the roll).

Shame and his gang (which now includes a bandito with a British accent and an Indian chief) show up to get the goods, but our heroes show up just in time. What seems like a longer than normal fight sequence breaks out on the stage, with the heroes triumphant. That is, until Calamity Jan and Frontier Fanny show up to spray our heroes with fear spray. This turns them into shivering cowards, afraid of everything. Shame then makes a getaway, taking Batgirl with as insurance.

The heroes return to the Batcave where Alfred fixes them some soup complete with Bat Antidote Powder. They then figure out that Shame’s hideout must be in a horse stable right across the street from the opera house. When they show up there, Shame, his gang, and Batgirl are gone…only Frontier Fanny remains. However, she’s not givin’ out any information. That’s where this first part ends on not much of a cliffhanger.

This series has been a bit hit and miss when it comes to the villains that were created for the show, rather than debuting in the comics. Shame is one of the better ones, so it’s good to see him back. Cliff Robertson plays the character with a goofy cowboy swagger that is actually quite charming. I do have to say, though, he has a weird gang of goons this time. One character is called Fernando Ricardo Enrique Dominguez, but they call him Fred because that’s his initials. Strangely he speaks in a very cultured sounding British accent. Even weirder is the Indian chief, who doesn’t speak at all. He communicates by inhaling from a cigar and blowing smoke signals that only Calamity Jan seems to understand. Calamity Jan is not quite as, shall we say “slinky” as many other ladies that have chummed around with the Gotham villains, but she makes a good match for Shame. Her mother, Frontier Fanny, is also funny. Shame often shows his frustration with her hanging around when he’s trying to do a little “sparkin’” with Calamity Jan. At one point Shame says to Jan, “Why couldn’t you have been born an orphan?” Frontier Fanny is played by Hermione Baddeley, who is probably most famous for playing Ellen the maid in Mary Poppins.

This story builds up well to the middle section of the episode, which features the fight. It’s unusual that the battle would happen so early. The fight is rather long and drawn out, but has a lot of great moments. It’s all capped off with the heroes being sprayed with the wonderfully goofy gimmick of “fear gas.” Seeing the three superheroes cowering in fear is a great moment. Batman even encourages Shame to take Batgirl as a hostage. I almost forgot to mention that the whole opera house sequence begins with the bad guys talking to the stage doorman played by the Beaver himself, Jerry Mathers. He’s no longer the kid he was on Leave it to Beaver, but he’s still only 19 years old at the time this was made.

Strangely, this episode hits a bit of a wall after the fight. It tools around doing nothing really important for another six minutes before telling us that we need to come back next week to see the end of the story. It really feels like we’re just killing time to get to the 24 minute mark. Hopefully next week’s episode with get injected with a bit of energy, because part one ends with a fizzle. We’ll see next time in part two of this story, The Great Train Robbery. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Emergency Bat Communicator
Bat Answer Phone
Bat Antidote Powder

Holys:
Holy Gall
Holly Carrots
Holy Hoofbeats

Episode Title: The Great Train Robbery
Original Airdate: February 8, 1968

When we last left Gotham City, that outlaw Shame (Cliff Robertson) was up to no good with his gal Calamity Jan and her mother Frontier Fanny along for the ride. As our last episode closed, Shame and his gang had managed to kidnap Batgirl, but Batman and Robin nabbed Frontier Fanny, who got clunked on the head with a horseshoe and left in the dust by Shame. Let’s see what happens next in today’s episode, The Great Train Robbery.

With Batgirl trapped in the trunk of the car, Shame and his gang set out to rob Peter’s Guns & Ammo. After successfully robbing the shop, Calamity Jan convinces Shame to make a deal with the police, trading Batgirl for Frontier Fanny. Batman reluctantly agrees, but when Batman shows up for the trade things don’t seem right. It’s clear that Shame intends to gun the Caped Crusaders down as soon as Fanny is out of the way. Luckily, Batman releases a bat chemical from his utility belt which causes the guns to become too heavy to hold. The typical fight breaks out and even Batgirl manages to free herself and join in. The bad guys escape, though, when Shame manages to lift a gun just high enough to get off a shot and cause a bunch of pinatas to drop on our heroes.

Later, back at police headquarter, Batman asks Batgirl if she heard anything about Shame’s plans. She recalls something about a train. Batman soon realizes that a train carrying tattered and damaged bills turned in to Gotham banks is due to head out of town today. That must be what Shame is planning on hitting. Unfortunately, our heroes arrive too late and only see the cowering guards, hit with Shame’s fear gas.

Batman then decides that there’s only one thing to do. He challenges Shame to a one-on-one showdown by skywriting a message in the sky with a drone. The two titans meet in a part of town filled with abandoned buildings, but Shame has plans for his gang to gun down Batman before the fight can start. Luckily, Robin and Batgirl get the jump on Shame’s gang. Things close with a knock-down, drag-out fight, with Batman coming out on top, of course.

There’s not really a lot going on in this episode. It gets very talky and the plot just kind of meanders along. It has a few quality moments, though. The big fight sequence comes in the middle of the episode as opposed to the end. It’s no better or worse than any other fight, though it does have a very goofy end. I mean, when else have you seen a fight where the good guys are overcome due to being clunked on the head by a trio of pinatas? What was inside those things anyway, bricks? Candy isn’t THAT heavy!

Better than the big fight, though, is the fight at the end, which is just between Batman and Shame. They bring the property values down quite a bit as they punch each other into various buildings. The whole thing begins as a High Noon style showdown, with Shame hurling various insults at Batman. “Your mother wore army shoes,” shouts Shame. To which Batman replies, “Yes she did, as I recall she found them quite comfortable.”

Sadly, the final showdown is one of the few moments that offers the humor and quirkiness that we’ve come to love in this series. I did crack a bit of a nostalgic smile at the beginning of the episode, though, where the gun shop owner is played by an uncredited Arnold Stang. Stang was a longtime performer in radio, movies, and TV. He stands out most in my mind as the voice of Top Cat on the classic Hanna Barberra series of the same name. He was also the voice of the bee on the Honey Nut Cheerios commercials.

Overall this is a very flat episode. It’s sad to say but things are getting quite rough here as this show inches closer to its end. But before we get to the end we still have a few villains that need to give us one last appearance. Our teaser at the end of this episode shows our old pal King Tut escaping from Gotham Prison. Victor Buono makes his final appearance on the show next time in I’ll be a Mummy’s Uncle. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Chemical
Bat Ropes

Holys:
None

Episode Title: I’ll be a Mummy’s Uncle
Original Airdate: February 29, 1968

This series, though known for its interpretation of several famous Batman villains from the comics, also created several new bad guys throughout its run. Without question, my favorite of all the crooks created for this series is King Tut, as portrayed by Victor Buono. We’re just a few episodes away from the end of the series, though, which brings us to the final appearance of the Yale professor who thinks he’s Egyptian royalty. Here he is in I’ll be a Mummy’s Uncle.

After escaping from his prison psychiatrist, King Tut heads for the Rosetta Stone Company and has his “Tutlings” steal $47,000, though $76,000 is available for the taking. It seems that Tut has a specific use for the money in mind. He’s actually after a large supply of the world’s strongest metal, nileanium. He’s located some that just so happens to buried under property adjacent to Stately Wayne Manor and owned by Bruce Wayne. It also just so happens that Bruce is selling a portion of his property to “help alleviate the property shortage.” Tut ends up going straight to the real estate broker Bruce has hired and makes the purchase. Luckily, Barbara Gordon is visiting the Broker at the time(her father is thinking of moving to the suburbs) and witnesses the transaction. She later calls Bruce as Batgirl to let him know what has happened.

Our heroes are now keen to Tut’s scheme, problem is he has already started drilling in an abandoned mine on the property he purchased. Batman soon realizes that the path being dug leads directly to the Batcave. In an effort to stop Tut, the three heroes all converge on the mine. Batman and Robin follow Tut down the shaft and instruct Batgirl to stand guard (they don’t want to risk her seeing the Batcave). Believe it or not Tut actually manages to make it into the Batcave….and thus figures out the secret identities of the Caped Crusaders. When the heroes arrive, a fight breaks out, making an absolute mess of the Batcave. As Tut tries to escape back up the shaft, Batman uses some Batnesia Spray on the minions so they will forget what they have learned. They soon run out, though, with Tut about to blab everything to Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon, and Chief O’Hara. However, as he raises his voice to shout, “Batman and Robin are…” part of the ceiling comes loose and drops on Tut’s head. Batman later explains this happened due to the increased volume of Tut’s voice. This causes him to return to his normal personality and forget everything about Batman’s true identity.

Why can’t all the season three episodes be like this? With so many lackluster outings in this final season, this episode is a breath of fresh air. It has so many of the things I love about this series: a goofy scheme, an over-the-top villain, some weird gadgets, and so on. But what’s really great about this episode is that there are some real stakes! After all, a villain is about to discover the location of the Batcave! Not only that, he actually succeeds! What a great moment it is, too, when we see Tut start to put the pieces together. He parades around the Batcave hardly believing his own eyes. It may be one of the character’s best moments out of all his appearances.

Once again, what makes King Tut work so well is the wonderful performance of Victor Buono. It’s part megalomania, part W.C. Fields. King Tut is certainly not one of the most menacing of Gotham’s villains, but he is consistently one of the funniest. Tut also has a fun bunch of “tutlings” helping him out this time. His right-hand man is kind of a weird beatnik type who always wears sunglasses. Tut’s main squeeze, Florence of Arabia, is played by Victoria Vetri, who could almost pass for being the twin of Dawn Wells…Mary Ann of Gilligan’s Island. One-time Tarzan Jock Mahoney also shows up as the miner hired by Tut, Joe E. Tata, future owner of 90210’s Peach Pit plays another one of Tut’s men, and comic Henny Youngman portrays the slightly crooked real estate man who sells Tut the land. It’s a fun cast, to say the least.

There are a few weak spots with the episode, chief among them being that Batgirl barely factors into things. During the episode’s best moments, she is stuck guarding the entrance to the mine shaft. All-in-all, though, I’m glad to say that this episode is a real standout here in the otherwise disappointing third season. Sadly, though, we must bid farewell to King Tut. In our next episode we will do the same with one of the most famous Batman villains. As the teaser at the end of this episode indicates we’re going to be dealing with a plot involving flying saucers concocted by none other than the Joker. Cesar Romero makes his final appearance on the show next time in The Joker’s Flying Saucer. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batcomputer
Batdirectional Finder
Bat Compass
Batnesia Gas

Holys:
Holy Hardest Metal in the World
Holy Journey to the Center of the Earth
Holy Waste of Energy
Holy Razor’s Edge

Episode Title: The Joker’s Flying Saucer
Original Airdate: February 29, 1968

We are down to the last few episodes of Batman and we have seen all the major villains put in their final appearances. That is, with one notable exception. It seems appropriate that the biggest of all of Batman’s foes should be the last iconic villain to put in an appearance on this show. We bid farewell to Cesar Romero’s take on the clown prince of crime in today’s episode, The Joker’s Flying Saucer.

As our story begins, Gotham City is all abuzz due to several sightings of a flying saucer in the area. What’s more, some citizens have even reported seeing little green men around the city. Even Barbara Gordon is startled one day at the library when this green dude starts messing around with the books. Batman and Robin are soon called into action and even join Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara for an interview with a woman who claims to have seen the martian. While this is going on, the alien manages to plant an explosive device in the Batmobile.

The woman, though, is all a part of a hoax concocted by the Joker designed to spread panic across the city. Now, in order to complete his flying saucer, Joker needs to procure a supply of the light-weight metal Berrylium. There just so happens to be a large supply at the research facility of the Wayne Foundation. With the help of the new Current Criminal Activity Bat-Disclosure Unit, Batman figures out this is what Joker is after, so they dispatch Alfred to the Wayne Foundation to check on security. When our heroes go to leave a short time later, the bomb in the Batmobile goes off, leaving the Batcave in shambles…before the commercial break.

When we return, we see that both Alfred and Batgirl (who overheard info about the Joker through Commissioner Gordon) have both been captured. In fact, Joker plans to blast Batgirl into space, tying her to a rocket with a short fuse. Luckily, she has an Automatic Fuse Extinguisher built into her utility belt. So, Joker just grabs her and Alfred and takes off in the flying saucer. The UFO flies all over the globe, freaking out people world wide. Back at the Batcave, our heroes come to and head off to board the Batcopter. Thanks to a homing device Alfred planted in the saucer, the Joker’s ship is drawn back to its point of origin. Of course, Batman and Robin are waiting and the big final fight breaks out…ending with Joker being hauled back to prison.

Cesar Romero’s Joker has consistently been one of the better villains on this show. After having re-watched almost all of this series with adult eyes, I now have a new appreciation for his performance. I first watched this series as a young kid in the 70’s and didn’t realize its intentional campiness. When it started airing again in my late teens (at the time of the release of Tim Burton’s Batman) it was often pointed out how ridiculous this version of Joker was compared with the Nicholson version. But that’s selling Romero short. His performance actually strikes a wonderful balance between the sinister and the loony. Is it silly that he’s trying to scare the world with a flying saucer…of course. Through it all, though, there’s an undeniable evil glint in Romero’s eye. Though this show was at its heart a comedy, Romero’s Joker is worthy of standing beside the likes of Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger.

As great as Romero is in this episode, it is a bit out-of-left-field for him to be hatching a plot involving aliens. In fact, this plot could’ve been pulled off without him. One of the Joker’s gang in this episode is a guy with green skin, green hair, and green clothes playing the part of the alien. He’s played by actor Richard Bakalyan, a veteran of many Disney productions and other movies including Chinatown. He looks pretty freaky as the alien, and is quite a bit more animated than the average henchman. I dare say, he could’ve taken the lead and been the actual villain of this story. Still, I’m glad Romero’s Joker is there, this being his final episode and all.

The strange thing about this episode, though, is that Batman and Robin don’t really do much. They use a computer that is essentially psychic to learn who the bad guy is and what he’s up to. Then, before they can do anything about it, the Batmobile blows up and they are lying in the rubble. Meanwhile, Batgirl manages to get herself captured as well. What ultimately brings down the Joker this time is the resourcefulness of Alfred, who, though also captured, has the brains to plant something that drops Joker right into Batman’s lap.

All-in-all, though a bit silly, this is a worthy send off for Romero’s Joker.  Now, with Joker back behind bars, we’re left to have to tangle with a few not-so-iconic villains for the last two episodes of the show. The teaser at the end of this episode introduces us to Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft (Ida Lupino) and Cabala (Howard Duff). Looks like they are out to steal a diamond in next week’s episode The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra. Join us, same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Current Criminal Activity Bat-Disclosure Unit
Anti-Thermal Bat T-Shirts
Automatic Fuse Extinguisher
Inter-cosmic Two-way Thermaphone
Batcopter

Holys:
Holy Rock Garden
Holy Known Unknown Flying Objects

Episode Title: The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra
Original Airdate: March 7, 1968

In recent years, the lack of major films directed by women has become quite a hot-button issue. As we speak, Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig is only the fifth woman to ever be nominated for a best director Academy Award. However, though underrepresented, women have been directing movies since the dawn of film. One pioneer in the field was Ida Lupino. She had an over 40 year long career working as an actress and directed several films along the way. Today, she shows up in Gotham City as Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft in our penultimate episode, The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra.

Our story begins as Dr. Cassandra and her husband Cabala (Howard Duff) set out to rob a bank. They use some special camouflage pills, which cause them to disappear, to lift a bag of cash without being seen. Though, they do beat up several of the customers and employees while they’re at it. When word reaches Commissioner Gordon, he and Chief O’Hara reach for the Batphone. However, they are surprised when they find themselves restrained by something unseen. Then, the Batphone receiver floats in mid air as the unseen Cassandra taunts Batman over the phone.

Now it seems that Cassandra’s plan is to release all of the arch villains in the Gotham penitentiary. She will then be the queen of a huge crime empire. First, she needs to get the Terrific Trio out of the way. So, she calls Commissioner Gordon and informs him that she plans on stealing the Mope Diamond from Spiffany’s. Of course, our heroes show up to stop her, but she blasts them with her Alvino Ray Gun. This emits a bit of a psychedelic light show before causing our heroes to basically become flat cardboard cutouts. She then has them delivered to Commissioner Gordon as she heads off to the prison to release all the bad guys.

Gordon and O’Hara are at a loss for what to do to help our heroes. Then, O’Hara has the idea to use the Batphone to talk to the other voice that sometimes answers the phone…Alfred. Of course, they don’t know it’s Alfred, nor can the butler reveal his identity without putting the Caped Crusaders’ true identities in jeopardy. So, Alfred instructs Gordon to send the heroes to the post office, and he later picks them up in a not very effective disguise. He then takes them back to the batcave and restores them thanks to the Three-Dimensional Bat-Restorer. Meanwhile, Cassandra has managed to get into the prison and release none other than Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, Egghead, and King Tut (though all played by stand ins as opposed to the usual celebrity guests).

Now with our heroes restored, they set out to defeat Cassandra and Cabala. Using the Special Escaped Arch Criminal Bat-locator on the Batcomputer, they locate where Cassandra and the arch villains are hiding. Of course, when the heroes show up for the fight, the baddies all take a dose of the camouflage pills. So, our heroes start being slapped around by unseen foes. However, they hit upon an idea to disorient the baddies as well by knocking out the lights. We then get a fight that is nothing but a dark screen interrupted by the occasional “Sock!” and “Zap!” When all is said and done, everyone is hauled back to prison.

Though we’re just a step away from the end of the series, and the final season has honestly been a bit of a let-down, this episode proves that the show still has a little magic left in it. As we’ve seen in the past, villains that were created for this show, as opposed to originating in the comics, are often a bit weak. However, Dr. Cassandra and Cabala are delightful. Ida Lupino absolutely steals the show with her take charge villainess. She’s clearly the one brains of the operation, while her hubby (who calls her “Doccy Baby”) is just along for the ride. A fun touch of both characters is that they speak in a weird beatnik inspired style. For example, when Cassandra lays out her plan to Cabala he responds by saying “Marv, just marv!” (as in Marvelous). They are a colorful pair of villains and it’s a bit of shame that they are such late arrivals on the series.

The best thing about Dr. Cassandra, though, is her weapon of choice…the Alvino Ray Gun. Making our heroes flat as pancakes is one of the loopiest things to have happened to the Caped Crusaders in the entire run of the series. I mean when the villains deliver the flattened heroes to Commissioner Gordon, they literally slide them under the door! Beat that! Oh, but Cassandra does try to beat that by releasing six of Gotham’s worst villains from prison. Now, some may not care for this sequence as it is painfully obvious that scabs are brought in to play these classic bad guys. In the scene that depicts Cassandra giving a speech to the villains, we only see the backs of their heads. For me though, it was fun to see these characters make one last appearance. Though there is something strange about the moment. For some reason the Catwoman stand-in is made to look like Julie Newmar’s version of the character as opposed to the Eartha Kitt incarnation who appeared during the rest of season three.

I really loved this episode. It’s such a relief to see the series on a bit of an upswing as we move toward the end. Which brings us to the teaser for next week’s episode. In an unusual move, the final scene does not feature the Caped Crusaders, rather Gordon and O’Hara. They show up at a place called Minerva’s Mineral Spa where they encounter Minerva herself, played by Zsa Zsa Gabor. Join us next time for the series finale, Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Portable Bat Phone
Three-Dimensional Bat-Restorer
Special Escaped Arch Criminal Bat-locator on the Batcomputer
Bat Sleep
Anti Alveno Ray Bat-Disintegrator
Batmobile Remote Bat-Control

Holys:
Holy Disappearing Act
Holy Unrefillable Prescriptions
Holy Helplessness
Holy Giveaways
Holy Catastrophe

Episode Title: Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires
Original Airdate: March 14, 1968

Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. We have reached the 120th, and final, episode of Batman. The question, though, is if this series goes out on a high note or not. As we know, the third season of the series has been a bit shaky. Let’s find out what happens when Zsa Zsa Gabor is up to no good in Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires.

We open at Minerva’s Mineral Spa where millionaire Bruce Wayne is having a massage. Many millionaires frequent Minerva’s and especially go for her Eggplant Jelly Scalp Massages. The scalp massage is just a front, though. In reality, Minerva hooks the millionaires up to a machine that extracts their biggest secrets right from their brains. She then goes out and robs these guys blind. Now, when she overhears Bruce talking about a big batch of diamonds that the Wayne Foundation will be putting on display, she sets her sights on getting the combination to the Wayne Foundation vault right from Bruce’s noggin. So, she pockets Bruce’s watch so she can later call him back to the spa to claim it, and then subjects him to her machine.

Meanwhile, Gordon and O’Hara have gotten word of the other millionaire robberies and called Batman. Of course, he starts to connect the dots concerning Minerva and shows up at her place as Bruce, while Robin stands ready with an extra batsuit. Unaware of Minerva’s machine, Bruce ends up going in for a scalp massage and the combination to the safe is revealed. After Bruce leaves, he changes to Batman and shows up with Robin. Then, Minerva’s goons end up overpowering the Dynamic Duo and sticking them in a giant pressurizer. Meanwhile, Minerva steals the diamonds from the Wayne Foundation vault.

After the commercial break, Minerva and her men return to find Batman and Robin gone. The villainess states that they have completely pressurized into nothing. In reality, the pair have escaped thanks to the Steam Neutralizing Bat Pellets in their utility belts. Later at police headquarters, our heroes confront Minerva, who has been called in for questioning. Charmed by the beauty, Gordon lets her go. So, Batman hatches a plan to send in Alfred to pose as another millionaire (who he bears a strong resemblance to). Sometime around now Batgirl gets involved, too, somewhat unceremoniously. Eventually, everyone converges on Minerva’s just in time to make sure that Alfred doesn’t give away the identities of any of Gotham’s masked heroes.

Well, sadly the Batman series rides off into the sunset with a overly complicated and downright dry episode. Opportunities for the silliness we love about this series are squandered this time. I mean, we have Batman and Robin stuffed inside a huge pressurizer, but their escape from said device happens off camera during the commercial break. What a cop out! Even the inclusion of Batgirl is mishandled in this episode. She doesn’t even show up until midway through and contributes nothing to the story.

As villains go, Zsa Zsa Gabor is certainly in the running for the worst. She doesn’t even make any effort to give Minerva any sort of style. Gabor is just playing herself. She’s not intimidating or colorful in the slightest. Heck she was a bigger threat when she was slapping around cops back in the 90’s. Plus, Minerva’s plot doesn’t really seem to be all that demanding of putting a crime fighting team like Batman and Robin on the case. Weren’t there any C-level superheros available. Surely Booster Gold couldn’t have been that busy.

Sadly, this is a dismal end for this beloved series. Things would’ve been much better off had last week’s episode been the closer. It was a clever installment and featured (sort of) cameos from the show’s top villains. It would’ve been a fitting conclusion. With this episode, the only thing that really made me smile was seeing Alfred get involved in the final fight. As for next time, we’ll take a moment to look back at season three before bidding farewell to Gotham City. Join us next week…same bat time, same bat channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Steam Neutralizing Bat Pellets
Three Seconds Flat Bat Vault Combination Unscrambler

Holys:
Holy Astringent Pomme Fruit
Holy Human Pressure Cookers
Holy Skull Tap